A Canada Post spokesperson has said the corporation won't be repairing the historic post office in Battleford and that it plans to sell the 1914 brick building at some point in the future.
Indications are also that residents of any new subdivisions in Battleford will be picking up their mail from superboxes and community mailboxes.
Tuesday morning, word came from spokesperson Mouktar Abdillahi that the building at 191 - 22nd St. no longer meets Canada Post’s requirements. He noted specifically, however, that Canada Post is not pulling out of Battleford.
“After assessing all our options, we’ve determined the best way to serve our customers is to relocate to a new, permanent location. We now will begin the process of looking for a new suitable location in Battleford,” stated Abdillahi.
The Battleford post office was closed prior to the 2015 Thanksgiving weekend out of concern for the safety of employees and customers due to bats inside the building.
“Until a new location is found and is ready to serve our customers, Canada Post will continue to serve residents from our temporary location at 592 - 35th Street West,” stated Abdillahi.
The post office situation was, not surprisingly, on the agenda of Tuesday evening's meeting of Battleford's town council. Chief Administrative Office John Enns-Wind reported to council that his conversations with Canada Post have revealed the corporation believes the old post office is too large for its current needs.
"They want to locate in Battleford to a smaller facility and they are looking at locations downtown," said Enns-Wind.
Recounting his conversations with Canada Post Tuesday, Enns-Wind said, "First thing, before nine, I had a visit by the supervisor of Canada Post in North Battleford."
Enns-Wind said the supervisor hand delivered a letter that was sent out by email over the weekend confirming that Canada Post would not be returning to Battleford's original post office and that it was going to be sold.
"He was unable to provide any other information," said the administrator, "but no sooner had he left than a representative of Canada Post from Ottawa phoned me and provided more information."
Enns-Wind said Canada Post is sensitive to concerns about the situation, with Battleford's MLA, MP and mayor all having been in communication with them on the need to have a permanent facility in the downtown area.
He said he shared concerns with the representative of the hazardous conditions and accessibility issues of the current location of Canada Post – a cluster of portable units behind the former House of Kwon building. Presently, the building itself is being renovated prior to re-opening as All Out Graphics and Design Ltd.
"Currently there is construction there, with lots of trucks there, and once spring comes then it will muddy the situation even more," he said.
The House of Kwon location is not suitable for long-term use, he said.
He told council, "We are going to keep continuing to dialogue. She is going to send more information regarding the size of the facility they need to move into."
In another call, another spokesperson from Canada Post has asked for a map indicating Battleford's plans for the future, added Enns-Wind.
"Fundamentally, he and a colleague had driven up here to assess the situation," he said. "They were shocked at how much Battleford has grown, so they want the maps to see where we are going and what we are doing."
Enns-Wind added that call indicated that, for any new subdivisions, Canada Post may be looking at going to superboxes and community mailboxes, which has been their standard procedure for new subdivisions across the country.
"It seems to me I've been in contact with Canada Post on almost a weekly basis, sharing with them our concerns with the current location, how it isn't suitable for a long term, and also the need for them to be downtown … to support our local businesses and the traffic they drive there."
Councillor Gordon Yarde said there is a lot of dissatisfaction amongst residents and they are turning to the Town of Battleford.
"People look at us as being the ones responsible," he said.
Deputy Mayor David George, chairing the meeting in the absence of Mayor Derek Mahon, said everyone has to realize Canada Post is the one making the decisions.
"We can only try to lobby them to move it to a location that's good for everybody and, as to location, we would love to maintain it somewhere downtown, but there aren't any buildings available at this point in time."
The Battleford post office was built in 1911-12 at a cost of $40,000 and opened in 1914. Until Thanksgiving 2015, it was the oldest continuously operated post office in Saskatchewan.
