Latest news with #PublicServicesandProcurementCanada
Vancouver Sun
10-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Federal government 'exploring all options' to modernize Canada Post, as it launches overdue mandate review
OTTAWA— With Canada Post facing a dire fiscal future, the federal government is taking the first steps towards a possible overhaul of its mandate. Public Services and Procurement Canada, the department responsible for Canada Post Corp. and the charter that dictates how often it delivers letters and parcels, is planning to launch consultations about the future of the Crown corporation. 'The goal is to engage Canadians and stakeholders to redefine the government's service-oriented vision for Canada Post, in a context where the postal industry landscape has changed, the needs of Canadians have evolved, and the volume of mail and letters has declined significantly to the point where Canada Post's sustainability has been undermined,' reads a department notice. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It said the consultations are meant to 'Inform the analysis of the future of Canada Post and make recommendations to (the) cabinet.' National Post requested clarification from the office of Joel Lightbound, the minister of the department, but did not receive one on Wednesday. The department says the consultation plan has not yet been finalized, but it has identified this fall as the time when it could begin consultations. 'As part of its portfolio responsibilities, Public Services and Procurement Canada is exploring options to modernize Canada Post's operations to best suit the needs of Canadians,' wrote ministry spokeswoman Nicole Allen, in a statement. 'Canada Post has a mandate to provide quality postal services to all Canadians in a secure and financially self-sustaining manner. Canada Post must be efficient and financially sustainable for the long term, and the government is exploring all options to that effect.' A spokeswoman for Canada Post said the Canadian Postal Service Charter must be reviewed every five years. However, the last time the federal government did so was in 2018, meaning a review is now two years overdue. The Crown corporation has underlined the need for the government to make major changes to the charter to alter the service standards that mandate Canada Post deliver mail to Canadians five days a week, given how few Canadians now send mail. It has also flagged concerns over rules preventing rural post office closures and stipulating the geographic density of postal outlets. The current mandate has largely been unchanged since 2009, according to the corporation. It cited the mandate in a submission to the Industrial Inquiry Commission, tasked earlier this year with handling a dispute between the corporation and its unions. In it, Canada Post said the mandate has become a hindrance that prevents the postal service from modernizing. Ian Lee, a professor at Carleton University's business school, who has authored two reports on Canada Post's situation over the past decade, sees the upcoming consultation as the 'front end' of a process to restructure and 'completely and radically reinvent the post office.' Lee says a review into Canada Post's operations is 'inevitable' given how the corporation's figures show it to be 'hemorrhaging cash,' with losses only predicted to get worse as fewer and fewer Canadians send letters. Canada Post has also faced intensifying competition for parcels from private delivery companies. Last year, Canada Post cited a loss of around $1.3 billion, on top of a $750 million loss in 2023. It said its back-to-back losses since 2018 amounted to around $4.5 billion. Earlier this year, the federal government loaned the Crown corporation $1 billion to continue operating as it faces 'significant financial challenges.' Without it, Canada Post said it would have depleted its financial reserves this year. Lee says that admission makes clear that operating the postal service as is is no longer sustainable. Coupled with Canada finding itself in a trade war with the U.S., and Prime Minister Mark Carney promising to spend billions more on defence, Lee said the federal government won't want to spend billions propping up the post office. 'This is a luxury we can no longer afford,' Lee said. Adding to the postal service's troubles has been a labour dispute with its workers that has dragged out for 18 months. Canada Post must be efficient and financially sustainable for the long term Last month, Employment Minister Patty Hajdu approved the corporation's request to force a vote on its final offer to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) , which the union called an attack on workers' rights. Hajdu had said she wanted it as 'soon as possible,' but the union asked for more time, citing confusion over the voting process. The union has been in a legal strike position since May 2. The dispute resulted in a strike late last year that disrupted Christmas mail , before the government intervened with forced arbitration in mid-December. It has led to other labour action, including workers refusing overtime. Canada Post settled a contract dispute with its second-largest union , the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association, in June. When it comes to a mandate review, CUPW said in a statement it was aware of the government's intention to consult about the postal service's future, calling it a 'critical opportunity for Canadians to help shape a Canada Post that truly serves the public interest.' It said it wanted to ensure 'all voices are heard,' saying that in past reviews, it has made submissions and sought input from seniors' groups and students, as well as rural and remote communities, farmers, and other unions. Lee said one risk the government runs by embarking on consultations is hearing from those 'who care the most' about maintaining postal service, such as people living in rural areas and older people. The task for the government, he says, is to 'temper' the feedback it receives with the reality that 'mail volumes have collapsed.' In 2006, Canada Post delivered 5.5 billion letters, but just 2 billion letters in 2024, its annual report said . 'I think that they're going to change the mandate,' Lee said. 'The only question is, are they going to go to what, three days a week, two days a week, one day a week, and that's yet to be determined.' National Post staylor@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
Cision Canada
04-07-2025
- Cision Canada
PUBLIC NOTICE - Alternating lane closures on Timiskaming Quebec Dam bridge Français
TÉMISCAMING, QC, July 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise users that there will be alternating lane closures and short-term full-bridge closures on the Timiskaming Quebec Dam bridge for inspection work during the following period: Monday, July 7, to Friday, July 11, from 7 am to 7 pm During this period, only 1 lane will be open to traffic in alternating directions. Short-term full-bridge closures lasting up to 15 minutes at a time could also be required. Road signage will be in place, and flag persons will direct traffic. Motorists can expect delays. The sidewalk will remain open. The schedule may change depending on weather conditions. PSPC encourages users to exercise caution when travelling on the bridge and thanks them for their patience. Follow us on X (Twitter) Follow us on Facebook
Ottawa Citizen
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
The world's longest waiting list? It'll take you 100 years to obtain this Canada flag
Applying to the federal government for a Canadian flag that once graced Parliament Hill is now an act of extraordinary optimism – or intergenerational foresight. Article content Public Services and Procurement Canada says the wait list for a Peace Tower flag now extends more than 100 years. Article content Article content That means it's now vastly easier to land season's tickets to the Green Bay Packers (40-year wait) or Manchester United Football Club (25-year wait) than it is to secure a Maple Leaf flag from Parliament Hill. Article content Article content Winnipeg's Richard Dyrkacz, 41, applied for a flag in May – even after learning it will be the next century before one arrives in the mail. Dyrkacz thought the wait list might be 30 or 40 years, and was shocked to learn he's unlikely to see the day he can raise his Parliament Hill-flown flag. Article content Article content 'Let's be honest, I probably will not live to 140,' he said in an interview. 'But I was thinking, 'If I have kids or grandkids, it will be a nice legacy that could be passed down to them.' Article content 'I'm proud to be a Canadian citizen, and I think it would be a really cool, symbolic gift to give that to your grandkids, or great-grandkids.' Article content Earlier this year, the Canadian flag celebrated its 60th birthday: It was first raised atop the Peace Tower on Feb. 15, 1965. Article content Then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson marked the occasion – a symbolic graduation from British dominance – with a Parliament Hill speech. Article content Article content 'Under this flag,' Pearson said, 'may our youth find new inspiration for loyalty to Canada, for patriotism based not on any mean or narrow nationalism, but on the deep and equal pride that all Canadians will feel for every part of this good land.' Article content Article content The red-and-white Maple Leaf replaced the Canadian Red Ensign, which featured the Union Jack and Canada's coat of arms. Article content Pearson's speech also marked the end of a bitter, sometimes ugly debate over the design of the new flag, introduced as Canada approached its centennial. Conservative leader John Diefenbaker wanted the new flag to reflect Canada's British heritage, while Pearson argued for a forward-looking design that eschewed the country's colonial past and did not inflame Quebec nationalism.
Cision Canada
27-06-2025
- Cision Canada
Closures of National Capital Region bridges
GATINEAU, QC, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise the public that the following bridges will be closed from Tuesday, July 1, at 6 am, to Wednesday, July 2, at 2 am, to accommodate Canada Day activities: Alexandra Bridge Ottawa-bound lane will be closed to vehicular traffic Gatineau-bound lane will remain open to vehicular traffic Pedestrians and cyclists will be redirected to the centre lane Chaudière Crossing The crossing will be fully closed to vehicular traffic, pedestrians and cyclists During this period, the Portage Bridge, and other roads under the stewardship of the National Capital Commission, will also be closed to vehicular traffic. Motorists will be asked to use either the Champlain Bridge, the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge or the Alexandra Bridge (Gatineau-bound). The schedule may change depending on weather conditions. PSPC encourages users to exercise caution when travelling on the bridges and thanks them for their patience. Information Real Property Services Public Services and Procurement Canada Contact Real Property Services Follow us on X (Twitter) Follow us on Facebook
Toronto Star
24-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Fixing problems with Phoenix payroll system cost taxpayers $5.1 billion: official
OTTAWA - A top federal official said fixing the payroll problems caused by Phoenix cost taxpayers more than $5 billion — and they'll keep paying extra to run two public service payroll platforms at once as Ottawa weans itself off the problem-plagued system. Alex Benay, associate deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the alternative to running the Phoenix system in tandem with its replacement, Dayforce, would have been worse.
