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Ask Torontoist: Why Does Toronto Have a Postal Outlet Gap?

By Steve Kupferman

Ask Torontoist features questions posed by you and answered by our elite team of specially trained investigative experts (also known as our staff). Send your questions to ask@torontoist.com.

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Reader Adam White asks:

Do you know why there is such a large area in the middle of the city without a postal outlet? I happen to live in the middle of this empty quadrant (Vaughan/St. Clair) and I have to travel two kilometres to pick up a parcel. Pain in the arse.

Torontoist answers:

First of all, let’s just confirm that this alleged postal outlet wasteland does indeed exist. Here’s a map of the fifty Canada Post locations nearest to the intersection of Vaughan Road and St. Clair Avenue West, from Canada Post’s website:
20091126canadapostmap.jpg
Yup, it looks like Adam’s area is sporting a nice little postal bald spot. Meanwhile, north of Eglinton Avenue and south of Dupont Street, things are looking pretty thick and lustrous. Weird.
We asked Canada Post for an explanation.
The most immediate reason for the postal gap is that the single postal outlet that had existed there was forced to shut down recently. Jennifer Arnott, a spokesperson for Canada Post, said that the lone postal outlet had closed over the summer, “for business reasons.” The outlet was located at 509 St. Clair Avenue West.
As to why there would only have been a single postal outlet serving such a large area, Arnott thinks it might have had to do with a dearth of suitable locations. Canada Post retail outlets are franchises, meaning they require third parties to agree to finance and operate them. Starting a new retail outlet is a little like opening a fast food restaurant, except Canada Post is more discriminating than, say, KFC, when it comes to who they’ll allow to own and operate one of their locations. They actively scout for franchisees, and they only enlist those located in target areas.
Toronto’s postal barrens are, at this time, one such target area.
“We are currently looking for a new location in that area and hope to open a new postal outlet as soon as possible in 2010,” said Arnott.

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Comments

  • Will.Jackson

    I hope this gets picked up by the Calgary Herald to once and for all put to rest the idea that the west is getting screwed by Ottawa in favour of Toronto. I bet Medicine Hat has more comprehensive postal service.

  • http://undefined schmarpy

    I live at King/Crawford and have to travel to Queen/Lansdowne to pick up a package. I pass by an outlet at Queen/Dovercourt on my way. There’s also one at Spadina/Adelaide that is closer than this faraway Parkdale one. So wrong.

  • http://undefined gsquared

    I live at Danforth and Coxwell, and have to go to Victoria Park and Danforth to get a package. Our local post office closed down a couple of weeks ago. (I was also yelled at yesterday for not having a driver’s license—apparently health cards “are not ID” and I have to bring a passport as ID to the post office).

  • http://undefined andrews

    I hope it resolves soon. I live in the area and my alternate PO is Eglinton and Spadina. A long walk and not particularly convenient transit-wise, particularly with a heavy parcel.
    I would agree with the space argument. The stores around here are pretty small and the PO would take up most of one of them, as it did the old stationary shop. There are vacant storefronts in the area esp. on Vaughan Rd but that area seems like it’s a bit of a deathtrap for businesses. I suppose the Loblaws maybe? There is a Shoppers there but it’s pretty small and I doubt they have space.

  • http://undefined girl_on_the_phone

    You want to know what the “business reasons” for our postal outlet closing? Because they wanted to turn it into some hokey-crap-dollar-store. Oh, right, and =photo=studio= They needed the space that the postal outlet took up to put their =studio= in.
    But hey, at least now you can get your helium-filled balloons with more convenience than ever!