Portage city council has voted to support a moratorium on community mailboxes. Mayor Irvine Ferris says he believes this is the appropriate move for our city, noting it's not just about the convenience of door-to-door delivery but it also takes into consideration the fact that we have an aging population. Ferris says a number of citizens are housebound and a lot of times it's a challenge to get out to a community mailbox, especially during the winter. He notes this will preserve the service that many seniors have come to depend on, adding door-to-door mail delivery would be maintained at current levels. Ferris says the moratorium means there'll be no new community mailboxes coming to Portage la Prairie at this time.

The vote to support the moratorium was not unanimous, however. Councillor Brent Budz says he felt they didn't have enough information to approve such a move, noting the federal government realizes that the Canada Post network needs to undergo some changes. Budz says just like city council, the feds are required to look at all the efficiencies they possibly can, adding from that perspective he felt it was premature to send the letter off to the Prime Minister.