It’s been said that if St. Marys did not have its downtown post office, our downtown would be dead, metaphorically speaking. But it may be  a matter of time before someone is injured (or worse) as a result of having to make the regular trek down to the corner of Wellington and Jones to pick up their postcards, flyers, bills and of course, their Journal Argus on Wednesdays.
For a population that is fastidious about not jaywalking on Queen Street or any of its signaled intersections, any sense of caution seems to go out the window when it comes to getting one’s mail. Motorists jostle for the few precious spots in front of the post office and pedestrians dawdle and chat with acquaintances -- often while crossing the street.
While there is a crosswalk at the corner of the intersection, it is paid little attention by drivers and pedestrians alike. Few drivers stop or slow down to let pedestrians have their proverbial right of way -- and even then, it’s rare that pedestrians stay in the painted lines.
Couple this confusion with the fact that, while the stop signs on Jones Streets are heeded by drivers, these same drivers still have to roll out into the intersection to have a good look at the oncoming traffic on Wellington Street, since cars are typically parked along the east side of Wellington (those heading east on Jones only have one side of parked cars to deal with).
It’s made all the more worse in the winter, when the snow piles up, obscuring clear views even more -- and makes pedestrians and drivers alike a little more hurried (and a little less patient) to pick up their letters.
To the best of our recollection, there haven’t been many actual collisions at this corner -- but there certainly have been close calls (perhaps the OPP detachment is serving as some kind of passive deterrent).  
The concern could be greatly improved by making the corner of Jones and Wellington a four-way stop, forcing everyone to slow down and be more aware of their surroundings. Yes, it would be awkward to come to a full stop one mere block south of the Queen Street intersection, but motorists already must slow to a crawl along the stretch to avoid jaywalkers, cars trying to park or turn, or those people actually using the crosswalk.
Maybe, with more clearly defined crossing points, pedestrians would be less likely to cross wherever they feel it to be convenient and use the crosswalk, since a safe crossing point would be obvious. Three slanted curbs are already in place; the cost of installing a fourth, painting some lines and setting up two stop signs could surely be found in the public works budget.
The town is already reviewing truck traffic in the area for noise and safety reasons -- this intersection should be included in the process. Until we all have home postal delivery, anyway, a four-way stop is the best option for the safety of our downtown. --A.M.