VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – About a thousand people who live in the Beach Towers apartment buildings in Vancouver’s West End are having to pick up their mail at the other end of downtown.

The situation was triggered by mail box break-ins at the four buildings. The property manager decided it was time the boxes were replaced, so in the interim mail has to be picked up at Canada Post’s main branch on West Georgia St.

The measure has many renters very angry at having to make that trek to get their mail.  They’re wondering why the mail can’t be left at a nearby postal outlet instead.

But Anick Losier with Canada Post says that option wasn’t workable. “There are 600 units. To make special arrangements for a few that are not mobile would be extremely difficult. As you can imagine, in Vancouver alone, we deliver millions of pieces every day.”

Losier says since the property manager is installing the new boxes, she isn’t sure when mail service is going to resume.

“We’re working very hard with the property manager to have this rectified as soon as possible. This is not meant to be long term. I wish I could tell you it could be restored as soon as early next week, but I’m not sure. We are waiting for the property manager to tell us when she has completed the installation of those mail boxes,” she stresses.