Debden, Sask., struggles to keep post office open amid bilingual requirement
The office has not had a permanent postmaster for over 9 months
Residents of Debden, a small village in northern Saskatchewan, are calling on Canada Post to remove the bilingualism requirement to keep their post office open.
The position for the head of the post office has been vacant for over nine months after the retirement of the previous postmaster.
Aline Hannon, a village resident, says she started a petition because the absence has caused a lot of inconvenience for the community.
"She [the previous postmaster] worked several extra months waiting for Canada Post to hire a bilingual person to take the position, and finally, she got tired of waiting and decided to retire," Hannon said.
Hannon says local residents have applied for the position, but were rejected due to the billingual requirement. As a result of the long absence, the post office has had frequent closures.
"Over the summer, it was really rough. In the fall, we had many days where the post office wasn't open," Hannon said.
Temporary replacements, who are also not bilingual, have been brought in, leading to a rotating door of staff.
"Every time you go into the post office, it's a new person. And I don't think it's easy for them either," Hannon said.
She says the post office serves a large area, including farmers and two nearby Indigenous communities.
"We are definitely an essential service," Hannon said.
Helene Boutin, a bilingual resident, says the requirement should be dropped because it's causing a lot of inconvenience for local residents.
"All Francophones can speak English," said resident Helene Boutin. "It's not right to lose our post office, which has always been here."
Hannon says she hopes with the petition, a resolution comes soon.
"We just want to come together as a community to show our concerns," Hannon said. "We're very concerned about how our position is being handled."
Canada Post has not returned requests for comment.