2009 Canada Post Christmas Holiday Schedule
Suggested International and Canadian Mailing Dates
Nov 11, 2009
Post offices are always closed on national, provincial, and territorial holidays, which means that during the Christmas season post offices in Canada will be closed Dec 25 and 26. There is no collection or delivery on those days. The only exception is for post offices that are run by the private sector. They have their own rules and are open according to the hours of service of the host business.
Keep in mind that even though the post office is open for most of the holiday season it can be extremely busy and therefore service can be a bit slower than usual. Fortunately Canada Post has a list of suggested mailing dates to ensure that holiday gifts and cards make it to their destinations on time.
Suggested Mailing Dated Within Canada
Holiday cards and letters can be sent as late as Dec 18 for local delivery, Dec 17 within the same province, and Dec 16 to a different province.
Packages and parcels should be sent by Dec 11 in order to get the most economical delivery. Xpresspost packages can be sent Dec 22, and for those really last minute presents, Priority Next-Day delivery can happen as late as Dec 23.
International Mailing Dates
For destinations in most parts of the world, Canada Posts suggests that letters and cards being sent by Letter Post be mailed Dec 1. The exceptions are for items going to Africa and Central or South America, which should be sent by Nov 23. Items going to the U.S.can wait until Dec 14.
If items aren't ready to be sent that early you can pay a little more and send them by Xpresspost. That will allow for an extra week, with most things arriving in time if they're sent Dec 7.. (The U.S. date is the same.)
Last minute parcels can still make it, but the cost will definitely be more. Items sent by Priority Worldwide can make it to various destinations around the world if sent by Dec 16 (Africa), Dec 17 (Australia, New Zealand), Dec 18 (Asia, Carribean, Central/South America, Middle East), Dec 19 (Europe), or Dec 21 (U.S.).
Keep in mind that these are suggestions. While Canada Post is a fairly efficient and reliable service, nothing is ever guaranteed. Don't leave things to the last minute. When it comes to sending well-wishes and gifts to loved ones, get started early and send them in plenty of time. Leaving things until the final suggested date will be expensive, and the risk is still there that the item won't arrive before Christmas. Don't leave your loved ones waiting. Let them know you care by sending things in enough time.
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