Canada Post community mailbox security concerns raised again

Will and Dorothy LeRoy of suburban Halifax say they were locked out of their community mailbox, but could open their neighbour's with their key the latest postal service security concern in Nova Scotia.

The couple, residents ofLower Sackville, along with many other Canadians last summer stopped receiving home mail delivery, with Canada Post's switch tocommunity mailboxes.

On Monday, WillLeRoyfound his key wouldn't open his mailbox.

"It's been so cold lately, I thought for the moment it was frozen. SoI went home and go some de-icer. Put de-icer in the lock and nothing happened. It was loose and I could tell that it wasn't frozen and I tried all the other boxes.

"I knew there were problems with Canada Post and I had heard there were problems with the locks, so I said, 'I'll just try around and see what happens,'" said LeRoy, who said that's when he discovered his key opened his neighbour's mailbox.

LeRoy said he left his neighbour's mail in the box andwent home. When his neighbour arrived home, LeRoy said, he alerted himabout the situation.

"I was thinking, 'Where is the security of the mail? There's absolutely no security.' I was stunned at first, but then I thought maybe it's my mail, but it wasn't, of courseit was my neighbour's mail. I'm sure my neighbour was feeling uneasy as well when I told him I had access to his mail because his mouth dropped open. He was sort of stunned by that," he said.

Not the 1stsecurityproblem

This is not the first problem with security at Canada Post mailboxes.

Last fall, a Bedford, N.S., womanwas shocked to discover her mail key opened her neighbour's mailbox.

LeRoy said Canada Post has promised to fix the problem. The neighbour's lock has been changed,but the LeRoysremain locked out of their mailbox.

"This is Day 2and I'm still waiting for mail from the last five days, and I have no access to it and I am expectingsome important mail," said WillLeRoy.

He said hereceives financial statements and medical information through the mail, and worries about identity theft.

"I don't feel secure at all, I don't think anybody should feel secure. It's just not secure. It can't be, not with me having access to somebody else's mailbox. There's something going on with the locks."

Canada Post was contacted by CBC News, and inan email, spokeswomanAnick Losierwould only say: "For this family or anyone who has an issue with their existing or new community mailbox, we have a process to resolve as quickly as possible. All they need to do is contact customer service at 1-866-607-6301 and our teams will be quickly deployed to help."