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To all Canadians,

To say we are living in a time of unprecedented change has become an understatement in just the last few days. It’s an anxious time for all Canadians as the way we interact, work, shop and do almost everything else has been dramatically altered.

I want you to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure you can keep counting on us. Our mission has remained unchanged for over 250 years – to serve all Canadians, connecting the country’s people and businesses. Today, that mission is more important than ever to the country we proudly serve.

Our guiding principles

First, I want to reassure you that in every decision we are making around COVID-19, our number one priority is the health and safety of our employees. They are the letter carriers in your neighbourhood, the people behind the counter at our post offices, the people who sort all the mail and parcels in our facilities around the clock and everyone else behind the scenes. We are actively following the guidelines and recommendations of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the lead for Canada for COVID-19.

Employees who can work from home are now doing so, but that’s not a possibility for most of our people. The nature of our business is in the field. Our people and delivery trucks are a daily presence in neighbourhoods across the country. Our post offices are in virtually every community. And our people are a proud part of the communities they serve. They are doing an incredible job in very difficult circumstances.

Safety, support and social distancing

We understand the importance of keeping our people safe while doing our part to slow the spread of the virus. We are sharing the latest information, increasing cleaning at our facilities, implementing social distancing protocols and have provided new, special paid leave days to support parents struggling to find childcare. If an employee unfortunately finds themselves requiring self-isolation, they will continue to be paid.

We’ve eliminated the need for customers to sign for parcels at the door to minimize personal contact. If you have a parcel or mail to pick up at a post office, we ask you to practise social distancing if there are other customers waiting to pick up items. Above all, we ask everyone to be patient and respectful. Being anxious at this time is completely understandable, but we are all in this together.

Providing a vital service in changing times

Our important mission remains to serve all Canadians. We will face challenges. We will be tested. But we will deliver on our mission.

We are prepared to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances and implement contingency plans across our network to keep serving the country.

We have suspended normal delivery guarantees for our parcel service. Delivering safely without overburdening our people in these extraordinary circumstances may take a little more time.

Our post offices play a vital role in the community and will remain open. Some locations may have to temporarily adjust hours or briefly close due to local circumstances, but we will monitor, respond and inform customers.

Conclusion

We are doing everything possible to maintain the services you rely on while keeping people safe. This situation will continue to evolve and we want you to know you can count on us to do our very best. I also hope that something as simple as seeing a Canada Post truck or a letter carrier walking in your neighbourhood provides some reassurance that you continue to be connected to all Canadians.

It’s the simple things that matter so much in times like this. Please be kind to one another. Wave if you see one of our letter carriers. Say hi at the postal counter. We are all in this together.

We’ve been serving Canadians and every community for centuries. We know what this country is made of. We’ll get through this together.

Thank you and please stay safe,

Doug Ettinger
President and CEO
Canada Post