Good business for glaziers though.

First world problems.
You get birthday cards? How quaint

We have been through postal strikes in Canada, several of them!!

In fact, we arrived at the Peace Arch border without any papers because Canada Post had been on strike for 6 weeks. CBSA officers were fantastic ............ looked at us, and the letter of employment that OH had, and said "Fine. Your papers should be at UBC, if they're not, just go to the Immigration Office in Vancouver, and you'll be fine"

Only we weren't ........... Immigration Officer in downtown Vancouver said we had to go back to the border, re-enter the US, and then come back into Canada."

hmmmmmmmmmm. Drove down to Peace Arch, stopped this side of the border, walked into the CBSA office ............ and another nice CBSA officer went into the back room and pulled out the envelope containing all our papers from the Out Box, waiting for that evening's pick-up by Canada Post

Since then, we've been through at least 5 actual strikes, and I don't know how many contract negotiations with the union having the right to call a strike in 72 hours..

This time, I really would not be surprised to see it actually happen.

So, beckiwoo, I wouldn't trust anything important to the post until you see announcements that everything has been settled and ratified!

If only the government could I dunno use this new technology called the internet to submit applications, seems like it would streamline things a bit and maybe speed things up.

Obviously missed this bit from my post

Until they find a way of securing email or online portals then certain stuff needs to be sent via mail/courier unless of course you are willing to sacrifice your personal details being hacked.

A lot of info you send the Govt is classed as PROTECTED B information or the forms themselves once completed are classed as PROTECTED B so has to be sent via secure means.

Guess we better stop online tax returns then.

CRA manages to let me do just about everything online, file taxes, get copies of my past returns, etc.

BC Govt lets people apply for social services online, submit monthly reports online all requiring personal info to be submitted.

If other branches of govt can so why cant immigration folks?

The info I send them for PR card renewal and other immigration related purposes is no more personal vs other private info supplied to govt departments by various online means.

I would accept your point if other branches of government were not already letting people conduct bussiness online involving personal info so to me seems its quite possible to submit this info via a dedicated website of sorts.

Oh forgot about EI its done online as well and they ask for quite a lot of personal info to apply for EI.

Thats where the problem lies not all Departments within the Govt are set up and have secure websites or portals. For example I cannot send disclosure (evidence to be used) to the Immigration & Refugee Board via email or to a lawyer dealing with the case unless its sent encrypted.
The CRA website does have somewhat secure encryption when we send our tax returns online. I have no idea how much it would cost to have all Departments receive personal information online. Sending via email means the sender and recipient need means of encrypting and decrypting files or information sent that contains PROTECTED B information.

I often wonder about that level of risk. Are your bank details more at risk on line than if you lose your cheque book or bank card?
Is it easier to hack into government websites than to identify and make illegal use of (or sell) normal mail to and from government offices as a bent postal worker?

In the olden days we just handed over all our banking info via a form of check.

Check had lets see:

Account number, address, phone number, bank branch info, account number, transit and branch number and we gladly provided signature on them as well.

So much personal info freely handed over dozen or more times a month.

Ive never had any issues with online banking but back in 1998 I did have a check stolen in the mail and the crook did what crook does to change the amount to something else.

I had more banking troubles pre online banking vs now. Seems safer now.

We've had birthday cards and a 21st birthday present (small, but still .......) go missing from Canada to UK, and cards apparently go missing from UK to Canada. That's over 50 years.

I have had 3 parcels never arrive via CP and retailer had to re-ship.

J, you'll probably know the answer to this.
I have a parcel coming tomorrow according to my email from UPS today. It says signature required and there's a box to click that says Sign Now.

If I click it, a page comes up for me to sign in or register. I won't be registering but I'm curious about the 'sign now' thing. I assume that means a signature won't be needed tomorrow - in which case I'd be confirming receipt even if it's not delivered or some opportunist takes it if left on the doorstep and UPS are absolved of responsibility.

Is that what it means or is it something else?

Hmmm. Never seen that option before. I assume its for the parcel can be letlft if nobody is home.

But thenif you sign now and its not delivered will they say oh it was delivered and signed for.

Is there small print that says anything?

strike notice has been given. Looks like rotating strikes will begin Monday unless an agreement is reached.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4558468/c...=notification/