Canada Post apologizes

Canada Post said they are in the preliminary stages of addressing an ongoing issue that saw Kanesatake addresses listed as being in Oka, having sent a written apology to Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) chiefs last week.

Community members had noticed issues with their addresses back in February, when Kanesatake addresses started being registered as in Oka when filling out addresses online, at retailers like Amazon, as well as with government entities, like the SAAQ (Societe de l’assurance automobile du Quebec).

Back then, Kyle Atkwiroton Canatonquin had told The Eastern Door about an incident at the SAAQ, where he’d given the clerk the postal code used throughout Kanesatake: J0N 1E0.

The clerk had told Canatonquin that the address was listed in the system as being in Oka, despite the fact that the address is recognized by every government as Kanesatake territory.

A spokesperson for the SAAQ told The Eastern Door at the time that the postal code was associated with the city of Oka by Canada post, and they were unable to change it.

Canatonquin said that it’s “about time” Canada Post took steps to rectify the situation.

“I find it crazy how it happened in the first place, how a government-run entity just eliminated us off the map,” he said. “To me, it’s outrageous that it happened in the first place, but I’m glad something has been done to resolve the issue.”

A written apology was sent to MCK chief Brant Etienne on Wednesday April 2, signed by Nathalie Delisle, the chief legal and corporate affairs officer at Canada Post, who also oversees the corporation’s Indigenous and northern affairs team.

The email came in response to an earlier correspondence, sent by Victor Bonspille on February 27, prior to the MCK Ethics Commission ruling that he has vacated his seat as grand chief, a title he continues to claim.

That email was sent to Gary Anandasangaree, the federal minister of Crown–Indigenous relations and northern affairs, and Patty Hajdu, the minister of Indigenous Services Canada. The correspondence was passed to a number of ministers as well as shared with Canada Post before their response nearly six weeks later.

“I was sorry to learn of the situation you described. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced by the residents of the Territory of Kanesatake, and I acknowledge their frustration, especially in light of the community’s attempt to seek clarification,” the apology reads.

Delisle stated that Canada Post has received an official request from the MCK to change the mailing place name for all residents of the Territory of Kanesatake, and that the organization is determining next steps to resolve the issue in “a timely manner.”

“As per our process for such projects, we will work in collaboration with the council and provide updates to residents as soon as they become available,” Delisle said.

MCK chief Serge Otsi Simon said the apology is a step in the right direction, but that it’s important action follows.

“It’s a start, it’s a beginning,” said Simon. “Now I think that we need to have discussions on remedying this as a community too.”

As of publishing time, Canada Post’s official website still lists the Kanesatake postal code J0N 1E0 as being in Oka.

A spokesperson for the corporation told The Eastern Door that they had communicated with MCK to initiate a dialogue and begin the process of changing the place name in mailing addresses.

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