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The London Free Press WEDNESDAY, December 5, 1990 ic‘anada Post, town differ on addresses Residents attending an open house today can expect to hear two versions of ‘proper’ mailing addresses. By Chip Martin The London Free Press WESTMINSTER â€"â€"What's in a name? Depends on whom you ask Town residents can’t be blamed for their confusion over the proper mailing addresses in the Town of Westminster. The town and Canada Post are locked in a standoff about the proper form of address. The town, anxious to assert its identity. wants its name to ap- pear on mail addressed to West- minster residents. , Canada Post couldn‘t care less about promoting the town, or adding Westminster as a legiti- mate Canadian destination for mail. “Westminster, Ontario does not exist,“ says Tom Dalby. manager of media affairs for the Huron division of Canada Post. "Westminster" does not appear in approved u Canadian postal vocabulary. The name can appear on mail but must be accompanied by the- names of existing post offices in Lambeth, Glanworth, London and St. Thomas. Both the town and the post of- fice have outlined their positions in letters to Westminster‘s 2.800 households. And both town and post office telephone lines are busy answering queries from confused Westminsterites. The town is holding an open house today (to which Daiby is coming) in a bid to end confuâ€" sion. But it is clear two messages will be delivered to those attending. The town and Canada Post seem to agree on only one point: that four basic elements must ap- pear ln each properly addressed piece of correspondence: name of recipient; whether it is general delivery. box number or rural route number: correct postal stas tion (to. Lambeth. Glanworth); correct postal code. IF You Wane r < * Here are the two versions of an address fora mythical John Smith who lives in Lambeth. TOWN VERSION CANADA POST VERSIO John Smith. John Smith, ' 2219 Jones 51.. 2219 Jones St., Box 1234, Lambeth P.O.. Town of Westminster, Westminster. Ont. Box 1234, NOL1SO Lambeth, Ont. NOL 180 FonMAts DIFFERENT: But be» yond that, the town and Canada Post differ dramatically on the format. Westminster administrator Doug Stanlake said the town de- vised its version after consulting Canada Post officials. But Daiby insisted the town version is not approved by the post office, Stanlake complained his staff is becoming increasingly preoc- cupied answering postal calls from town residents. The post of- fice. he said, “iSJust not co-oper- ating“ with the town. He charged the post office has been changing its posttion Daiby replied that the name of the existing post other (not West- minster) must be immediately above the postal code to ensure their is no delay in mail that is manually sorted. He said it would be "costly" to change the Canada Post system, which might have to be changed again in a few months depending on the outcome of annexation talks between the town and the City of London. MAINTllIN IDENIITY: Daiby said Canada Post has a “long-stand- ing tradition" of maintaining lo- cal identities. He said the difference in the positions of the town and post office is important. "It impacts on the scwicc."