Ardmore residents fear their post office could close for good after its postmaster retires in July.
Vice president of the Ardmore Community Society Lacey Chyz and other residents have been told by a Canada Post union member rural post offices often get shut down after a postmaster leaves as people are not aware of what is happening.
"It's not a for sure thing that Canada Post will close it, it's just a trend that they've warned us about," said Chyz.
They were told community members must be proactive and express to Canada Post there is a need to keep the post office open, she added.
Ardmore's post office has a second employee who is considering taking over the postmaster's role, but whether the post office remains open is at Canada Post's discretion, said Chyz. Postmasters must provide the building for the post office, and the employee has mentioned this could affect her decision, Chyz added.
Chyz is concerned about the impact the post office closure would have on businesses in town.
"People won't come to town if they don't have to check their mail, which means they're not going to stop for coffee at the café, or they're not going to stop at the Ardmore Store," she said. "If they don't have a reason to come to town anymore, if they have to go to Bonnyville anyways, they'll just stop there."
She also noted the convenience of a post office, and the school's need for it.
Chyz said residents are trying to avoid what happened in Fort Kent when the post office closed and people were forced to use super boxes.
"They have to go to town to get everything, and your mail is not as secure, and there could be vandalism and all those other issues."
Residents have expressed concern about the issue and a couple of them are organizing a petition to keep the post office open, said Chyz. They have also been in contact with local politicians about the issue.
A meeting will be held at the Ardmore Community Hall June 22 at 7 p.m. for the public to discuss the issue and offer suggestions. Chyz said the petition should be available there for people to sign.
"We are trying to get as many people involved as possible and that's what the union rep advised us to do," said Chyz.
