By Jennifer Bowman
(Trenton, Ont. 09/22/11) Monika McCulloch mails a letter at the Trenton post office. As a Trenton resident, she probably would not be affected if there is an address change in Quinte West. Photo by Jennifer Bowman
Quinte West residents may be looking at new addresses when they open their mailboxes in the future.
Canada Post presented Quinte West Council Monday night with the opportunity to change all rural route addresses in the area to Quinte West addresses.
Councillor Terry Cassidy said it’s a change they’ve been wanting for a long time.
“I’m happy that this is catching up to where we want to be,” said Cassidy.
But Canada Post Delivery Planner Bob Lachance expects a lot of opposition.
People don’t like change, said Lachance.
The change would affect those in the country, he said. Small towns would keep their addresses, but anyone with a rural route address would become a Quinte West address.
It wouldn’t affect where people pick up their mail, whether it’s a mailbox or at the post office. Canada Post would redirect mail for free for a year, as well as supply change of address forms. That would give people a chance to change their licenses and other important documents.
Mayor Williams said that change isn’t going to happen quite yet. First they’re going to get some feedback from residents, which will give council a chance to understand the issue better.
“We’ll probably bring it back in the next couple of months and take another look at it. “
Canada Post has done postal amalgamations throughout Ontario in areas such as Haliburton, Renfrew, and Arnprior.
Lachance said technology has changed so their equipment can handle the kind of changes Quinte West had been looking for.
“The only issue we have here, and this is why we brought it to Quinte West’s attention, is that a lot of small hamlets and municipalities, little guys, they want to keep their identity,” said Lachance.
Council is working to create an identity for Quinte West.
Councillor Leslie Roseblade said an address change might help their quest.
“I’m sure it’s going to cause some confusion, but I think at the end of the day if everyone’s address is their 911 number with Quinte West, we would maybe finally have an identity after 11 years of amalgamation,” said Roseblade.
Lachance said it’s possible for everyone to keep their own identity. Small towns and hamlets won’t be affected, he said, only those who live outside of the town line.
The address change would clear up confusion on where town lines are, such as the line between Quinte West and Belleville.
Councillor Paul Kyte said the whole thing is a teaching opportunity.
“This is really just an educational process in teaching people to change from Belleville to Quinte West,” said Kyte.
Residents won’t have to change the deeds of their homes, it’s an identification process, said Kyte.
“A few weeks ago I sent in a form somewhere with Quinte West, Ontario on it. I got a phone call back from the organization, wanting to know what I was doing,” said Kyte.
Councillor Cassidy said he’s received phone calls from people who’ve looked up his address in the phone book, which doesn’t reflect where he lives.
“People call you and tell you that you live in Stirling. And it’s very interesting when you try to tell them that you don’t, and they don’t believe you,” said Cassidy.
Councillor Ron Hamilton was concerned about people who who’ve already been through multiple address changes, but he’s willing to look at it.
“I had a chap in this afternoon that’s lived at the same address all his life and he had his postal address changed five times. And a little more change doesn’t go over well with some of these people when they’ve lived there all their life,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton, along with many councillors, said he would be willing to look at a change.