Closure of Springhill, N.S. post office following flood ‘costly and really inconvenient’

Residents in Springhill, N.S., have to drive an hour round trip to get mail due to a post office closure.

Cumberland County Mayor Rod Gilroy says residents in Springhill, N.S., are running out of patience as they face a one-hour round trip just to collect their mail.

“It’s a central part of the community, especially for seniors who rely on that service,” Gilroy said. “The hardship this is causing to them is disheartening.”

The town’s post office has been closed since early October after a waterline burst and caused a major flood, leaving behind significant damage. Gilroy says the shutdown has hit residents hard — especially those without cars or flexible work hours.

“For people that work in Amherst, that’s fine. But there’s a lot of people in Springhill that don’t have the ability, a lot don’t have cars. I talked to a gentleman yesterday that took a taxi to, to Amherst,” he said.

Springhill has no door-to-door mail delivery. All mail is handled through post office boxes — something Gilroy says makes the closure even tougher.

The mayor says the municipality offered Canada Post a vacant space right across the street from the damaged post office as a temporary solution. He says it’s secure, accessible and ready to go, but the corporation hasn’t yet agreed to use it.

“We’ve given them a very good alternative. It might not be perfect, but in a small town, you don’t have endless options like Halifax, Fredericton or Moncton,” he said. “Pick one and let’s get at it.”

In an email to CTV News, Canada Post confirmed the Springhill post office remains closed after the flood on the weekend of Oct. 11. The company says repairs are underway and are expected to take up to two months to complete.

“The damage from the flood was extensive to the structure, equipment, product and customer mail,” Canada Post said. “We continue to look for a suitable temporary location and will keep customers informed.”

The corporation says it’s been difficult to find a space that meets its operational and safety standards, noting one site proposed by the town “does not work to safely offer postal services.”

In the meantime, residents are being directed to pick up their mail at the Amherst post office on Havelock Street — open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

One Springhill resident says he’s been waiting for a book that was supposed to arrive last week but find’s it difficult to go to Amherst during working hours.

“If I go there, I’ll be getting there at 4:45 or 4:50, and maybe I might go there and not be able to get it,” said the resident.

Another says the drive is cutting into his gas budget.

“We used to check our mail four times a week. Now we only go twice,” he said. “It’s costly and really inconvenient.”

Canada Post says residents can also access full postal services in Southampton, Oxford and Collingwood while repairs continue.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience,” the company said.

Gilroy says he understands that repairs take time, but hopes Canada Post will move to find a local fix.

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