Canada Post strike leaves Canadians, foreign nationals stuck waiting for critical documents
As the Canada Post labour dispute approaches its second week, Canadians and foreign nationals are saying the mail stoppage is disrupting their lives in alarming ways.
Chinese national Wenqi (Michael) Xu said it might cost him his job. He landed in Toronto three weeks ago to renew his U.S. work visa. He told CBC News he’s been stuck in the city ever since, waiting for his passport to be returned to him through Canada Post. Michael, who works in New York, said he travelled to Toronto because the United States requires that people renew their work visas at a consulate or embassy outside of the country. Michael said that, so far, he has spent “well over” $4,000 US on hotels, food and other necessities. “And it continues to grow,” he added.
On top of the financial impact, Michael said he’s worried about keeping his job “because my work basically doesn’t let me be here indefinitely.” “I’ve been in the U.S. for eight years,” he said. “I spend the majority of my adult life in the U.S. This is where my social support system is — my friends, my boyfriend. So I’ll lose all of that if I lose my job.”
Michael said he believes in the right to unionize but he’s “begging” all parties in the labour dispute to “consider the human impact.” He also said he hopes the government can make other arrangements to deliver important documents like passports to individuals.
On Tuesday, Employment and Social Development Canada said that Service Canada has been holding off on mailing 85,000 passports due to the labour dispute.
Canadians who already have submitted an application and need a passport urgently are being asked to contact the Passport Program at 1-800-567-6868 or make a request in person to have their passport transferred to a Service Canada centre that offers pick-up service.
n Belleville, Ont., Sharn Harrington-Hurst is waiting to receive her birth certificate so she can get a new health card — which she’ll need before surgery for a brain aneurysm.
Harrington-Hurst, 71, said she’s been in contact with Ontario’s Office of the Registrar General “at least once a week” to check on the status of her birth certificate.”But unfortunately, even if they can process [the birth certificate], they can’t get it to me,” she said.
Harrington-Hurst, who shared her story with Cross Country Checkup last weekend, said she’s “under quite a bit of stress.” She said she can’t afford to hire a courier to send the certificate and she also has to make arrangements to get to Kingston, Ont., for the operation.
Source: CBC News, Canada
