TORONTO — The ongoing postal strike is highlighting just how important that mail can be, said Marvin Ryder, a professor with McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business in Hamilton.

“People forgot,” Ryder suggested of the key role provided by snail mail.

“They simply forgot about things like renewing a passport. There are over 80,000 passports waiting in Mississauga. They’ve been printed, they’re ready to go, but we deliver them by letter mail.”

Now three weeks in, the strike’s effects are hard to miss.

Canadians waiting on government documents, such as passports and health cards, can expect delays.

The federal government says those who didn’t pay extra to pick up their passports will be affected. Those who need the document urgently are advised to call Service Canada or visit in person to request the passport be made available for pickup instead.

Other documents impacted by the strike include health card renewals, driver’s licence renewal notices, at-home cancer screening kits and more.