GUYSBOROUGH — A nationwide postal strike has forced the Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) to suspend its borrow-by-mail and interlibrary loan programs, halting crucial access to materials for residents across Inverness, Richmond and Guysborough counties.
In a Sept.”¯26 notice, the library said it has paused its mail-based borrowing and pickup options “until further notice,” and that users may now only place holds on items located at ECRL branch libraries. Where possible, alternate pickup arrangements are being offered.
“Some materials are onsite and we will contact users to arrange alternate branch pick-up locations,” the notice stated.
According to ECRL’s 2025-2026 strategic operational plan, the borrow-by-mail service is the “primary way to deliver books to households that do not have a local open branch… Equitable access for rural residents must include borrow-by-mail options for those without access to a nearby branch or mobile service stop.”
The disruption follows strike action by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) last week, launched after Public Services and Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound issued a sweeping federal directive to Canada Post aimed at modernizing the Crown corporation and addressing mounting financial losses.
Among other reforms, Lightbound said the government was instructing Canada Post to lift its long-standing moratoriums on rural post office closures and community mailbox conversions, reduce air transport of non-urgent mail, and review the process for increasing stamp rates.
“Canada Post is effectively insolvent,” he said. “Repeated bailouts are not a long-term solution. Transformation is required to ensure the survival of Canada Post and protect the services Canadians rely on.”
In response, in a Sept.”¯25 bulletin, CUPW’s National President Jan Simpson said, “This is an attack on good jobs and public services. Effective immediately, all CUPW members at Canada Post are on a nation-wide strike.”
In its own release, Canada Post President and CEO Doug Ettinger said the corporation supports the government’s direction and will begin implementing the recommended measures that “will allow us to make the changes needed to restore Canada’s postal service for all Canadians by evolving to better meet their needs.
“We take this responsibility seriously and will work closely with the government and our employees to move with urgency and implement the necessary changes in a thoughtful manner. Our goal is to ensure that a strong, affordable, Canadian-made, Canadian-run delivery provider supports the needs of today’s economy and delivers to every community across the country.”
Meanwhile, corporation confirmed in a separate statement that “mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees are suspended for items already in the postal network. No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over.”
It noted that “a process is in place” to ensure existing live animal shipments continue during a labour disruption. But no new shipments will be accepted.
In its public notice last week, ECRL encouraged patrons to follow its social media channels for service updates. Anyone with questions about existing holds or pick-up options was asked to contact their local branch or call the library’s toll-free line at 1-855-787-7323.
ECRL operates up to 10 branch libraries, and three mobile outreach stops across the counties of Inverness, Richmond and Guysborough. The regional system provides access to a shared collection of about 100,000 physical and digital items.
The Journal will continue to report on the impact of the postal strike and the proposed changes to Canada Post on rural services and local communities in the days ahead.
