Things are slowly beginning to return to normal for some Canada Post customers in British Columbia.
Mail delivery has been disrupted in parts of B.C. due to flooding and highway washouts.
Canada Post says they recognize the difficulties facing many residents in communities across the province caused by extreme rainfall.
"We are putting contingency plans in place to move mail and parcels into and out of B.C. through various channels and to restore or maintain postal services. While mail delivery continues wherever possible, customers may experience some delays in receiving items destined for B.C. or originating from the province."
Mail delivery has been suspended in Merritt and parts of Abbotsford, Quilchena and Yarrow, and eligible residents and businesses who have been displaced are being offered free mail forwarding service for up to 12 months.
Customers with postal codes V2R 5E0 (Yarrow) and V0E 2R0 (Quilchena) or those starting with V1K (Merritt), V2T (Abbotsford) can request the free service until Monday, Dec. 20 using one of the following options:
- Register at canadapost.ca/mailforwarding using a credit card to authenticate their identity. No fee will be charged to the credit card.
- Go to a post office, with government-issued photo ID (mandatory). Proof of authorization is required to request the free service on behalf of another person.
Canada Post issued what they call a red delivery service alert back on Nov. 15 for Merritt, which means no delivery will be attempted, and a yellow service alert for four western provinces, which means they will attempt delivery to these communities and regions.
Until further notice, all items and mail that cannot be delivered are being held in safe and secure Canada Post facilities until contingency plans are in place.
"If customers have questions regarding postal services, they can contact Canada Post's customer service team 1 866-607-6301, and continue to check Canada Post’s website regularly for updates."
