Spaniard’s Bay to contact Canada Post about unsafe mailbox locations

By Olivia Bradbury

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spaniard’s Bay council wants Canada Post to conduct a safety assessment on its super mailboxes locations in town.

Concerns about the mailboxes have come up at previous council meetings. At the September 3meeting, Councillor Darlene Stamp told her fellow council members that a resident had shown her a photo he took when he stopped to get his mail. In the photo, the open door of his truck extended into the road. Other councillors have also received complaints about this particular set of mailboxes, which Stamp described as being at “the foot of the ridge,” which is located on Cranes Road.

Town Manager Tony Ryan said they have also received complaints about a set of mailboxes on Jones Road.

“You can almost touch it if you’re driving past on an ATV, it’s that close,” Ryan said.

Councillor Eric Jewer cited the less-than-ideal location of mailboxes on Chipman Road, adding there are a lot of mailboxes throughout town that council will have to keep an eye on.

The town’s mailboxes were placed without council’s input or approval.

“I don’t think there was much thought put into the locations at the time,” said Councillor Sherry Lundrigan.

Jewer agreed, adding there are mailboxes in other towns that are also in unsafe locations. He noted that in some locations, workers clearing snow in the winter would not be able to avoid blocking in the mailboxes.

Deputy Mayor Tammy Oliver said Canada Post has its own safety criteria. She added that Mayor Paul Brazil, who was absent last week, had previously raise concerns to the federal corporation about some of the mailbox locations. However, following an assessment, Brazil was told there was nowhere to relocate them. Nonetheless, the deputy mayor agreed with Stamp’s motion that the Town contact Canada Post and ask for a safety assessment of the mailbox locations in question.

“There’s no harm in asking,” said Oliver. Councillor Paul Ryan seconded the motion, and all members voted unanimously in favour