As thousands of Canada Post workers demonstrate on strike, many businesses in northeastern Ontario are adapting.

On Friday, approximately 55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on strike after failing to reach an agreement with their employer.

In Sudbury, some business owners had already started developing different plans before the strike began.

Jenny Fortier is the owner of Northern Wildflowers in Lively. She said about 95 percent of her orders to customers are not shipped by Canada Post.

Before the strike, Fortier said it tried to reduce the impact on its customers by removing the shipping option for Canada Post. She wanted to avoid many orders getting stuck during transport.

“It has unfortunately decimated our online sales at the moment,” she said.

Fortier said its sales fell about 95 percent as a result.

Trevor Vienneau and his wife co-own the Old Soul Soap Company in Hanmer. He said this time of year is normally his busiest time. Before the strike, he began using courier services rather than Canada Post to avoid orders getting stuck in the system.

“It’s a huge impact. It’s huge,” he said.

“That means, you know, people aren’t getting Christmas presents. That means businesses aren’t able to get products from our store to their shelves so they can sell them in time for Christmas. C It’s a disaster.”

“Sorry it’s come to this.”

Canada Post’s latest contract offer included annual salary increases of 11.5 percent over four years. It also offered defined benefit pension plan protection for current employees, as well as job security and health benefits.

The union said that was not enough and that the two parties remained far apart on several issues.

In Sudbury, workers are on the picket line on Lasalle Boulevard, outside the Canada Post facilities.

Charlene Bradley is the president of Local 612 of the Postal Workers Union.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” she said.

“We were really hoping that Canada Post would do what they said, come to the table and negotiate a fair contract. But right now they’re not living up to their words.”

She said there were several outstanding issues that needed to be resolved, including salaries.

“The cost of living is so high and the increase that we have been offered does not match the increase in the cost of living,” she said.

“Additionally, we have rural and suburban mail carriers who are still not getting paid for all the hours they work.”

On its website, Canada Post said the strike would result in the closure of operations.

“Customers will experience delays due to the strike,” the company said.

“Mail and packages will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike and certain post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will be impacted for shipments already present in the postal network. No new shipments will be accepted until ‘to national disruption so sure.’