Sundaylace Creations Featured at CBC News during the Canada Post Strike 2024

Canada Post strike could be a blow to Indigenous businesses shipping to remote communities

I'm at the mercy of the patience of my customers,' says owner of Nova Scotia bead store

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/canada-post-indigenous-impact-1.7385372 

As the country heads into the holiday season, the impacts of the Canada Post strike are expected to be felt in remote Indigenous communities, where private courier services will not deliver. 

Some Indigenous business owners say the strike has made it challenging for them to send their products out to customers — a big portion of which are Indigenous people living in remote communities.

Mariah Battiste is the owner of Sundaylace Creations, a Mi'kmaq-owned bead store in Eskasoni First Nation, N.S. She says her business typically sends out 100 packages a week through Canada Post.  

"I have to drive an hour away to get to these FedEx, Purolator, UPS drop-off sites within a certain time frame because they're only open so late." 

In the past, Battiste has had to deal with shipping hurdles, including the 2018 Canada Post strike, and the shipping delays due to the COVID–19 pandemic. 

"I've been in the business for 10 years or so, I'm rolling with it now, but at the beginning, I can empathize, a lot of small businesses cannot just roll with the punches as easily as I have," said Battiste. 

She worries how the strike might impact her sales on Black Friday, and over the holiday season. 

Sundaylace Creation sells holiday advent calendars, which Batiste says were recently sent out through Canada Post. 

"I'm going to [have] a lot of customer service complaints or issues down the road when people are saying, 'I'm supposed to get this calendar in two weeks, where is it?'" she said. 

"I'm at the mercy of the patience of my customers and hoping that this doesn't affect us or our bottom line because we are using Canada Post." 

Read more here:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/canada-post-indigenous-impact-1.7385372 

Want to see our LIVE on CBC NEWS?

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6568100 

Indigenous businesses worry Canada Post strike will disproportionately affect them

• Duration - 6:45
• As the country heads into the holiday season, the impacts of the Canada Post strike are expected to be particularly strong in remote Indigenous communities, where private courier services will not deliver. Mariah Battiste, owner of Sundaylace Creations in Eskasoni First Nation, says her business typically sends out 100 packages a week through Canada Post, adding that she is concerned about the ‘inequity in access.’