"They made a promise and a commitment to keep those boxes clean," Coun. Ron Cavanaugh said during a recent council session.
"It's something that's got to be fixed," he added, after inspecting a number of community boxes in his constituency and finding them lacking in proper snow removal.
One box that was particularly bad recently was the one at the North River First United Church, said Cavanaugh, who added he used his own plow tractor to clear the snow from the box so it could be accessed by area residents.
"It was terrible when I arrived there last Saturday," he later told the Truro Daily News.
Cavanaugh said when he inquired with a local Canada Post representative about the problem, he was told the contractor in question has a large number of boxes to deal with.
Coun. Christine Blair said she also has been hearing complaints from residents in the Bible Hill area who have had to wade through snow up to their knees to retrieve their mail.
"It's definitely a real problem," she said, while musing over whether the people who are contracted to clear the snow from community mailboxes are local or from outside the area.
Council passed a motion to send a letter to Canada Post inquiring about the situation.
Canada Post spokesman John Caines said by telephone from Ottawa that the system could entail both contractors and sub-contractors in order to keep the task local to most areas.
But given the amount of snow of late, he said, it takes more time for the boxes to be cleared.
"We have had a heavy winter this year, as you know, and so we're trying to keep up ... ," he said. "We have crews all across the country and it's our responsibility to clear the snow away from these boxes and they're doing the best they can despite the heavy snow we've had in parts of the country this year."
Twitter: @tdnharry
