A Regina business owner is no longer offering online product orders through her website, since Canada Post workers began rotating nationwide strikes.
“We have put on our website to call in if you have any orders that you want to be delivered. So I’ve had a couple (of) people call in,” said Kara Zimmerman, owner of Groovy Mama.
That way, Zimmerman said she can determine if she needs to use a shipper other than Canada Post. And she’s not the only business that is looking for alternative shipping solutions.
“I know that my one supplier, Padraig, was a little concerned about getting out local orders,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said almost everything she has ordered has arrived by mail, with the exception of a few small orders from the craft site, Etsy, that have yet to arrive.
But for some people in northern Saskatchewan, getting online orders through the mail has been much more difficult.
Pauline Clarke lives in Southend, which is located about 220 kilometres north of La Ronge. She said she was planning to order Christmas gifts online, but has now decided against it.
“I know a lot of my friends have been getting notifications that they will not be receiving their packages on time for Christmas, and they did their shopping way ahead of time,” Clarke said.
Clarke added that the Canada Post strikes are affecting all mail service to the northern community.
“There's no other option to get anything else,” said Clarke. “We don't have Purolator or air mail or anything like that.”
With the labour dispute expected to wage on, Clarke said she will avoid future online shopping altogether. Zimmerman advises shoppers to buy items in their own community this holiday season.
“I would suggest that consumers shop local (and) support local businesses to avoid the headache of shipping,” Zimmerman said.
