PEI

Some community mailboxes once again frozen shut

Some Islanders have found their community mailboxes frozen shut once again — as an early winter arrived in P.E.I. sooner than Canada Post was able to change the locks to ones that won't freeze.

Canada Post are in the middle of rolling out new set of locks and keys to combat freezing

Islanders are once again experiencing frozen and non-functioning locks on Canada Post community mailboxes. (Nicole Williams/CBC News)

Some Islanders have found their community mailboxes frozen shut once again — as an early winter arrived in P.E.I. sooner than Canada Post was able to change the locks to ones that won't freeze.

The postal service had promised new locks after many of the community mailboxes were frozen shut last winter.

Canada Post issued notices in October to about 10,000 residences in Charlottetown and Stratford, informing them their locks to the community mailboxes would be replaced.

The corporation said the old locks weren't fit for the freezing rain and flash freezing P.E.I. experiences, but the new locks won't freeze under these conditions.

Not all locks changed

The work was set to be completed by the end of November, but some locks still haven't been changed — and some Islanders found their locks freezing once again as temperatures dipped below zero.

Canada Post issued keys for new locks to community mailboxes back in October. Some Islanders have still not had their locks replaced. (Nicole Williams/CBC)

Canada Post said all the locks will be changed by Friday, and that anyone experiencing issues with mail delivery of any kind should contact customer service.

"We are changing locks in neighbourhoods where some of the residents experienced issues last winter," said a Canada Post spokesperson in an email to CBC News. 

Canada Post has also said they have not received many complaints so far this winter.

With files from Laura Chapin