Ho Ho Ho

Reporter Tracey Tong writes on the Metro Ottawa website. A little thing like a Canada Post strike is not going to get in the way of a happy holiday season.

Canada Post spokeswoman Nicole Lemire is quoted in the article as saying, "Santa Claus’s North Pole Post Office is open for business — and jolly old St. Nick’s postal elves (Canada Post employees and retirees) are raring to go."

Lemire explained that the program — which employs 11,000 volunteers a year — replied to 1.2 million letters and 45,000 e-mails in 27 languages and in Braille last year.

She said a Canadian postal workers strike will have no effect on the project, which has been receiving and answering Santa’s mail for the past 26 years.

According to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the 2,100 workers who are on strike are predominantly administrative and technical workers and do not handle the mail. Employees responsible for the collection and delivery of the mail are members of a separate union and have a valid contract.

Shown above, Allison Scharf, 6, gets help from Canada Post employee and postal elf in addressing and sealing her letter to Santa.