Valérie Plante urges Canada Post to take into account the will of a majority of Montrealers and not to distribute the Publisac on the territory of the metropolis when the voluntary membership regulations come into force next spring.
Transcontinental plans to use Canada Post to distribute flyers in Montreal, reported Wednesday The Journal of Montreal. This maneuver would allow it to circumvent the city’s by-law which, as of May 2023, will establish a voluntary opt-in system since, as a federal Crown corporation, Canada Post is not subject to municipal regulations.
President of the Montreal Local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Alain Robitaille confirms that during a meeting held last week, the employer presented union representatives with the government corporation’s intentions regarding the distribution of flyers from Transcontinental. As of October 10, Canada Post will begin distributing the Publisac — which will no longer be in a plastic bag, but in a paper wrapper — in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a said Mr. Robitaille. Gradually, Canada Post letter carriers will distribute the Publisac throughout Montreal. “They tell us that Canada Post is not subject to municipal legislation. »
A letter to the CEO
Valérie Plante does not intend to stop there. Having learned of the existence of this project last week, she wrote to the CEO of Canada Post to recall the will of Montrealers who, during a poll, voted 82% in favor of the system. voluntary membership proposed by the City. “I hope that Canada Post respects this will and that it does not go ahead with this agreement which contributes to massive waste when we know it is time for action and not the status quo and in hindsight, ”she explained on Wednesday, during the weekly meeting of the executive committee. “In the recycling bins, our garbage cans and our landfills, what we find are flyers. We are talking about 17,000 tonnes of materials that are sent to Montreal sorting centers each year,” she pointed out.
Remember that last April, the mayor announced that as of May 2023, the City will only allow the distribution of the Publisac to people who have requested it. Currently, citizens who do not wish to receive circulars must indicate this by affixing a sticker to their door or their letterbox. In response, Transcontinental filed a lawsuit against the City of Montreal last June.
But Montreal is not the first Quebec city to opt for this strategy. The City of Mirabel had adopted a similar regulation in 2019 and Transcontinental had gone to court to have it invalidated. However, the Superior Court ruled in favor of the municipality in a judgment rendered last spring.
Refuse flyers
Alain Robitaille recognizes that for Canada Post, the delivery of the Publisac represents an interesting contract and that many jobs depend on the distribution of flyers. Without wanting to take a position on Canada Post’s decision in the Publisac case, he admits that this type of service conflicts with the positions defended by the union in favor of reducing the ecological footprint.
“Municipalities are raising an issue on which Canada Post will have to position itself,” he believes. “It’s up to Canada Post to defend itself on this. »
Mr. Robitaille points out, however, that citizens will have the possibility of affixing a pictogram to their mailbox to indicate that they do not wish to receive flyers from Canada Post. “The letter carriers will respect that choice. So there is an alternative, even if the gesture still has to be made by the customers,” he explains.
In the presence of such a pictogram, only government, municipal or electoral mailings will be distributed, he specifies.
The union also expresses some concerns because the Publisac will add significant weight to the mail carriers’ bags. “Even with a trolley and double straps, it’s problematic,” maintains Alain Robitaille. And these flyers, which will be distributed in an unopened package, could easily slip on the ground, he adds.
Transcontinental did not want to comment on the matter on Wednesday, but in an email, Canada Post indicates that it cannot choose which mail is delivered. “We understand what the City of Montreal is trying to accomplish. You should know that as a national postal service provider, Canada Post is required to deliver all mail that is properly prepared and paid for, including direct mail,” explains Philipe Legault, Canada Post Media Relations Department. .
The state corporation says that over the past few years, it has taken several steps in favor of greener practices. “We promote eco-responsible mail solutions and work with industry players to reduce waste in the mail,” it says.