With Canada Post mail stoppage looming, government urges residents to be prepared

With aCanada Post mail stoppage looming, theNewfoundland and Labrador government is asking people to be prepared.

Canada Post issued a 72-hour lockout notice in the early hours of Tuesday morning, meaning mail delivery could end before Friday.

• Canada Post issues 72-hour lockout notice, work stoppage possible Friday
• Canada Post says most recent contract offer to union is 'final'

Vehicle registrations and license renewals should be checked, since the government won't be able to mail reminders or registration forms.

The provinceis suggestingpeoplerenew their documents online to avoid getting lost in the mail, if service is disrupted.

Governmenthas also stopped mailing support enforcementcheques, and is alsoencouraging people who receive support or benefit payments to sign up for direct deposit instead.

Some banks and phone companies are telling their clients to keep up with their bills online as well.

Customer response

While a lot businesscan be conducted on the internet,some people sayyou really do need a post office in some cases.

Jenny Stirling, a customer at aCanada Postlocation in Paradise, is worried about a work stoppageand what that could mean for her belongings en route across the country.

"We're waiting for all our packages," she said.

"We shipped all of our packages from B.C., so we need the post office open so we can get all of our stuff."

Stirlingalso saidshe relies on the postal service for online shopping.

Robyn O'Donnell, on the other hand, isn't too concerned.

"I don't really do a whole lot of mailing," she said Monday outside theoffice in Paradise.

O'Donnell addedshe can do almost everything through email.