Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

THE WAY I SEE IT -- Why not think of a rural post office as the communications hub it was originally intended to be, asks Feldsted?


Bank's withdrawal upsets Tamworth residents
Raechel Huizinga ~~ Kingston Whig Standard ~~ July 2, 2019

...  Canada’s rural communities have been losing local banks by the hundreds. Tamworth, a small community half an hour north of Napanee, with a population of approximately 1,700, is no exception ... the (Ontario) hamlet’s CIBC bank branch — which is also the only banking location in Stone Mills Township (pop. 7,700) — closed, taking its single ATM with it and forcing customers to travel to Napanee for services such as cash withdrawals and deposits.

“It’s a hardship for all of these small communities, which are already under pressure and often in states of decline,” Tamworth resident Mark Oliver said. “It’s a very slippery slope before there’s not much left.”
A task force travelled across Canada to gather information and hear from different organizations and stakeholders, but Bossio said he was told postal banking would be too difficult to accomplish.

“At the end they came back and said ...we’re sorry, but there’s just not a viable plan to move in that direction,’” he said, adding he “wished there was a future for postal banking ...




This is a problem that only a monolithic government agency can be unwilling to solve.

The cost, infrastructure and security problems are excuses, not reasons. If Canada Post was to offer the banks the opportunity to bid on providing the software system and information on how to set up ATMs, more than one would step up to the challenge.

Banks don’t like the bad publicity they get when they close local branches, which is why providing alternative banking for rural areas is a no-brainer -- as is providing a new revenue stream for Canada Post.

The real question is: “Why stop at banking?”

Why not provide other needed services such as sending and receiving e-mails, greeting cards, faxes, making document copies, sending and receiving electronic cash transfers? Add a couple of booths with computers and internet access for customers?

Why not think of a rural post office as the communications hub it was originally intended to be?

Canada Post is an organization that has become so sophisticated it has forgotten the reason why it exists. Let’s get back to the Royal Mail where the priority was service, not filling your post box with flyers and junk mail.

We have the technology, but lack common sense and the will, to serve people with what they need. We once were able to take an order form torn from a mail order catalogue to the post office, buy a postal money order to cover costs, add postage to our envelope and sent it off.

That is the sort of service we need to reinstate. AND, the federal government has somewhere over $40 billion in non-allocated infrastructure funds set aside, so funding the upgrades should not be a problem.

We need grownups in Ottawa to replace the current crop of climate change freaks, and social engineers, running our country into the ground.

Government do not ‘know better’ what our needs are, and until they resume communicating with the people they serve will continue to blunder their way from one disaster to the next.   


John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba



John Feldsted ... grew up in a conservative family with a deep interest in arts, history, law, and where reading was a requisite to education. 

He is steadfastly conservative John strongly believes that the best defense for democracy is an informed electorate.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

GORDON F. D. WILSON: When The Trick Masquerades as The Treat

Thirty-seven years ago, Halloween 1987, I became the leader of the BC Liberal Party.   British Columbia was badly polarized. Social Credit held one side and the NDP the other. It had been twelve years, 1975, since Liberal MLAs Garde Gardom, Pat McGeer, and Alan Williams had walked away from their party to join Social Credit, one year after the lone Progressive Conservative MLA Hugh Curtis had abandoned his party to sit with Bill Bennett, the son and heir apparent to long-serving BC Premier, WAC Bennett.   An unwritten agreement by the biggest Canadian political shareholders, the federal Liberals and Conservatives, decided that if British Columbia was to remain a lucrative franchise from a revenue perspective, they couldn’t risk splitting the electoral vote and electing the real enemy, the NDP, so no resources would be used to finance either a Liberal or Conservative party provincially.   “There are two sides to every street,” I was told by a very prominent Canadian businessman who cont

FORSETH: As a BC Conservative member, and campaign worker, I will again state that the fact these errors were found -- AND brought to light BY Elections BC -- shows the system IS working

Sadly, two and a half weeks after the BC provincial election campaign, those who want to undermine our political process are still at.  PLUS, we also have one who doesn’t even live in our country, never mind our province. I speak of the buffoon running for President of the United States, who has poisoned the well when it comes to faith in the electoral process. Just today alone, comments such as the following, were being made of posts that I shared online: ... all the votes they keep finding has just favoured NDP on in all critical ridings and soon they will flip another riding in favour of NDP, Come on. ... Elections BC has ridiculed British Columbians, and I no longer have confidence or trust in their process and competence regarding the results Then there are others online, with comments like these – who are claiming fraud in the October 19th election: ... Who is the oversight for Elections BC? They should be investigated for election fraud! ... Fraudulent election ... should be red

“With the talent and dedication of this caucus we will hold David Eby to account for his government’s out of control spending and ongoing failures in healthcare, public safety and addictions" — John Rustad

Today, John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, proudly unveiled his shadow cabinet, a dynamic team of talented individuals ready to hold David Eby’s disastrous government accountable and present a strong alternative vision for British Columbia. “ Our shadow cabinet is a diverse and experienced group, committed to restoring prosperity, public safety, and affordability for every British Columbian ,” said Rustad. “ With experts in every field, we are focused on delivering real solutions for the challenges our province faces .” Rustad emphasized the historic appointment of Aaliya Warbus as House Leader. The shadow cabinet reflects the Conservative Party’s vision to build a brighter future for British Columbia. The appointments are as follows: Leadership Positions : Aaliya Warbus – House Leader Bruce Banman – Whip Sheldon Claire – Deputy Whip Portfolios : Tony Luck – Municipal Affairs and Local Government Sharon Hartwell – Rural Communities and Rural Development I

Labels

Show more