Postal strike hits the elderly

By Jennifer Bowman

(BELLEVILLE, Ont. 06/03/11) Margaret McGrath holds a birthday card she received in the mail on Friday. Writing cards and letters has always been part of her life and helped her trace her parent's roots. Photo by Jennifer Bowman

Margaret McGrath hopes the postal strike doesn’t interfere with her birthday.

McGrath, a resident at Bridge Street Retirement Residence in Belleville, will be 86 next week.

“There are three of us that have a birthday next week, and we’re all going to miss if the cards don’t come in. It’s not a major thing, but to us it is.”

Canada Post workers went on strike in Winnipeg at 11:59 Thursday night after seven months of negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. The union says it wants to see action to correct excessive workload, inadequate staffing, and harassment of sick or injured workers. It’s a rotating strike, so after 24 hours a different location will go on strike.

While not receiving the daily mail is a mere inconvenience for most people, it cuts cutting the link to the outside world for others, such as McGrath.

McGrath is one of 61 residents at the retirement centre. Living in rural areas and moving 34 times because of her husband’s job with the pipeline, McGrath made many friends all over Ontario. She used to have a mailing list of 75 friends and family. Many of those have passed away so that list is down to about 35.

Daily mail at the residence can be anywhere from 10 pieces to two armloads around Christmas.

“The mail has cut down over the years because of people using others means of communicating, sending e-cards through their email, phoning, the cost of postage,” said Denise Jarrett, manager of the residence.

McGrath is one of the residents who receives the most mail. She stays in touch with her family mostly by phone, with the exception of her daughter in-in-law.

“They’ve been married for 33 years and she’s written me once a month for 33 years,” said McGrath.

She saved all the letters her daughter-in-law sent and on their 25^th wedding anniversary, she gave them all back. Her daughter-in-law made a book for each of her four sons from those letters.

“When she was raising four kids she didn’t have much time for jotting down they had this or that or got a needle or whatever,” said McGrath, “but when she wrote me letters, she would put in what the latest news was.”

Much of the mail she receives now is junk mail, but she subscribes to Time Magazine, Our Canada magazine, she hears from the bank about three times a month, and she hears from many charity organizations. A postal strike would cut her link to the world.

“I would miss the daily mail,” said McGrath. “Just the convenience of hearing from the outside world.”

Not many people at the residence use computers, including McGrath. She wanted a computer when they started to become household items, but her husband didn’t like the idea. She isn’t planning on learning how to use one now.

“We didn’t get one, but I’m sorry because I would have been interested,” she said.

McGrath is frustrated at the cost of mail.

“Mail has become expensive too, at 65 cents for a stamp, and the cost of parcels are horrendous. I just think it’s highway robbery what they charge for mailing services.”

But that hasn’t stopped her – not yet.

“I love cards, and I remember occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and get well and sympathy,” said McGrath. “It’s just always been a part of my life.”