West Kildonan residents Fred and Olivia Taylor are sad to see Canada Post end door-to-door mail delivery.

The couple retrieved letters from the community mailbox on their street for the first time on Monday.

“It’s a new start. It’s a new day. We have to get used to the new way of doing things,” Olivia said.

In total, 12,400 Winnipeg addresses officially switched to community mailboxes from door-to-door service.

Homeowners with postal codes starting with R2P and R2V were the first to move to the new boxes, part of a five-year-plan by Canada Post to phase out home delivery.

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities said it will be difficult for people living with mobility issues to access a community mailbox.

The organization said it’s concerned with positioning of boxes and weather conditions.

Chairperson Tony Dolan said the group has shared strategies with Canada Post to maintain a barrier-free postal service.

"Hopefully, only their mail will be waiting for them and not barriers which prevent them from using the mailbox in an accessible and dignified manner," Dolan said in a news release.

The group said Canada Post has a legal obligation to accommodate people living with a disability.

The CCD has recommended Canada Post continue door-to-door service but reduce the number of days the service is offered.

Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton said there’s a plan in place to make sure people living with a disability can get their mail.

“Our goal is to ensure that all Canadians can maintain access to the postal service,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said they’ve spoken with a number of people to find ways to continue to deliver mail to people who can’t access a community mailbox.