HAMILTON — Canada Post and the City of Hamilton are off to court this afternoon in a fight over the placement of large community mailboxes.
The Crown corporation is in the process of installing super mailboxes as part of its plan to stop home mail delivery.
But Hamilton says the Crown corporation is not respecting a bylaw that requires Canada Post to obtain a $200 permit per site to install the mailboxes on municipal land.
Canada Post, however, says that under the federal Canada Post Act, it has the exclusive jurisdiction over postal services and the legal authority to install community mailboxes on municipally owned property.
It also says that it met repeatedly with city officials to seek input on mailbox locations and has tried to address constituent concerns over safety, privacy and litter.
The outcome of the case may have broad implications as the national mail service deals with similar situations across the country.
Canada Post is already facing a lawsuit from a union representing postal workers that wants the Federal Court to declare the cancellation of home delivery unconstitutional.
