Day: 12 January 2026

Chevery, January 27, 2026 – Message from Mr Daren Jones, MRC Warden

Hello everyone,

After conducting an analysis following known issues with postal delivery in the eastern part of the Lower North Shore, Canada Post decided to review its delivery method.

Here are the changes announced by Canada Post:

Effective Friday, January 30, all product lines will once again be routed through Québec using the previously established process. Mail and parcels will be transported by air to Blanc-Sablon.

Canada Post has acknowledged that recent service failures related to land transportation were largely caused by persistent and severe weather conditions, resulting in multiple ferry cancellations.

Going forward, the plan is as follows:
• All products will be transported by air from December to April.
• Land transportation will resume from April to December, when ferry operations are generally more stable.

This approach is intended to improve reliability and reduce delivery delays for communities on the Lower North Shore.

Canada Post’s decision follows advocacy efforts carried out by the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent on behalf of residents of the Lower North Shore.

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Chevery, January 12, 2026 – Message from Mr Daren Jones, MRC Warden

Hello everyone,

We wanted to provide an update on the ongoing Canada Post issues affecting Blanc-Sablon and Bonne-Espérance.

We know this has been a serious problem since October 2025, and both the previous and current MRC administration and leadership have been working to get this situation properly acknowledged by Canada Post. The first and most difficult step has been getting them to recognize that there is a fundamental breakdown in the current system and that it is not serving our communities effectively.

Over the past three months, we have had repeated correspondence with Canada Post, and we continue to be told that the issue is being escalated internally. As part of this process, and in my role as warden, we have now formally requested that this file be addressed by senior officials, including the Minister or Deputy Minister responsible.

We have also involved our federal MP and have completed two media interviews so far — one with Radio-Canada ICI Côte-Nord (French) and one with CBC Québec (English). Our next step is to continue raising this issue with provincial and national media, because we believe that our communities are not the only ones affected by these service problems.

Prior to one of these interviews, the journalist requested a statement from Canada Post so that we could respond to their position. This is the statement they provided:

Canada Post Statement:

Canada Post takes its responsibility to serve all Canadians very seriously. We are aware of the service issues in the Lower North Shore area and are working to stabilize service there.

Although our local teams are working hard to provide reliable postal service, the difficult winter weather conditions have affected all of our operations, including both air and ground transportation. For example, we have experienced several ferry crossing cancellations between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland due to weather. When there are delays related to the ferry—such as 17 cancellations over 12 days in December—mail remains stuck at the Nova Scotia port waiting to cross. Once the crossing is completed, we must implement contingency measures to transport the mail to the communities, which can take a few days. Canada Post closely monitors schedules to plan transportation accordingly.

Our commitment to serving the people of the Lower North Shore region is strong, and we thank them for their patience and understanding. To report a problem with postal services, anyone can contact Canada Post Customer Service online at canadapost.ca/support  (https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/tjPvCjnkkIjr9YVxIWf2HmVF39?domain=canadapost.ca) or by phone at 1-866-607-6301 (TTY: 1-800-267-2797).

While weather-related transportation challenges are real, the service problems experienced by residents since October suggest that the current delivery model is not resilient enough for the realities of our region. That is why we continue to push for senior-level review of how service is structured for the Lower North Shore, not only how delays are managed once they occur.
We know this is affecting people’s access to important mail, medications, and personal deliveries, and we recognize how disruptive and stressful that can be.

We have also been in contact with elected officials in Labrador, and they are experiencing very similar challenges, which confirms that this is not an isolated situation.

Many residents have shared their experiences with us, and these have been carefully documented as part of the broader file we are building to demonstrate the real impacts on daily life, businesses, and essential services in our region.

One of the realities we are navigating is the time it takes to move through large organizations and government systems. That does not make the situation any less frustrating, but it does mean that persistent and continuous follow-up is required, and that is exactly what is being done.
Our federal MP is returning shortly from the parliamentary break and has been kept fully informed of all communications with Canada Post. Last week, we also sent a formal request to our regional Canada Post representative asking that this matter be escalated to senior leadership immediately.

This week, we will also be sending our concerns to multiple media outlets across Québec, including national platforms. We do not know which outlets will choose to cover this story, but we believe it is important that the situation facing our communities continues to be made visible.

We know how frustrating this situation is, and we want residents to know that this issue is being taken seriously. Mayors, municipal administrations, and the MRC are all aware of the impact this is having, and we are continuing to work together to push for meaningful solutions.

Thank you for your patience, and thank you for continuing to raise this issue with us. We will continue to provide updates as this file progresses.

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Source : Daren Jones
418 787-2020 | prefet@mrcgsl.ca