Canada Post still inviting kids to write to Santa, despite rotating strikes

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Despite a massive backlog of mail and parcels across the country due to the Canada Post labour dispute, kids are still being encouraged to write their letters to Santa.

Canada Post says letters should be sent to the Big Guy by Dec. 10.

“Letters mailed after December 10 may not receive a reply before Christmas,” Canada Post states on its website.

However, Canada Post has warned Canadians can expect delivery delays for mail and parcels into 2019, as a result of rotating strikes.

Rotating strikes by unionized workers are in their fifth week, with the two sides in the contract dispute still far apart. The walkouts have created massive backlogs, just days before an expected rush of millions more parcels from Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

RELATED: Canada Post ‘cooling off’ period won’t resolve postal dispute, says CUPW

But Canada Post appears to be honouring what has become a time-tested tradition in many households, inviting kids to write letters to Santa Claus and tell him their holiday wishes (although postal elves can’t make any promises about gifts!)

“We continue to operate and continue to process Santa’s letters,” a Canada Post representative said in an email to NEWS 1130.

“Parents should continue sending Santa letters from their children as they have for 30 years. Helping Santa with his letters is a long-standing tradition at Canada Post.”

Children can tell Santa about their favourite sports, jokes, and activities — as well as send pictures and drawings.

While kids can write individual letters from home, classes are invited to send notes to Santa as a group. Canada Post says more than half of the 1.6 million letters received by Santa in 2017 came from schools and daycares.

Letters from classrooms need to be mailed by December 7 to ensure a reply before the school breaks for the holidays. This year, class letters will be answered with a small communal gift — “a package of seeds from the North Pole” — enclosed.

Canada Post says it takes 260,000 volunteer hours by postal elves to respond to all of the letters.

RELATED: Canada Post asks for halt to international shipments as parcel backlog grows

In a statement issued late Monday, Canada Post apologized to its customers for the continued delays resulting from the labour dispute, and warned that the exact length of delivery delays will be unpredictable.

“This is likely to be the situation for the foreseeable future, meaning the next several weeks, including the peak holiday season and through January 2019,” the company said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wants to see a resolution to the labour dispute, adding “all options are on the table.”

Click here for full details on sending a letter to Santa.

You can address your letter to:

SANTA CLAUS
NORTH POLE H0H 0H0
CANADA

 – With files from Cormac MacSweeney and the Canadian Press

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