Two forums down, six and a half to go

Last night (Sept 25th) was the second forum in a row; the first being on Wednesday night in Picture Butte. Lethbridge Herald story.
Feedback for me was positive:

Hi Mark,

I just wanted to let you know that you did a fantastic job in the forum last night. I was supposed to be at an event . . ., but I was so sick that they sent me home. So, I watched the forum on TV. You were by far the most intelligent and the most knowledgeable on your party's platform.

Blush.

Anyway it's interesting being on stage with the bright lights shining and the TV cameras blinking. I've run in previous elections (2001 and 2004 Alberta Provincial), but in those elections, the Chamber of Commerce Forums were at the LCC Barn.

One item that came up in the forum is the possible closure of rural post offices because of the "review" being done by Canada Post. Many communities around the country are upset at the possibility that their postal service may disappear or be severely cut back. One of the communties is Coalhurst which sent this into the CANADA POST CORPORATION STRATEGIC REVIEW:

WHEREAS the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review, which was launched by the federal government on April 21, 2008, is looking at deregulating our public post office (i.e. reducing or removing Canada Post's exclusive privilege on letters); and
WHEREAS it will become increasingly difficult for our public post office to provide affordable service to everyone, no matter where they live, if the government erodes or eliminates the very mechanism that funds universal postal service - the exclusive
privilege; and
WHEREAS postal deregulation in other countries has led to post office closures, less service, fewer jobs and higher postal rates for the public and small businesses; and
WHEREAS the government is not holding public hearings as part of its strategic review or adequately consulting with the real owners of the post office - the public;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the TOWN OF COALHURST send a letter or submission to the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review opposing deregulation of Canada Post and insisting that the government hold public hearings and properly consult with the true owners of Canada Post - the public.

The post office is one of the few focal points remaining in many small towns. Here is a website campaigning to oppose the privatization and/or deregulation of Canada Post. Website.

I stated in the forum that I'd hate to see a day that a drive from Lethbridge to Calgary involves travelling through 200km of virtually uninhabited land. At the very least, postal deregulation, if we can learn from other countries, will lead to post office closures, less service, fewer jobs and higher postal rates for the public and small businesses. With the Conservative policies Canadians are looking at, this is a possibility.