In his final days as the mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., Erwin Elias emphasized the necessity of fly-in mail and parcel services for the community during prolonged highway closures. Severe pre-Christmas blizzards and heavy snow caused the shutdown of Highway 10 from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk from Dec. 17 to Dec. 29, disrupting mail deliveries and parcel services. This delay impacted the timely arrival of important items like Old Age Security payments, prompting Elias to advocate for alternative mail transportation methods during such road closures.
Canada Post, responsible for mail delivery to Tuktoyaktuk, acknowledged a three-week delay due to adverse weather conditions in the region. Elias, expressing concern over prolonged delays, stressed the importance of establishing a reliable air transportation system for mail during highway closures.
Despite historical reliance on air mail services before the construction of Highway 10, Canada Post emphasized the shift to road transport for mail delivery, citing feasibility challenges in reverting to air transportation.
Elias communicated his concerns to the N.W.T. government, urging authorities to consider alternative mail delivery options to avoid prolonged community inconvenience during road closures. While the response from Minister of Infrastructure Vince McKay was positive, details of the communication were not disclosed.
The N.W.T. Department of Infrastructure highlighted the closure of Highway 10 was primarily for public safety reasons, with the Tuktoyaktuk airport remaining operational during the period. However, there is currently no active proposal to introduce a fly-in mail service to Tuktoyaktuk. Any future consideration for alternative delivery methods would involve Canada Post and private airlines, according to the department.