The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is pushing Canada Post to reinvent itself in an effort to sustain the critical community service going forward.
The union is making stops in rural municipalities across Canada, including Windsor-Essex, asking councils to support the idea of converting post offices to "community hubs."
National Campaign Coordinator Diane Mitchell says the proposed business plan offers a number of options including providing banking and government services, internet or phone access in more isolated communities and assistance for the elderly like food delivery.
She says postal banks already exist in many parts of the world.
"From rural municipalities, I'm getting excellent response. They are starving communities. The banks have left them and they're now taking their ATMs. So they've got to travel almost 50 kilometres, 60 kilometres-plus to get to their nearest bank."
Mitchell says internet is a service many can't afford.
"You put a computer in your post office where people who don't have the internet service can go in to their post office and do online ordering. We make money. It's a no-brainer. Post offices are what brought alive rural communities at one time. The post office can do it again if it's done right."
Canada Post community mail box in Tecumseh. (Photo by AM800's Teresinha Medeiros)
She says restoring door-to-door service to every home is part of the plan as well.
"Many people still want their door-to-door service back. It's very important to them to the point where some have thought of buying new properties, all new properties will be diverted to community mailboxes. So he's no longer interested in buying a new property. He wants his service to the door. That's how important it is."
Mitchell was in Tecumseh Tuesday night.
She says she has been to nearly every municipality in Windsor-Essex and has received nothing but positive feedback.
The proposed business plan can be found at www.deliveringcommunitypower.ca.