Neighbourhood Mail disruption leaves Observer without delivery service

Local residents expecting the Fort Erie Observer in their mailboxes are going without this week.

The Observer is still publishing, but with unaddressed mail delivery halted as of Monday–a service known as Neighbourhood Mail–the paper is turning to local businesses to reach readers.

To keep the paper circulating, Jennifer Wilkinson, owner and editor-in-chief, has arranged drop-offs at more than 50 businesses across Greater Fort Erie, including Sobeys, Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, Canadian Tire and Joe’s Your Independent Grocer.

Stores call when supplies run out, and staff replenish stock.

“We had a lot of seniors call asking if we could actually drop papers off at their homes. People with mobility issues or seniors who just can’t get out have to call, and I will personally bring them a newspaper,” Wilkinson told Fort Erie Radio in an interview.

Canada Post confirmed Thursday it plans to present new offers to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) in hopes of ending the strike action. For now, the union’s ban on delivering unaddressed mail means community newspapers like the Observer are stuck in postal facilities across the country.

The ongoing strike actions puts a strain on the Observer’s budget as the paper continues to shoulder transportation and printing expenses even though Canada Post is no longer delivering copies.

“This is a huge, huge hit to us because we still have to pay transportation. That cost doesn’t change,” said Wilkinson.

The Observer has also rebuilt its website to make stories available online, though Wilkinson is conscious that digital access may leave behind some seniors without internet service.

“The hardest thing, and the thing that makes me angry, is that we forget a whole generation of people that still need to get information, and if they’re relying on that newspaper and we take it away, it’s just sort of sad,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Wilkinson insists the Observer will endure, with community and town support remaining strong.

Canada Post and CUPW are expected to be back at the bargaining table next week. Until then, residents can find a list of Observer pickup locations in the current print edition and at forterieobserver.ca.

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