By Matt Pouncy

UPDATE: Cypress County and 40 Mile residents won’t be picking up their mail in Seven Persons anymore

Aug 17, 2018 | 5:24 PM

SEVEN PERSONS, AB — Today marked the last day residents of Cypress County, and 40 Mile will have the option to pick up their mail in Seven Persons.

Canada Post is changing how they deliver mail to the areas which isn’t popular among those affected.

Jennifer Gechter lives right on the line between Cypress County and 40 Mile.

She usually had less than a 10 minute drive to go pick up her mail.

Today was the last day she will be able to open her P.O box in Seven Persons.

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Starting on Monday, Gechter along with others who live outside of town now have a longer commute.

“People that live in 40 mile that are still close to Seven Persons were told that our mail boxes will be no longer,” said Gechter. “You have to go pick up your mail in Bow Island and for us we live 30 minutes away from Bow Island, so about an hour round trip just to get your mail.”

Gechter says there’s an option to have her mail delivered to Medicine Hat but it would cost her around $250 per year.

She owns a farm and plans to pay the fee, because to run the business they need to access their mail regularly.

“When we send out letters, bills, and stuff like that, people send the cheques or anything else out to us,” Gechter. “If we don’t get our mail then we’re not getting our bills and we’re not able to get the cheques that people are trying to pay for.”

Canada Post sent out letters to those affected but not everyone, including Gechter, received the message.

The letter included important information on how their mailing address would change.

After contacting Canada Post, Gechter says she wasn’t pleased with the response she got.

“I really honestly don’t think they care about the customers, they only think about themselves,” said Gechter. “They are affecting a lot of people out here and I think they really need to re-look at this.”

Right now, those affected are trying to decide which location they will travel too, to get their mail.

Update: CHAT News received a statement from Canada Post stating that affected residents were advised in April of a civic addressing change initiative.

The purpose of the change was to give customers the same physical address, and mailing address. The point is to convert rural mailing addresses to one that will match the municipal address.

They stated that civic addressing helps improve the accuracy of mail and parcel delivery along with assisting emergency responders.

Canada Post clarified that the mailboxes aren’t moving but some customer’s mail will be delivered to a new location that corresponds with their civic address.

Canada Post says they are offering all affected customers with free mail redirection service one for one year to give people time to manage the change.