FRIDAY
S I N C E
MAY 3, 2013
1 8 9 5 Getting their kicks at nationals
Vol. 118, Issue 70
105
$
Page 11
INCLUDING G.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Canada Post poised to open private franchise in Trail BY SHERI REGNIER
Evans said this would mean the loss of four full-time union posSince 2006, Canadians have sent itions. one billion less letters. “Where the union stands right With this statistic in mind, now, is that the Canadian postal Canada Post is looking for less charter is under review again.” expensive ways to service its cusHe said it is the union’s mandate tomers. to notify the public and ask for supAnd it may come at a cost to port of the local post office. local postal workers. Evans explained that the union In February, Canada Post issued will be delivering a card to every a letter of notification to CUPW house in Trail, informing residents (Canadian Union of Postal Workers) of the impending change. Local 842, citing its intent to open “Look for the card, fill it out and a privately owned postal franchise mail it postage free,” he said. in downtown Trail. “Let the review board know that “Basically Canada Post has put we want to keep our post office in us on notice that a private franchise this town.” office will be opened,” Losier explained said Ed Evans, CUPW “I understand the that Canada Post’s outLocal 842 president for union’s concerns, look is not currently Trail and Rossland. rosy. but our business “This means it “Our system is emphas changed will be independently tier that it used to be. owned with non-union “This company was dramatically.” personnel working built on letters and ARICK LOSIER there.” an affluence of letters In an interview across the country,” with the Trail Times she said. on Thursday, Anick Losier, media “Especially since 2008, with the relations for Canada Post, said the introduction of the tablet (Apple), corporation is undergoing some we have seen an acceleration in significant changes because people decline of letters, and revenue loss. are not using mail the same way “People are not sending as many they used to. letters or buying as many stamps as “When we look at Trail, we do they used to.” have a corporate post office which She said that for now, “our” serves our customers well and we people have job security; but they want that to continue,” she said. are looking at a projected $6 billion “I understand the union’s con- dollar deficit in the pension plan cerns, but our business has changed by 2020. dramatically. “These employees could be at “We need to be mindful about risk and we need to make some cost factor in everything we do, smart decisions.” which is why the franchise model Losick confirmed that a letter of enables us to offer more services, intent to open a private franchise but not at the same cost.” in downtown Trail was issued to the Evans countered that the union union on Feb. 6. can see that the next step will be She explained that the union has the closure of Canada Post’s front an opportunity, within 90 days, to counter. offer another option that would be “What we see in the long term viable and cost-effective. plan is that they will be closing the “That 90-day period ends on May front wicket of the post office and 6 (Monday), and to my knowledge the franchise would take over that we haven’t yet received a counter end of the business.” proposal.” Times Staff
Attention Subscribers:
ART HARRISON PHOTO
Bonnie Schultz adds a bit of spit and polish to her ride in anticipation of Syd's Fun Run Sunday.
SYD’S FUN RUN
New route, same worthy cause
Motorcyclists ride for Muscular Dystrophy BY ART HARRISON Times Staff
The local organizer of the annual Syd's Fun Run for Muscular Dystrophy motorcycle ride has changed the date and route and, given the weather predictions for this weekend, he's glad he did. “We used to make the run on Good Friday but we ran into snow a couple of times,” said organizer Les Schultz. “That was hard on some of the novice riders, hell, it was hard on the experienced guys. This will be much better. The point of the whole thing is to raise money for MD and we
might get more people out and raise more money when the conditions are better.” The MD fundraiser was initiated in 1980 by Syd Bates, who owned a Harley Davidson dealership locally for years, and was taken over by Schultz when Bates closed up shop and moved away in 1993. “I ran it for a couple of years but then got too busy at work and couldn't manage it anymore,” Schultz said. “Then four years ago me and a few friends were talking about it and how much fun it was and I picked it up again.” The ride has also changed its route from previous years when it would travel down through the U.S. and back into
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Canada. “We went south because we didn't have to go over any passes and we had some riders from down there,” explained Schultz. “But the border has gotten so tight they insisted on stopping every single rider and it took forever to get through.” The new 280-kilometre ride starts at Leather and Steel in Fruitvale, travels through Trail to Warfield, then through Castlegar, and onto Nelson where more riders join. The ride continues from Nelson to Kaslo and back to Nelson before circling through Ymir back to Fruitvale and ending at the Warfield Firehall. See RIDE, Page 3
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