People have been asking this question since Jan 4, It's time to tell what I observed. I was in Toronto on Saturday Jan 2,2016, to hire a local courier to handle my application. On January 3, Sunday afternoon, I drove to CPC-M office building to find out what it looks like. Time was about 2pm, parked my car walked into the lobby, there were a table and a sign have been setup by CPC-M staff. Two people were in the lobby from the courier called happy road. They were there already to set up lineup! Shortly after, one more guy came in to put his courier's name on the list and MORE importantly, they organized very well by asking who you are? And reinforced that if you put the name of courier on the list, you MUST be in the lobby at All time! " May I go the washroom or buy a coffee?" " Of course , please make sure you have your sub to come or no more than 5 minutes you have to come back!" That was I heard their conversation about the rules!
I left and called my courier what I just saw, my courier guy showed up right away shortly after with two people as they wanted to make sure they can rotate to take break.
Came back to CPC-M building at 4am in the morning on Monday Jan 4, 2016. Wow, the lineup list had more the one page and couriers were all there since they chatted each other and they all know what courier they represent, the METRO guy and VW guys are particularly good at keeping the record on the list turned away some individuals and even some small courier who just wanted to sign up then go away sleeping hours back to work! They reinforced that It has to be registered courier with waybills, CPC-M won't let you go upstairs even you were upstairs , they won't accept your package, and you just waste your time and risk yourself, sounded like they were trying to scare people or make more money in their pockets, but they were absolutely right. CPC-M did turn someone away upon they found out later in the morning after office opened. I was in the lobby saw a couple were trying to sign their courier name on the list as the guy wasn't able to come before 7am, they were told "no"! The couple had to call their courier to find out and said the guy won't be there as he was 3 hours away on the way to Toronto. Someone tried to lie and saying he or she is the courier but don't have waybill(s). Don't even try it. CPC-M did turn them away! They did!
I asked my courier if I can go upstairs with them, they said NO, but they promised me to give my waybill with CPC-M stamp on it right away after if I can wait in the lobby. Of course I agreed,
Went back lobby around 7am, the lobby was packed with couriers, building security staff, and they were ready to go on 2 elevators. The VW guys asked security and CPC-M staff to make sure they keep tracking the lineup list on 8th floor, I DID hear the conversation and heard the guy his name "Glen" who is supervisor of CPC-M said" YES! We will do!"
I was waiting in the lobby and more foot traffic after 8am since it's an office building and people came back to work in the new year.
My courier met me in the lobby as what they promised and I got my waybill with CPC-M stamp on it. However we found it was not clear and no signature and time on it!! They said "no problems at all as CPC-M staff just did on every package they received today. You might try go upstairs with your waybill ask them to write time on it." So I did !
Taking elevator to get up to 8th Floor, the time was around 8:45am, the 8th floor security stopped me, I explained to him and showed my waybill. He brought me to the area where all CPC-M staff were accepting packages. The security asked me to wait as he had to ask the staff for instructions. While waiting in the hallway on 8th floor, I saw the same guy - the supervisor who was talking to a person with a few packages in hand alone with another security. The person might realize he was too late and will miss 5000 quota, so insisted to ask the supervisor to take his packages instead. Glen says "Sorry, I can not, you have to lineup and we respect everybody. ...." . Wow, the person asked " May I know your name? " the Glen replied who he is. Interesting, the courier simply put all packages on the table beside him and left!!!! Wow!! I was interested in seeing what was the next? No doubt. the supervisor says to the security who witnessed, saying he is going to run to mail room right away and Mail these packages back to the senders! Make you think what courier you go with and how they handle your case? those poor people who chose the courier!! Point taken?
By the time a lady-CPC staff came over simply wrote the time on my waybill also explained to me as they were trying to speed up the process today, the stamps are all the same.
UPS, FEDEX, CANDAPOST (CP):
By the time I was waiting on 8th floor around area, it was about 9:00am. I saw 4 tables CPC setup with at least 7 or 8 staff seating there accepting packages while other staff transport stocked boxes to storage, Actually it was almost no lineup at all except UPS, FedEx CP were unloading their mail bags, UPS has the most bags guessing more than 20 bags with approximately 200 for each, as I did ask one of two ups guys one looks like asian, FedEx was ahead of ups unload their packages from one cart on one of CPC tables while many ups mail bags were still on the floor, two ups folks had to open every mail bag dump all packages out, CPC asked them to sort out -making sure they can stamp on the side with address on the envelopes, man! It took time to do the job! - all about 4000 applications packages from UPS alone have to be sorted out then put on tables then waiting for stamps!! People, if you used UPS services to deliver your application, lucky you if your case was in the first mail bag they unloaded and sorted on CPC tables. Or might be in the last bag while FedEx and CP packages were unloading on other different tables at same time! Again, points taken!
Conclusion for the big threes, by 9am Jan 4, 2016. the FedEx guy was already standing by the table to get all stamps, the ups just got their ALL bags on the 8th floor from two UPS trucks in the parking lot, CP was the last one on the 8th floor to get there while ups guys opening their first few mail bags, but keep in mind. All threes were unloading their packages at same time PERIOD on 3 separate CPC tables, or there is absolutely NO answer to those individuals what exact time / batch for your envelope to be on the CPC-M's table and stamped.
Points there: 1. CPC staff are humans and friendly, they are respective and fair to everybody on January 4th at CPC-M, 2. Make sure you use local courier - the ones you can trust ! 3. How do big couriers handle your packages and how they deliver 4. People blame on local couriers for charging fees, remember they charge fees to make sure YOUR packages to be delivered on time you asked for or they promised. They were up all night in the lobby no washrooms and had to confront with some line jumpers and or some your unexpected issues on YOUR behalf !! 5. If your parents grandparents case REALLY not worth $100-$200 to be there in time, it's your personal choice apparently.
To those hard working honest passionate local couriers who were in the CPC- M building lobby and UP all night : Keep up good job! you changed someone's life forever!- in a positive way!