Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Ettinger, Ms. Fortin and Ms. El‑Hage, thank you very much for being with us.
Time for a reality check. I'm the Bloc Québécois procurement critic, so my colleagues talk to me about problems with Canada Post, whether they're on the North Shore, in the Magdalen Islands, in northern Quebec or even in more central regions, such as Saint-Hyacinthe, which is not exactly back of beyond, unlike the place where I grew up.
Here are some of the issues people have brought to my attention.
De-amalgamated towns have ended up with identical addresses, with the same street name, the same number and the same postal code. Canada Post has simply told them to change the street name. I'm sure you see the problem. I know that, in the past, post offices have burned down, and the service was simply relocated to a neighbouring post office while it was being rebuilt. I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done to fix this problem. It's a problem with the mail, and also with emergency services.
In northern Quebec, there are more people and not enough post office boxes, so two or three families may end up sharing the same box. That's a confidentiality issue.
There are also francophones living in the north who can't get services in their mother tongue, even though—correct me if I'm wrong—that's one of your obligations.
I'm sure you're aware of problems related to shipping medications, particularly on the Lower North Shore, where there's no road, and in the Magdalen Islands, where even things like pencils for school are mailed, because there's no other way. At least, I hope you're aware of that.
Were you aware of those particular issues?
Is Canada Post looking at any solutions to these problems? They may be mundane, but they're very important to the people dealing with them.