Neighbourhoods in Regina and Saskatoon to lose door-to

Neighbourhoods in Regina and Saskatoon to lose door-to-door Canada Post delivery

45,000 addresses will be affected

The days of the mail carrier coming to the front door will soon be over for thousands of people in selected parts of Saskatoon and Regina.

Lin Hylton, who lives in Regina's Lakeview neighbourhood, said she'll miss the tradition of door-to-door mail delivery.

"Everything's becoming different in our world, isn't it? Everything. We're becoming less and less connected with each other, and that's just another example of it," Hylton said.

Canada Post announced it's phasing out door-to-door delivery for some neighbourhoods in Saskatoon and Regina by October 2027.

Instead, people living at 24,000 addresses in Regina and 21,000 addresses in Saskatoon will be getting their mail from community mailboxes.

Affected neighbourhoods in Saskatoon include Dundonald, Westview, Confederation Park, Mount Royal, Hudson Bay Park, Massey Place, Parkridge, Montgomery Place, Meadowgreen, Holiday Park and Riversdale.

The neighbourhoods affected in Regina include Glencairn, Al Ritchie, Dewdney East, Eastview, Boothill and Gladmer Park, Heritage, Albert Park, Hillsdale, Lakeview, Whitmore Park, Gardiner Heights, Wood Meadows, Gardiner Park, Arcola East North Side and Arcola East South Side.

Postal codes S7L and S7M in Saskatoon and S4N, S4S and S4V in Regina will be affected by the changes. Canada Post said it will mail out notices to the affected addresses within the next few weeks.

The change is part of Canada Post's five-year project to phase out door-to-door delivery, which is projected to save $400 million annually, according to the postal service.

Hylton said she's concerned about seniors and people with mobility issues having to make their way to community mailboxes.

"In the winter, it can be very, very icy. And for elderly people, myself I'm not there yet, of course, but for elderly people, it's very difficult. Actually, for anybody, it's difficult," Hylton said.

Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan supports people living with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities. Executive director Delynne Bortis said walking to the mailbox can be a problem for people already struggling to stay in their homes.

"Right now we have people having trouble getting their garbage out," Bortis said. "So this is just one more of those services that are going to make it a little bit more difficult for people to remain in their homes as long as they want."

In a statement to CBC, Canada Post said more information about its Delivery Accommodation Program will be mailed to the affected addresses within the next few weeks.

The available accommodations include adding sliding trays to community mailbox compartments to make it easier to retrieve mail, switching to a mailbox compartment that's easier to reach, and adding raised writing or braille to the compartments.

People can also request door-to-door delivery if they are unable to access a community mailbox. According to Canada Post, people must provide supporting documents to be approved for door-to-door delivery.

Bortis said non-profit organizations like Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan can support people when applying for the accommodations.

"But for people that don't have that kind of support or that kind of connection to the community, it might be more difficult for them to be able to do that," Bortis said.

Other people in Regina said the change will affect how they receive important documents.

"If it affects Canada Post, then it affects my banking statements, it affects my shareholders' updates and voting and driver's licences; all these formal government-issued communications now will be affected," Krzysztof Voss said.

Others said they're not bothered by the change.

"Our mail still carries a lot of privacy and a lot of important things in our lives," Regina resident Sarah Wright said.

"And I think having it more secure and ensuring that we keep one of our most important institutions in Canada, if this takes a few extra steps in my day, I'm OK with that."

Laura Gillis is a Regina-based journalist. You can reach her at laura.gillis@cbc.ca.