Editorial: Government may need to fix Canada Post

Recently, there was a big internet outage, in parts of Ontario and Quebec. For a couple of hours, over 100,000 customers couldn’t get online, to log into their e-mail, do their jobs or read the latest news. The company figured out the issue, rolled back the problem program, and things returned to normal.

Two hours may not seem like a long time, but for those who depend on a reliable internet connection, their worlds ground to a halt. Had it gone on for even a couple of days, the government might have stepped in to fix the situation, whether the company or its employees thought it was appropriate or not.

Now, imagine the reaction, if the outage lasted over a month before the federal government did anything to address it. What if, only five months later, the same issues cropped up again? Do you think the government would just stand by and let the company and its workers sort it out? Prime Minister Mark Carney would make a big show of fixing the issue, not to protect the corporation or its staff, but rather to protect the Canadians who rely upon what is an essential part of modern life.

So then, why is the government staying hands off when it comes to the future of Canada Post?

There are those who see mail delivery as a quaint anachronism. For many, it represents nothing but bills and junk mail. However, while Canada Post isn’t what it used to be, to pretend it’s not a vital part of the country’s informational infrastructure is as wrongheaded as believing it’s as busy as it was 20 years ago.

Canada has large, populated swaths which lack reliable internet service and cannot be economically reached by private couriers. Are those Canadians less important than those who live in more built-up areas? Then, there are items, newspapers included, which, even in areas with private delivery options, cannot be affordably distributed outside of Canada Post. Should Canadians be deprived of, often, their only source of truly local news because they live in rural or remote areas or in multifamily dwellings?

As important as the postal system is, it needs to change, to deal with economic realities. The newspaper business and all those who work within it have had to adjust to changing times, and Canada Post and its workers need to do the same.

Yes, it would be better for everyone, if Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers figured it out for themselves. However, if they can’t, the government must make the fixes needed to ensure long-term stability of the postal system.

Two hours without internet may seem like an eternity, but a bankrupt and collapsed post office would actually 'be for eternity.'