Construction interrupts mail service for some south Walkerville residents

Some south Walkerville residents on Lincoln Road say they have been without Canada Post mail delivery for nearly three weeks as road and watermain work in the neighbourhood continues.

The road has been closed between Tecumseh Road East and Seneca Street since May 24, but city staff said access was still permitted for local traffic and Canada Post trucks.

“It's just the not knowing right,” said resident Quentin Davidson. “Just any type of clarity or notification for the community would be great.”

He said there was no communication from any officials regarding the construction or impact to mail delivery services.

“Even just a general notice as these things start to happen, where we can pick up our mail or things like that it would be very helpful,” Davidson said.

Davidson said on Wednesday morning it had been almost three weeks since mail was last delivered to his home, causing him to worry about bills and other important things.

Construction on Lincoln Road in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)“Our bills or new insurance coming out,” he said. “Just like, general stuff to maintain the livelihood and make sure that things are getting done on time.”

Davidson told CTV News he previously called the city and Canada Post with little support until Wednesday afternoon, when he learned delivery had resumed on the opposite side of the street, where sidewalk construction was complete.

“I can only hope that it just it doesn't happen to another community,” Davidson explained. “It's just being aware of what's going on in community and being able to reach out to the proper resources to get things done because maybe on the next construction project this won't happen to the next block, which is a win.”

In an email to CTV News, a Canada Post spokesperson said the extensive road construction in Windsor was being monitored so that customers could be notified about any interruption to their mail delivery.

However, they said some customers affected by construction on the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Lincoln Road were not properly notified.

“We apologize to these customers fully and appreciate their concerns about mail delivery. We are also following up with each customer and reviewing the notification process to ensure this can be prevented from happening in the future.”

A Canada Post mailbox at the corner of Lincoln and Tecumseh Roads in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)The email continued, “Our operations and health and safety teams continue to closely monitor the progress of the construction. They determined that delivery could resume on the odd-numbered side of Lincoln Road as of yesterday.”

Canada Post said affected customers can temporarily pick up their letter mail at the postal facility at 4255 Walker Road and that parcels are available for pickup at the Shoppers Drug Mart postal outlet at 2109 Ottawa Street.

Davidson said he would like the community to be aware of the situation, hoping for improved communication.

“I would hate for this to occur in a low-income community or community that consistently relies on cheques through mail,” he said. “I hope that this can bring a greater urgency to issues like this in our community.”

“Not everybody's equipped to deal with these types of situations. So, when you do it for yourself you know, maybe you're doing it for your community and making sure that they're taken care of too.”

Work on Lincoln Road is scheduled to be complete on July 29. 

A mailbox in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)