The Canada Post office in Battleford is located 191 22nd Street. (screenshot/Google Map)

By Kenneth Cheung

NATIONAL POSTAL STRIKE

Battleford council pushes for transparency in Canada Post review amid ongoing strike

Oct 9, 2025 | 2:38 PM

The Town of Battleford has joined the postal workers’ union in calling for transparency in Ottawa’s upcoming Canada Post review, as a national strike continues to disrupt mail and parcel delivery across the country.

Council voted unanimously at its recent meeting to urge the federal government to make the mandate review an open, public process that includes municipal input.

Mayor Ames Leslie said the decision follows a letter from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which warned that proposed postal changes are being discussed without consulting towns and cities.

He said council’s intent is to “draft up a letter asking the federal government and Canada Post to engage in conversations and informational sessions with municipalities across this country.”

As of Oct. 9, postal workers have been on strike for about two weeks after Ottawa announced changes that would let Canada Post expand community mailboxes and close some rural outlets — measures the CUPW says threaten jobs and service.

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Canada Post has offered a 13.56 per cent wage increase over four years, while removing a signing bonus and adding job-cut provisions. The Federal Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu said mediators remain available to help reach a deal, while Canada Post says the government’s reforms would not end daily delivery but adjust mail-delivery standards to save costs.

Leslie said the community is feeling the impact of the ongoing strike, which he described as a reminder of how central the post office remains to local life.

“Our post office is the heart of our community,” he said.

“You can see it already — since the strike has been on, there’s still people going there every day. They forget the strike is on, they go inside or realize in the parking lot and go home. It’s that vein of the community where people meet and converse.”

Built in 1911, Battleford’s red-brick post office stands as the oldest operating post office in Saskatchewan and the second-oldest still in use in Canada, according to the town.

Designed in a Georgian style, the four-storey landmark has anchored downtown since the early 20th century, complete with a clock tower added in 1914. Canada Post later recognized its heritage value in 1987 with a commemorative 72-cent stamp.

He noted that seniors and small businesses are among those most affected. Many older residents still depend on mailed cheques or government benefits, and local entrepreneurs rely on parcel service to reach customers.

“Hopefully, the government and Canada Post and the union can come to a resolution, and we can put an end to this sooner than later because it’s going to have impacts on the community.”

Under the national resolution circulated by the union and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Ottawa plans to launch a Canada Post Corporation review from Oct. 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. The federal government says the review will examine the postal service charter and explore ways to redefine Canada Post’s role amid declining mail volumes.

However, the current framework does not guarantee any public consultations, and recent recommendations by a federal inquiry suggested reopening debate on community mailbox conversions and possible post office closures.

Council’s decision means the town will send a formal letter to federal Public Works and Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound, demanding municipalities be included in any review process and that community voices are heard before changes to postal service are made.

Leslie said Battleford fought hard to keep its post office in the past and intends to be part of any national discussion about its future.

– with files from The Canadian Press

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com