Canadian Kids Won't Get Letters From Santa This Year

A monthlong strike at Canada's postal service ended this week, and while Canada Post has assured children that their letters to Santa will still be delivered, he won't be responding this year. For more than 40 years, children who write to Santa have received personalized responses through Canada Post's Write to Santa program, the CBC reports. "Although Santa won't have time to respond to letters received through the mail this year, we want to let children know that their letters will make it to him by Christmas Eve," Canada Post said in a statement Wednesday. "Santa is looking forward to reading all the letters he receives."

Earlier this month, Canada Post lifted the usual Dec. 6 deadline for letters to Santa, CTV News reports. It said Wednesday that letters mailed by Dec. 23 will be rushed to St. Nick by Christmas Eve despite a backlog of letters and parcels. "The scanners in our plants are set up to locate Santa letters, which are identified by HOH OHO postal code," Canada Post said. "This allows us to deliver these letters straight to the North Pole." Postal operations resumed Tuesday after Canada's labor board ordered employees to go back to work, the Globe & Mail reports. Their existing contract has been extended until May to give the two sides more time to negotiate. (More Santa Claus stories.)