As mountains of mail and piles of parcels arrive at the post office over the holidays, staff there is asking patrons to swiftly collect their mail to ease the crunch.

The mail generally doubles in volume at Christmas, according to Canada Post spokesperson Teresa Williams, and people who don’t pick up parcels after receiving a notice can cause congestion.

Some tips to make your mail collection experience at the Jasper Post Office go more smoothly are to read the parcel notice card to see whether it reads Back Door, which means you should ring the buzzer at the back of the building, with your vehicle nearby if possible.

Also, keep in mind that post office staff will ask for photo identification before they can hand over parcels that require a signature. 

Santa Claus will respond to letters written to him care of the North Pole, postal code H0H 0H0. “Santa gets about a million letters from around the world and will respond in any language, including Braille,” Williams said.  

All letters will receive a response, Williams said, but Santa needs to take a break to get all his other Christmas work done, so they may arrive after the holiday. Volunteers assist Santa in getting his letters out. 

Staff of the Jasper Post Office, including Joan, Mike, Colleen, LeeAnne, Susan, Anne, Janet, Tristan, Beth, Penny and Holly, would like to extend thanks to all patrons this holiday season.