Municipality, province warn of impacts from Canada Post strike

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Halifax Regional Municipality and the Nova Scotia government are advising residents of the impacts of the ongoing strike at Canada Post.

Employees with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced the job action last Thursday night, grinding mail service to a halt in response to government-announced changes to the postal service.

The government of Nova Scotia says starting Thursday, October 2, people will be able to drop off “high priority” provincial correspondence, with pick-ups starting on October 14 at Access Nova Scotia Centres.

“This service is only for essential correspondence that cannot be emailed, such as cheques,” the government says. “It does not include personal mail, bill payments such as phone or power, or mail for the federal government, such as passport applications. It also does not apply to packages.”

The municipality meantime says the strike may lead to delays in delivery, and specifically, property tax bills and vendor payments sent through the mail could come later than expected.

Related:

• What the Canada Post strike means for your passports, pension cheques and more
• Canada Post union launches strike as Ottawa moves to end most door-to-door mail

People who haven’t received their property tax bill in the mail can ask for a free reprint on the city’s website.

“If a cheque was mailed before the strike was called, residents are asked to wait until Wednesday, Oct. 17, before contacting the municipality to confirm receipt of the payment,” reads a statement from the city. “Response times may be longer than usual due to the high volume of calls and email inquiries as a result of the Canada Post strike.”

It adds property taxes can be paid via online banking, in-person at a Customer Contact Centre or by credit card.