Transcontinental shifts flyer distribution in Mirabel to Canada Post during appeal

TC Transcontinental says it will no longer distribute flyers by delivering Publisacs to households in Mirabel, after its effort to quash a city bylaw was rejected by the Quebec Superior Court.

The Montreal-based packaging and printing company says the bylaw requiring consumers to request its so-called Publisac would lead to the distribution method's demise due to prohibitive costs and complexity.

The flyers printed by Transcontinental will instead be distributed by Canada Post, resulting in the loss of 16 jobs associated with Publisac.

Transcontinental says in an email that it hopes to reinstate the Publisac in the city north of Montreal if it successfully appeals the bylaw, which it says makes its door-to-door flyer distribution model not viable.

Transcontinental says an opt-out system is simple and effective for those who do not wish to receive the Publisac used by more than 200,000 Quebec households.

Mirabel switched to an opt-in system for Publisac in October 2019. Montreal plans to adopt such a system starting in May 2023 as it aims to become zero waste by 2030.

"We find it very unfortunate to have to discontinue the distribution of the Publisac in Mirabel after more than 30 years of operations in the city,'' said Patrick Brayley, senior vice-president of distribution.