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If they try to install boxes, we will be here to stop them

“And she was a senior,” Evans-Tenbrinke says, laughing.

So is the pensioner’s mother, Alberta. She is 83 and gets around on a walker. But she struggles, and would struggle to collect her mail if she had to walk around the block to a community box.

“Henry has always liked getting involved,” she says, noting he didn’t inherit the activist spirit from her, but that she supports him in his present effort since what he is doing is the “right thing.”

There are perks to protesting. Supporters often bring coffee, sandwiches and, on one occasion last week, an ice cream treat from Dairy Queen. The 61-year-old notes with some surprise he has actually lost weight since beginning his protest, while his photo portfolio of birds has expanded. The avid birder keeps a long-lens camera by his side, just in case something interesting flies by.

“I have captured cardinals, grackles, goldfinches — and a hawk over there, up in that tree,” he says.

No management types from Canada Post have stopped by to speak with Evans-Tenbrinke, though the corporation’s website features a reader-friendly forum where concerned Canadians can submit their questions about the new mailboxes.

This is all good, in theory, until you start reading the answers provided. Cally B., from Whitby Ont., logically asked what many Canadians are thinking: “I don’t want a mailbox placed in front of my house. How can I prevent this?”

The answer: sites will be chosen based on “feedback” from residents. Those who aren’t happy about a site can call Canada Post customer service at 1-844-454-3009.

In other words, if a community mailbox lands on your lawn or, say, right beside your outdoor pool on Brucedale Avenue, good luck getting rid of it.

Evans-Tenbrinke and Albert the dog were preparing to drive off into the sit-in sunset Friday afternoon, declaring it to be the last day of their protest. The plan was to spend the weekend considering their next move. The plan is not to give up on this fight.

“We are going to be keeping an eye on these concrete pads,” he says. “If they try to install boxes, we will be here to stop them.”