'We are not just going to sit around': B.C. businesses adjust as they wait for Canada Post deal

The end of the Canada Post strike could be near. On Friday, federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he believes negotiations are not working. If the Canada Industrial Relations Board agrees, postal workers would be sent back to work.

“This order continues a deeply troubling pattern in which the government uses its arbitrary powers to let employers off the hook, drag their feet and refuse to bargain in good faith with workers and their unions,” said the union in a statement.

Over the four-week work stoppage, small businesses across British Columbia have taken a financial hit.

Scott Wingfield owns Art Ink Print in Victoria and says he uses Canada Post for 98 per cent of his deliveries during the Christmas season. His small business specializes in producing Christmas cards for local artists and shipping the product across the country.

“About 40 per cent of my revenue happens in these two months,” said Wingfield.

He believes that number has been chopped in half and says there is little-to-no way to make up for that lost revenue between now and summer when business picks up again.

Wingfield has been using the Canadian service for 15 years but told CTV News that he would likely look elsewhere once the strike ends, given the damage it has caused to his business.

“I’ve supported Canada Post through the last couple of strikes that I've been through. And I just feel kind of let down,” said Wingfield via Zoom on Friday. “I can't rely on business partners or distributors who don't support me.”

Other B.C. business owners, like Anne Smithers, the founder of Mommypow.ca, are also down roughly 20 to 25 per cent from previous holiday seasons. The North Vancouver-based company is taking matters into its own hands as customers grow irritated and deliveries are being cancelled out of fear that they will arrive after Christmas.

“One of the things that we put into place when we realized this trend was to hit the road and do our own deliveries,” said Smithers. “We are not just going to sit around and let this happen.”

She says many customers live near the warehouse, and to preserve their reputation, they are bringing those orders directly to customers' doorsteps.

Union Gospel Mission has been providing support for Vancouver’s most vulnerable for decades. The charitable organization has traditionally sent letters in the fall and early winter to mailboxes across the Lower Mainland to remind the public that support is needed around Christmas.

This year, their mailroom is filled with boxes of unsent letters. While they can't send letters out, many cheques they receive in the mail remain lost.

“Last December, our mail fundraising made up 43 per cent of our December revenue,” said Sarah Chew, a UGM spokesperson.

She explained that UGM funds many of its initiatives and programs throughout the year with revenue collected during this period.

The charity's Christmas meal is on Saturday and will not be scaled back this year. Chew explained that if necessary, they have reserve funds to ensure everyone gets a meal and can celebrate the holidays.