The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is being asked to reach out to Canada Post to change the mailing addresses in Mitchell's Bay.
A report going to council on Monday night recommends that Canada Post recognize Mitchell's Bay as a mailing address, changing it from its current status as Dover Centre.
Historically, the local post office serving Mitchell’s Bay and northern Dover Township was consolidated in Dover Centre and the mailing address for Mitchell’s Bay has been Dover Centre.
However, that's become a problem because it often leads to confusion in the area, according to the staff report, since Mitchell’s Bay and Dover Centre are several kilometres apart.
Mitchell’s Bay is defined as a Secondary Urban Centre in the municipal official plan and administration said all other Secondary Urban Centres have Canada Post mailing place names, including Bothwell, Thamesville, Merlin, Charing Cross, and Pain Court.
"Canada Post uses the municipally assigned civic address or 911 number to identify the property or building location. In the Mitchell’s Bay area, the local civic address or 911 number and road name is used as the property location in the postal address, but the place name is Dover Centre," said staff.
The request came from the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association, saying most residents support the request.
Residents and businesses in Mitchell's Bay will be given at least 30 days notice before the change takes place.
A Canada Post place name change requires changing information on personal or private documents and accounts where an address is included, but the fees to make the change are generally low if there are any at all.
If the request is approved at council Monday night, the appropriate documents will be forwarded to Canada Post and all property owners in the area will get a copy of council’s resolution in the mail.