

The Canadian Press





TORONTO - The Ontario government says it has a backup plan in place to ensure the delivery of recreational cannabis in case of a Canada Post strike next week, but it isn't saying what that arrangement is.

Finance Minister Vic Fedeli insisted the province would be able to fill orders made through its cannabis website if the Canadian Union of Postal Workers proceeds with rotating strikes starting Monday.

Asked how the province would proceed, Fedeli said Thursday there was "no sense" in detailing a contingency plan for a strike that might not take place.

The union representing 50,000 Canada Post employees has given notice that workers could walk off the job as early as Monday if agreements aren't reached with the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers bargaining units.

The union has said it decided to issue the strike notice after the nearly year-long talks stalled with the two sides fairly far apart.

Meanwhile, the government's online cannabis store says high demand is delaying delivery, which could now take up to five business days instead of up to three as initially estimated.