Will this be an ode to a remarkable service or will it be a eulogy to itSA国际影视传媒檚 eventual demise? Only time will tell.
Long live Canada Post! May your flag fly proudly and thank you very much for your centuries of service.
The first post office was in Halifax in 1753, commissioned by none other than the remarkable patriot Benjamin Franklin. The man who flew a kite with a key on its tail and discovered lightning, who wrote such masterpieces as SA国际影视传媒淧oor Richards AlmanacSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒淔art ProudlySA国际影视传媒�. This was before the American revolution in 1775, so Canada was a province in the lands of British North America.
In 1851, the running of the system switched from Britain to the province of Canada, which became its own country in 1867. Then in 1981, it became a crown corporation. Canada is a very big country, and some would claim that Canada Post covers the biggest land mass in the world. The mail has been delivered on foot, by horse, by boat, by train and by plane and in the North by dog team.
Our faithful mail carriers work in all weather and atmospheric conditions, even on the hottest and coldest days, and in the blazing sun or bitterly cold blizzards. When it is dead calm and when the winds rage on. The system just keeps working and the mail makes it through. Statues should be erected for those who have carried the mail and literally risked life and limb. They are true Canadian heroes.
Canada Post is a part of our history, heritage, culture, identity and hopefully, it will be a part of our prosperous future, if managed correctly. The times have changed and people donSA国际影视传媒檛 write letters or send cards like they used to, so revenues are down and expenses are up. They need to make it a profitable service again. They could start with better public relations and advertising to encourage people to once again take pride in the service.
One group which still uses the post office a lot are small entrepreneurs who sell their products and then mail them to their customers. They are a brave band of self-employed entrepreneurs. They sell art, jewelry, crafts, rocks, hand-picked herbs and berries, clothing, all sorts of things. The post office and government should encourage such trade and make it easier for them to operate. The better they do, the better the post office does because it increases the volume of mail.
We have this marvelous system with post offices spread across the country, with experienced employees and knowledge of the system, so we should improve on what we have and encourage its growth. Also, it could be used to provide other services which would increase their revenues.
Imagine a senior who lives in a big city with home delivery and needs some medication or pills but doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to go out in the winter. Maybe they could contact the post office who would get the prescription filled and it would be delivered by mail the next day. That might be a service they could offer. Post offices could do some banking, particularly in the rural and remote communities. They could also issue things like fishing licenses. There are lots of possibilities that could and should be explored.
The times are changing, so how best can we create a future for Canada Post? The mail carriers get to know their route and its people well. They could do checks on seniors or those in need and be the eyes and ears for other departments in the government. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 time for Canada Post to enter a new era.
Long live Canada Post.
