By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc resident Elaine Lallouz told The Suburban she was shocked and confused last week when she went to the Canada Post franchise at Pharmaprix in Quartier Cavendish to send mail to Israel. Lallouz told us that an employee at the franchise told her that Canada Post was not sending letters to Israel whatsoever. The resident said she was told this twice by the employee, last Wednesday Sept. 11 and Thursday Sept. 12.

“I was told ‘nothing’s going to leave here to Israel.’ I said,’what do you mean, nothing?’ She said ‘I was told nothing can be sent from here.’” The resident said she preferred to send the several pieces of mail, given to her by her aunt, at a Canada Post outlet rather than drop them in a mailbox, as some of the mail included cheques. “Everything was ready, the stamps were on it. But I was told, ‘no, no, no, no, nothing goes to Israel!’ The employee was then directing me to leave.”

The Suburban decided to accompany Lallouz to Pharmaprix where we overheard someone from the pharmacy seem to confirm that people were being told letters were not going to Israel. The person declined to go on the record. The Canada Post employee was pointed out to us, and when The Suburban asked her to confirm that letters were not going to Israel, she vehemently insisted we go to a Canada Post post office in Côte St. Luc or the company’s website to get the answer.

“Is there no mail service to Israel?” we asked. “It’s a very simple question.”

“Sir, go to the Canada Post website,” the employee said.

As it turns out, the Canada Post website says, and Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather told us as well, that as is the case in other countries, there is a “yellow alert” as far as mail to Israel is concerned, that took effect Sept. 11, the first day Lallouz went to the Pharmaprix franchise, indicating that mail could indeed be sent, but “expect delays for letters and parcels. Increased safety protocols and flight restrictions into Israel are creating delays for customers.”

Housefather did not indicate he had received any complaints that CSL residents were being told mail was not going to Israel.

But on Friday, Canada Post spokesperson Phil Rogers confirmed to The Suburban that delivery to Israel did stop just before Sept. 11, at which time “mail and parcel delivery to Israel resumed. In August, delivery to Israel was suspended due to lack of available transportation,” he added. “A yellow delivery service alert is currently issued for this country as increased safety protocols and flights restrictions into Israel are creating delays for customers. The delivery service alerts are being posted and updated on our Delivery service alerts webpage. We promptly verified with our colleagues at the post office you mentioned and can confirm they are aware of this delivery service update. If customers have questions about their postal services, they can contact Canada Post’s Customer Service team online at canadapost.ca/support or by telephone at 1-866-607-6301 (TTY: 1-800-267-2797).”

We also found out, from an Alberta Jewish News story, that Canada Post mail delivery to Israel, as well as the West Bank and Gaza, had also stopped on Oct. 12, 2023, five days after the Hamas terrorist attack, for the same reason cited by Rogers.

Lallouz says she is still skeptical.

“Everything’s delayed because Canada Post stopped everything. We have family in Israel and a lot of people are suffering.” n