Even though Canada Post mail carriers are on strike, parents can breathe a sigh of relief knowing Santa is still accepting letters.
With Canada Post employees on strike, parents may be wondering whether Santa is still accepting letters this year.
Each year, Canada Post collects letters from kids across Canada and delivers them to — ahem — the North Pole for Santa to read.
“As you know, CUPW has shut down the postal service with a national strike, and as a result, we are unable to get mail to and from Santa in the North Pole,” said spokesperson Valérie Chartrand in an email.
“It is our hope that postal operations can resume as quickly as possible at this critical time for customers. When operations do resume, we will help Santa by delivering a response to every letter sent to him this year.”
According to Chartrand, Canada Post usually receives Santa letters starting in November. Last year, 1.4 million replies from Santa were sent. The program has been running for 40 years, during which Chartrand estimates 45 million letters to Santa have been delivered by Canada Post.
When can I send a letter to Santa?
Canada Post accepts letters to Santa between Nov. 1 to the end of January each season. This gives Santa time after delivering all his presents to catch up on his mail.
How should I address the envelope to Santa?
You can put your letter in an envelope and address it to:
Santa Claus
North Pole
H0H 0H0
Canada
Don’t forget to include your return address as well!
Do I need a stamp for my letter to Santa?
No stamp is needed for your letter.
Can I combine several letters in the same envelope?
Yes, you can — and it’s encouraged — include all letters from the same household or family into one envelope.
When can I expect a response from Santa?
Replies from Santa will be sent as soon as the labour disruption is resolved. Expect them a little later this year than in previous years.