VANCOUVER, B.C. — Green Councillor Pete Fry is amplifying community concerns calling on Canada Post and all levels of government to take immediate action to restore critical postal services in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, following the sudden closure of the neighbourhood’s long-standing post office at 418 Main Street. Fry’s motion, Don’t let Chinatown’s Postal Service be Stamped Out, urges the City to advocate for a full-service facility and to explore City-owned spaces as potential replacement sites.

“For decades, this post office has been providing an essential service for seniors, businesses, and residents who rely on in-person services, often because they have no other safe or accessible alternative,” said Councillor Fry. “Losing it abruptly is a major setback for a community we have pledged to uplift.”

A Vital Community Hub Permanently Shuttered

The Chinatown Post Office, which operated as a privately owned franchise, permanently closed on November 12. Canada Post has stated the closure was part of a broader review to reduce retail costs, and chose not to renew or replace the franchisee.

The loss disproportionately impacts the very residents the City committed to supporting through its Uplifting Chinatown strategy - including seniors, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and many unhoused community members. Many Chinatown residents do not have mail receptacles or secure drop locations, meaning parcel pickup could now require traveling as far as Granville or Commercial Drive.

“Accessibility isn’t optional in a historic, culturally significant neighbourhood. It’s a matter of dignity, continuity, and economic stability,” Fry added.

Council Motion Calls for Federal Action and City Collaboration

Councillor Fry’s motion asks Council to:

• Formally express support for the continued operation of a full-service post office in Chinatown
  
  
• Request that the Mayor write to senior Canada Post leadership - including the CEO, Vice-President of Retail Network and Services, regional retail managers, and the federal minister responsible - urging restoration and enhancement of local postal services
  
  
• Offer City-owned space as a potential location for a new or relocated Chinatown post office, connecting Canada Post directly with the City’s Real Estate department
  
  
• Explore integrating postal services into future City asset revitalization projects to ensure long-term community-serving infrastructure in the neighbourhood
  

“We have a responsibility to ensure Chinatown remains a place where seniors can age in community, small businesses can thrive, and relevant accessible and essential services aren’t pushed further out of reach,” said Fry. “Maintaining  postal services is a concrete step in that direction.”

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