so we could help our fellow Canadians,' she said. We are doing this on our spare time, on our dime.

'It's taking our resources and they're stretching them to a thinner level,' said Fahidy. The Northern flat rate boxes meant her group and other charitable organizations weren't able to help as many people. The shipments typically include non-perishable foods, warm clothing and new mom kits - which include bottles, baby clothing, diapers and hygiene products.įriends of the North sends non-perishable foods, warm clothing and new mom kits (which include bottles, baby clothing, diapers and hygiene products). It ships mostly to Arctic Bay, Nunavut, but also to several other remote Nunavut communities such as Hall Beach, Sanikiluaq, Grise Fiord and others. The group has been sending items to food banks in communities since 2015. It dropped our costs down by about two thirds,' said Fahidy. 'We're just moms,' says Fahidyįahidy says Friends of the North relies 100 per cent on volunteer donations the original flat rate box program had been saving the group a lot of money, despite having to drive several hours to a post office that has them. Those boxes were introduced as a pilot program in November 2016, and are only available in certain post offices in major regions (60 out of 6,200 Canada Post offices carry the boxes). The prices increased recently from the original 2016 prices. That compares to the flat rate of $14.99 for a small, $19.99 for medium and $24.99 for a large-sized flat rate box to ship to the rest of Canada. It cost $34.99 for a medium-sized box (no other sizes available) to ship to coastal B.C., parts of Labrador and 'the Far North.'

The regular flat rate boxes are still available, but only in 60 post offices out of 6,200 across Canada.

Small flat rate box what fits