Wilno – “I’m ready.”

That was how Sandy Skebo described her impending retirement on December 22, one day prior to her final day on the job of a 37-plus year career as a rural mail carrier in the Wilno area.

Her nearly four decades on the job were just part of an actual lifetime centered on the postal service in Wilno, that originated with her late parents, Vincent and Janet Borutski.

“Dad was postmaster in Wilno for 38 years, then he did the rural route for 15,” Mrs. Skebo explained. “As postmaster, at 65, he had to retire and he kept the rural route for two more years after that.

“Then, he decided it was time (to fully retire),” she added.

Mrs. Skebo said at that point, her father was a “mail contractor” who would bid for the route, and when he retired, he could transfer his contract to whomever he felt was capable of carrying on the work.

“In our case, we had 10 in the family and four of us were interested,” she recalled. “He put our names in a hat and my name got picked.”

She was the second youngest in the family who grew up in what is now the Wilno Craft Gallery.

“That’s where I was raised and that’s where the post office was for 38 years. Then once he gave it up, Canada Post rented it for six months.

“Then they moved it to Whitehead’s General Store,” she added.

Mrs. Skebo said in later years, Mary and the late Andy Lorbetskie took it over briefly at their Wilno Esso station, and then the service was discontinued in Wilno and transferred to Barry’s Bay.

“It was a retail outlet and nobody in Wilno wanted it, so they moved me to Barry’s Bay and put in the community boxes here about 12 years ago,” she explained.

She had previously only worked for married couples in Wilno and when she went to the Bay, there was a staff of seven or eight employees.

“Which was quite different, but they just took me under their wing,” she remarked. “They were all great.”

Her colleagues at the Bay post office held a small celebration for her and she was extremely grateful for that.

“It was great; my three big bosses from Pembroke came up,” she said.

She went on to explain her sister, Janet, was also in attendance, and made a very special presentation to her that was very emotional for her.

“My sister presented me with a collage of photos of the day our dad presented me with the keys to the car. It was his last day of the run, and I started on April 1, 1984.”

Prior to her starting to work as a rural carrier, she and her siblings would often assist their parents at the post office in their home.

“When we turned 16, we had to go and get sworn in on the Bible in order for us to work in the store,” she recalled. “It was done at the Barry’s Bay post office and Eddie Shalla did mine.

“It was part of our life. We were a post office and general store,” she added.

She became keenly aware of the importance of the mail to their customers and like her parents, she was committed to doing everything possible to see they received their mail regularly and on time each day.

“People look for me. I do all of Rockingham and I could be one of the only persons some of these people ever saw.

“My customers in Wilno, they’re like family,” she continued. “I’ve dealt with four or five generations of people who get mail from me.”

Mrs. Skebo said she did share the news of her retirement with her longtime customers, adding she and her father worked for a combined 54 years at it. She recalled accompanying her father on his run, noting when she was working under contract herself, her children, Kirk and Kelsey, would accompany her on the route.

“Once I became an employee of Canada Post in 2004, things changed. The only time I can take somebody with me, is my husband, Phil, who I had to get screened and then he could come with me.”

Her route never changed over the years other than the introduction of the community boxes in Wilno.

“I do 99 kilometres a day.”

When she first started, it took approximately a half hour less, because there were less customers. When asked what the biggest change she has seen over the years, she quickly replied the increase in the shipping of parcels to people doing online shopping created by the COVID pandemic.

“They all found Amazon,” she said. “Our parcels are just phenomenal. The first year, the parcels were unbelievable. And we still get them.
“Before that, people shopped local,” she added.

Christmas, not surprisingly, is the busiest time of the year, and the rush starts around November 1^st.

When she was under contract, she did not miss a day on the route due to weather, she noted with pride.

“Rain, sleet or snow, the mail went. Now, being an employee, because of safety, they can say you don’t go out.”

Mrs. Skebo reported to the Bay in the morning where it was determined whether she went out or not. She said it was somewhat ironic the weather forecast for her last day on December 23 was for heavy snow.

“In 20 years being a contractor, the only day I took off was the Killaloe Open (golf tournament). And I had two children, so I took two months for each because I never got money (maternity).”

Remained Positive

Mrs. Skebo said when the transition was made from not having a post office in Wilno to the community boxes she was worried about how that might be received.

“The big thing with the elderly was they lost their meeting place. But, like I used to say, come here (community boxes) and visit.

“I told them they still have me. If they want stamps, I’ll bring them, and their parcels were here.

“In about six months, they all thought it was good. We can get our mail 24/7,” she continued. “But I kept positive with them because a lot of them were not happy, so I had to be happy. We had to make it work and I did.”

Mrs. Skebo said she would not have changed her career for anything, describing it as the “perfect job” because she could take her kids to school and then pick them up after the delivery was over. In the evening, she could take them to their respective hockey games.            

In retirement, she is looking forward to spending more time with her family, including her two grand-daughters, Hallie, 3, and Berkleigh, 2, who live in Cobden with their parents, Kirk and Emily. Her daughter, Kelsey and her husband, Rob Garai, live in Peterborough. She also plans to play more golf and curl and just enjoy time at home.

“I loved my job. I still love it, but it’s time for Sandy. I’ve lost so many close friends and I put a lot of thought into this because I’m giving up history.

“But he’d be proud,” she concluded, pointing to her father’s photo. “I need time for me.”