The story
Yesterday, Canada Post announced a five-point plan to regain its fiscal footing. The company’s in a bad place, slated to lose $1 billion in 2020 if the status quo prevails. Change is afoot, and the postal service plans to cut home delivery to five million households and increase the price of stamps. The news hit with a thud.

The reviews came in immediately, and they were roundly negative: How can a postal service with a near monopoly lose so much money? How can the company’s solution be to cut service and increase rates? Why doesn’t it know where the community mailboxes of the future will fit into cramped cities? What happens to seniors who could be adversely affected by the change? Why didn’t the Conservative government, or any Conservative politician, speak up about Canada Post’s uncertain future?

The Tories were almost silent on the matter. Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, who’s responsible for Canada Post and didn’t take interviews yesterday, did release a statement that lauded the postal service’s plan. “The Government of Canada supports Canada Post in its efforts to fulfil its mandate of operating on a self-sustaining financial basis in order to protect taxpayers, while modernizing its business and aligning postal services with the choices of Canadians,” she said. “I look forward to seeing progress as Canada Post rolls out its plan for an efficient, modern postal service that protects taxpayers and is equipped to meet Canadians’ needs now and in the future.”

There’s some wiggling room in that statement, just in case Raitt needs to respond to a public uproar over specific service changes—if it ever comes, which, despite yesterday’s initial harumphing, is not a sure thing. Still, so many questions remain.

The stat
6,000-8,000: The number of jobs that will disappear as Canada Post implements its five-point plan

The quote
“This is a government trying to minimize what they know is bad news.” —Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau

 

What’s above the fold

The Globe and Mail	Canada Post is ending home delivery for five million households.
National Post	Canada needs more competition in the letter-mail business.
Toronto Star	New rules could stifle whistleblowers on Parliament Hill.
Ottawa Citizen	Ending home delivery has seniors concerned about their mail.
CBC News	The fake signer at Mandela’s funeral suffers from schizophrenia.
CTV News	The man, who was hallucinating during the service, sometimes gets violent.
National Newswatch	Conservatives didn’t speak out about Canada Post’s pending cuts.

 

What you might have missed

THE NATIONAL	Sweeteners. Researchers discovered that the Grand River, which runs through southern Ontario, including the cities of Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge, is full of sweeteners from soft drinks. Humans don’t digest the chemicals, and they eventually reappear in drinking water.
THE GLOBAL	Uruguay. The International Narcotics Control Board says Uruguay’s historic decision to legalize marijuana violates the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, a treaty that limits the use of pot to medicinal or scientific purposes because of its “dependence-producing potential.”

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