'No excuse for this': Winnipeg apartment building without mail for a year

The mailboxes at 375 Kennedy St. that have been caged off and are preventing residents from getting their mail on Nov. 14, 2024. (Jon Hendricks/CTV News Winnipeg)

Going to the mailbox to check for letters and packages is a daily ritual for many of us, but not for people living at a Manitoba Housing complex in Winnipeg.

They're cut off from their mail. 

"For 18 months now, we have not received any mail at all," said resident Jonathan Kotyk. "Canada Post won't deliver it."

Kotyk said after thieves broke into the mailboxes last year, a metal fence was installed.

It prevents criminals and residents alike from accessing the community mailbox. Kotyk was told it may be a long time before something will be done.

Instead, a posted notice in the lobby tells residents to go to the Canada Post depot on McDermot to get their mail, which is a 15-minute walk away. 

"Half the building are families, many of whom are working during the day," said Kotyk. "They can't get down to the depot during the day."

But even if Kotyk went to the depot, he still couldn't get his mail. His government-issued I.D. has expired, and Canada Post won't release his mail to him without it.

"It's a bureaucratic purgatory of nightmarish proportions. There's no excuse for this."

Fellow resident Lisa Martin said she feels abandoned by Manitoba Housing. 

"I'm frustrated because our problems don't get addressed. They just get a band-aid," said Martin. "And we're the one's stuck with the consequences."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the province writes:

"The province is investing $5 million to repair Manitoba Housing buildings across the province, including at 375 Kennedy St. Manitoba Housing has been working with Canada Post to implement a new mailbox design at this property to provide more secure mailbox options for residents. This work is expected to be completed within the next six months. In the interim, tenants can pick up their mail at the Canada Post office located at 400 McDermot Ave. Tenants with mobility issues are encouraged to contact Canada Post to learn about their Delivery Accommodation Program which provides mail delivery directly to their home."

In the meantime, residents like Kotyk and Martin are on their own.