North

People living in rural Yukon aren't too worried about Canada Post strike... yet

At post offices in Yukon communities like Dawson City, Mayo, and Faro people are still able to pick up packages at the local post office, and send mail out locally, but a worker says residents should expect some service interruptions.

Post offices in rural Yukon remain open, offering limited services

a post office
The post office in Dawson City, Yukon will remain open during the Canada Post's nationwide strike. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC News)

Post offices in rural Yukon remain open, despite the Canada Post strike that's affecting postal services across the country.

Approximately 55,000 Canada Post workers went on strike early Friday.

But at post offices in Yukon communities like Dawson City, Mayo, and Faro, people are still able to pick up packages at the local post office, and send mail out locally.

On Friday, a worker at the Dawson City post office told CBC they operate under a different union, so they will remain open during the strike, but services are limited until the strike is resolved.

Dawson City resident, Amélie Morin was at the post office to pick up a package on Friday. She said she doesn't know why workers have decided to strike but if it's "something they feel like they need to do," she supports it. 

a woman holding a package
Dawson City, Yukon resident Amélie Morin said the potential impact the Canada Post strike will have on mail services has her rethinking her holiday shopping plans. She said it's inspired her to shop locally. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC News)

Morin said she isn't too worried about the potential impact it could have on her personally, but it's unfortunate that the strike is happening so close to the holiday season.

"We'll be thinking differently about how we purchase," Morin said. "It might inspire us to shop local a little bit more."

In Faro, Mayor Jack Bowers confirmed his community's post office is staying open as well. He said it's too early to tell how the strike will affect residents.

"Obviously if it's a long term strike then it could have a severe impact," Bowers said. "Typically in these kinds of things the government steps in and forces binding arbitration or something. So for the short term, if it's a week, we'll get by."

Man with white beard sits at a table with a name plate that says 'Mayor' in front of him.
Jack Bowers is the mayor of Faro, Yukon. (Submitted by Jack Bowers)

Bowers said with Faro being so far away from everything, many people use online shopping as their primary means to buy things. He said this will be particularly inconvenient for people who receive their prescriptions in the mail.

"For all of the residents of Faro if this were a prolonged strike it's going to create some hardship for sure," he said.

In Mayo, Canada Post worker Lynn Dubois took to social media to notify residents that staff will not be able to accept any packages or letters to be sent out of the community.

Dubois said the Mayo office will still provide services of money transfers, money orders, selling stamps and products.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris MacIntyre is a CBC reporter in Dawson City, Yukon. If you have a story idea or news tip you'd like to share you can reach him at chris.macintyre@cbc.ca or @chriswhereyouat on X.