Canada Post strike: a blow to small Indigenous businesses

Small businesses, particularly those run by Indigenous artisans, are feeling the brunt of the Canada Post strike. As Indigenous artisans, we are seeing the direct impact this situation has on our ability to serve our customers and maintain our operations.

Paralyzing delays

One of the main challenges is delivery delays. Our products, often handcrafted with care and respect for tradition, travel throughout Quebec, Canada and even internationally. With the strike, packages take several weeks to arrive, if they arrive at all. This uncertainty erodes customer confidence in small businesses like ours.

A dependency on postal services

Unlike large businesses, indigenous artisans do not have unlimited resources to explore other delivery options. Private alternatives, such as courier services, are often expensive and difficult for small businesses to integrate.

For many of us, Canada Post remains the only affordable option for shipping our creations to customers in remote areas or abroad. This reliance makes us particularly vulnerable to such disruptions.

Financial losses and human repercussions

Order delays and cancellations not only cause financial losses, but also affect the morale of entrepreneurs. Customer frustration, while understandable, is reflected on us. This further complicates the day-to-day management of an already fragile business.

The importance of community support

In this context, we encourage consumers to continue supporting small Indigenous businesses. Local purchases, on-site collections and messages of solidarity make a huge difference. Your support not only strengthens our businesses, but also the preservation of our know-how and traditions.