Severe flooding events in the Interior are slowing down mail service.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

Residents in the Okanagan are experiencing delays in their usual mail delivery service this past month, some up to two weeks long.

With Christmas swiftly approaching, some customers are wondering if gifts will reach their destinations in time for the big day, and what steps they should take to improve their odds.

Peachland resident Cathy Sam has been waiting weeks for parcels for Christmas to arrive.

“We have been told our parcels are being held up in Richmond,” Sam said. “We are wondering if we should abandon them and start our Christmas shopping over.”

Barbara Lucas works for Canada Post in Kelowna.

She said she is seeing delays with the mail recently, beyond the usual holiday season backlog due to the flooding in the Interior and Lower Mainland that continues to compromise our highways and supply routes.

“A lot of our mail goes to Richmond to be sorted and then comes back,” she said. “The mail has been arriving to postal outlets intermittently, often in big batches. Workers are constantly having to scramble to adjust to the uneven flow.”

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Lucas said the problem is only adding to the pressure of meeting demands during the busiest time of the year.

“Postal staff are working non-stop,” she said. “At my outlet, my team is working long hours, taking turns relieving each other so we can have coffee breaks. We are exhausted.”

Lucas said she is optimistic the backlog will be caught up soon as things are moving faster every day.

“I have noticed new carrier businesses that are helping to get mail moving and trucks are out delivering on the weekends,” she said. “It will be a long time for our highways to fully reopen but it appears things are improving."

Lucas said there are some tips residents can follow when mailing out those special cards and gifts to loved ones to ensure they arrive on time.

“Customers can send mail and parcels through express post, which go onto airplanes,” she said. “It costs a bit extra but it helps assure gifts will arrive on time. Canada Post is currently trying to fill more planes.”

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Lucas hopes everyone will be patient with postal workers this season.

“We recognize the difficulties facing many residents in communities across British Columbia resulting from the severe rainfall,” Canada Post said in an email to iNFOnews.

“The road infrastructure remains fragile and remains subject to closures and restrictions thus impacting our ability to carry certain mail and parcel products into and out of the province and reaching certain communities within the province.”

Canada Post said it is expecting to resume mail delivery to all communities affected by flooding or road access by the end of the week.

The organization said alternate plans to move mail in and out of the province have been enacted.

“While mail delivery continues where it is safe to do so, customers may experience some delays in receiving items destined for B.C. or originating from the province as we continue to clear the backlog,” it said.

Customers sending time-sensitive items to or from areas in Western Canada should consider using Xpresspost or Priority service to help ensure timely delivery of their mail.

The organization said it has been ramping up for the holiday season to meet increasing demands due to online shopping.

Consumers can visit the Canada Post website to see the deadlines for sending packages and holiday cards to friends and loved ones.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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