When Jim Vanderhoek came to work Monday morning at Beamer’s Hardware on Pelham Street in Fonthill, he peered out the window and scratched his head at an unusual sight across the street.
“I didn’t remember a Canada Post mailbox being at the bottom of Church Hill Street, in front of Fonthill Baptist Church,” he said. “But there it was, along with a grocery cart. It seemed to be in an inappropriate spot, given that it was positioned very close to the roadway. It just didn’t look right.”
Shortly thereafter, Vanderhoek noticed the appearance of a Niagara Regional Police cruiser in front of the mailbox, and later, a Canada Post employee loading mail from the postal box into a large sack, and lugging it back to the post office located at 39 Pelham Town Square.
Valérie Chartrand, a media relations specialist with Canada Post, confirmed that “incidents of vandalism” occurred at the Fonthill Post Office sometime over the weekend, during which some postal boxes were impacted, and a street letter box was moved.
“We are working to put back the street letter box in its place, and to repair the affected compartments as soon as possible,” said Chartrand. “Our security and investigations team is aware of these incidents, as are the local police. As these incidents are being investigated, it would be inappropriate to comment further or provide details.”
Niagara Regional Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chartrand added that Canada Post takes matters related to the security of the mail very seriously.
“We don't divulge specific security measures or broader information related to our facilities or equipment publicly, as doing so would hamper their effectiveness,” she said. “While repairs are being made to the postal boxes, we ask affected customers to temporarily collect their mail during regular retail counter hours. Customers must provide a valid government-issued photo identification to pick up their mail.”
Customers who believe they have not received a piece of letter mail should contact the sender, said Chartrand. If they believe a parcel delivery is missing, they should contact Canada Post's customer service, in order to initiate a claim with Canada Post. The online link is canadapost.ca/support, and the telephone number at 1-866-607-6301.
Customers concerned about identity fraud should contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
