Canada Post hiring more staff to keep up with holiday demand

WINNIPEG -- There is less than two weeks until Christmas and people are still furiously shopping and ordering packages to gift to their friends and family.

More and more people are doing most of their purchasing online, which means this is an extra busy time of year for mail companies.

Lynne Tetrault, a delivery manager with Canada Post, said this year specifically is much busier than years past.

“Average daily we are at the 1.7 million pieces per day compared to previously at 1.4,” said Tetrault.

The Canada Post office at 1100 Wilkes Ave. has hired more staff to keep up with the holiday rush, according to Tetrault.

There is also a preferred deadline if you want to send a gift to get it under the tree.

“There is a deadline of December 21, for a customer to be mailing something to their loved ones, to their family and friends,” said Tetrault. “You might pay a little bit more to get it there but as long as it is within the country we will do our very best to get it there.”

“If you are doing any kind of online shopping, we are encouraging people to look at the retailer’s site, and there will be a delivery deadline on that site and we are working really hard with our retailers to make sure that their deadlines are ours’.”

In the unfortunate situation of your package being damaged, there are a few different steps that can be taken with Canada Post.

If you are the sender of an item you can get your money back if you delivered your package with a trackable service that has insurance coverage and if you sent the item within a 90-day limit.

If you receive an item that has been damaged, you can contact the sender to start the process of getting another package sent. Canada Post does advise people to hold onto the item and the packaging if they are required for a claim assessment.

SAFE DROP SITES

If Winnipeggers are concerned about the potential of porch pirates taking the deliveries left at their front doors, there are some safe drop sites that you can send your packages to.

Sturgeon Heights Community Centre is operating a Safe Drop Zone. Their office is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you would like to use this option, you can fill out your online purchase using their address, 210 Rita Street, Winnipeg MB, R3J 2Y2.

The next step is to email [e-mail] and tell them you are having a parcel delivered. The email will be signed by the person picking up the package and only the person marked on the shipping label is allowed to pick up the parcel. ID is required.

The community centre is asking for a small donation per parcel to go towards the Winter Carnival.

READ MORE: Winnipeg business launches parcel safe drop

Silver Spike in Transcona is also offering a safe drop site. They have been operating the site since mid-November and have had roughly a dozen packages dropped off.

It has someone in the building from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day. If people want more information they can call 204.224.4885.