Canada Post workers held retirement party amid soaring COVID-19 cases

CBC
·1 min read
An exterior sign outside Canada Post Gateway West plant in Mississauga. Workers at this plant held a farewell party for a colleague just days before Peel Public Health partially shut it down. (Oliver Walters/CBC - image credit)
An exterior sign outside Canada Post Gateway West plant in Mississauga. Workers at this plant held a farewell party for a colleague just days before Peel Public Health partially shut it down. (Oliver Walters/CBC - image credit)

Workers at a Canada Post sorting plant in Mississauga hosted a retirement party just days before a partial shut down of the facility in April due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Global News, which reported the incident Wednesday, was told that many workers who attended the party at the Gateway West plant did not adhere to physical distancing protocols and some of them were unmasked. Pictures of the celebration were shared among employees on social media apps, including WhatsApp, Global reported.

The party took place during the third wave of the pandemic, reportedly on a day when the province announced more than 4,200 COVID-19 cases. Just days later, on April 27, Peel Public Health ordered the entire third shift at Canada's largest mail facility to self-isolate due to an outbreak of the novel coronavirus at the plant.

Phil Legault, spokesperson for Canada Post, told CBC Toronto in a statement the event was an unfortunate and an isolated incident.

"We take this matter seriously and have talked directly to those involved. We have also reminded all employees at the facility of the importance of following safety rules," he said

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie called the incident "incredibly irresponsible."

"I am extremely disappointed in the workers of Canada Post," she said.

If [Canada Post] had a house party, it would be no different — we'd be over there and ticketing it," Crombie said.

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