Ann Rousseau has received an 18 month conditional sentence after pleading guilty to one count of mail theft.
The sentencing came down on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, following years of the case making its way through the justice system. While Rousseau had originally entered a guilty plea in the case during her court appearance on May 8, 2025, at that time no facts were given for the record, leading the presiding judge Justice Waltenbury to strike the previous plea and enter one anew. Rousseau once more pled guilty to one count of theft of mail sent by post after it had been deposited at the post office, contrary to the Canada Criminal Code Section 356, subsection 1.a.i.
The crown and defense submitted a joint recommendation for the 18 month conditional sentence, a custodial disposition, of which the first nine months will be under “absolute curfew” with exceptions for work, medical emergencies, and a set number of hours per week for Rousseau to attend to the necessities of life, including grocery shopping, and reporting for counselling or any other requirements indicated by her CSO (conditional sentence order) supervisor.
The conditional sentence also requires Rousseau to abstain from handling the money of any other individuals, or to possess any “financial instruments” in any other individual’s name.
The Crown representative labelled Rousseau’s crime as “a breach of trust” not only with her employers, as she was working as a cleaner at Canada Post at the time, but also with the people of Canada who rely on the postal service to deliver highly sensitive or valuable items throughout the country, including legal documents.
Justice Waltenbury noted that there are conditions which are automatically applied to all conditional sentences, including keeping the peace and appearing before the court when required to do so, as well as reporting to a supervisor when required by the supervisor and in a manner directed by the supervisor. Rousseau will be required to remain in her residence or on her residential property at all times, save for five hours per week to attend to previously mentioned needs, as well as the ability to travel directly to and from court, religious services and medical or dental appointments per a schedule provided to her supervising officer.
Waltenbury also noted that Rousseau will be required to complete 50 hours of approved community service, but did not include a recommendation for restitution.
Following the first nine months of the conditional sentence, Rousseau will serve the remaining nine months under probation with an absolute curfew of 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
According to the information entered into court, Rousseau was arrested in December 2023 following suspicions from another worker at Canada Post that someone had been stealing mail from the post office. Canada Post’s own investigative team set up monitoring of the Fort Frances location, where Rousseau was observed going through the mail, taking out items, and discarding the rest of the mail. A subsequent search of her property and vehicle found items that did not belong to Rousseau, including gift cards in other people’s names. According to the information, the approximate value of items taken is $6,000.
Rousseau’s lawyer noted that Rousseau’s rationale for committing the crime, as provided in her pre-sentencing report, is that during the course of her employment as a cleaner at Canada Post, someone she worked with mentioned that going through and taking items from the mail was “something that can be done” which the report said “piqued her interest” leading her to commit the crime.
However, her lawyer also noted that Rousseau is “incredibly embarrassed” by her actions and has expressed great remorse, including confessing to her culpability even as she was being taken into custody. The lawyer also noted Rousseau has been “extremely isolated” and withdrawn from the community following her arrest, as she feels a “level of hatred” from the community at large.
Rousseau is 58 years old, and her defense noted that her upbringing is described as “overall very positive,” that she has been married twice and her current relationship “did break down for a substantial period of time because of her actions.”
Justice Waltenbury accepted the information, and agreed that Rousseau caused a significant breach of trust both to the employer and to the public, as the items that were stolen from the mail could have had great sentimental or mental health impacts to those that were to receive them, including cash or financial gifts or legal documents that could have boosted the mental health of the intended recipients. He likened her actions to those of an adolescent in high school, and said he hoped that Rousseau would recognize that what she chooses to do next could set her up for better outcomes down the road.
