Horizon Utilities: mail stoppage is not a freebie

Residents of Hamilton and St. Catharines are reminded that a postal strike does not mean a month off when it comes to paying bills.

Horizon Utilities Corporation advised their 244,000 customers on July 5 that in the event of a postal disruption, they are still required to pay their account balances on time.

"We want to make it convenient," said Sherri Ojero of Horizon.

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Canada Post issued a 72-hour lockout notice to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on July 5, making a potential delivery stoppage possible as early as Friday July 8.

As a result all mail delivery will stop, including utility bills. No mail or parcels will be accepted or sent. All mail in the system will be held securely until delivery starts again.

"It doesn't hurt to prepare ahead," said Ojero, adding that "there are many different options" for customers to pay during a delivery stoppage.

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Plenty of options

Primarily customers are encouraged to register for an online account to access information, register for e-billing or pre-authorize payments through Horizon's website.

To ensure that payments are received, customers may choose to pay through online or tele-banking, through financial institutions, or drop off a cheque or money order at one of three dropbox locations; in Hamilton at 55 John Street N. and St. Catharines at 340 Vansickle Road or 129 Church Street.

Ojero saidcustomers can "still benefit from online bills. In the end it's going to be more convenient anyways."

The last time Canada Post experienced a work stoppage was in 2011, which included 10 days of rotating strikes and a lockout before the Conservative government enacted back-to-work legislation.