Any mail?

When it became apparent in the mid-’90s that the Internet was going to have a profound impact on business, Canada Post Corp. was marked for extinction.Last year, the Crown corporation earned $199 million. Revenue from letters has decreased but revenue from parcels and packages related to e-commerce is up.

“The post office finally figured out how to deliver letters on time. The only problem is nobody sends letters any more.”
A COMPETITOR, a courier, suggests in 1996 that Canada Post is in the wrong line of business

“We were the information highway well before the term was fashionable. The need still remains, though perhaps in changing formats.”
GEORGES CLERMONT, Canada Post CEO, says in 1998 that e-commerce initiatives, such as Internet kiosks in post offices and developing secure electronic mail initiatives, will guarantee its future

“A move akin to turning the Titanic.”
SHAWN MCCARTHY, Globe and Mail reporter, responds to Canada Post’s new strategy in 1998

“I think a lot of people forget how important Canada Post still is. Despite growth in business over the Internet, somebody still has to deliver parcels, publications and books.”
JOHN GUSTAVSON, president of the Canadian Marketing Association, notes in 2003 in the wake of a possible postal strike

“I have one message today for the entire eBay community. We, the Postal Service, we love you. We love every buyer, every seller, every power seller.”
JOHN E. POTTER, US postmaster general, acknowledges the importance of the Internet in reviving the fortunes of national mail carriers in 2006. In addition to increased parcel revenue, studies show Canadians still prefer to receive information and documents by regular mail

Steve Brearton