Canada Post's processing plants are running at full capacity across the country, but if you want something to arrive before Christmas Day, there are some deadlines.
The deadline to mail a Christmas card to an international destination has already passed, but you still have time if the card is for someone in Canada.
If you are sending a card across the city, you have until December 20. The deadline to send it to someone in another city within Ontario is December 19 and December 18 to another province.
If it is a parcel you are sending, there are other deadlines to keep in mind. If you plan to send it by Xpress Post, December 20 is the deadline. It is December 23 if you are sending it Priority Mail.
Are you sending a gift to someone in the U.S.? The deadline for Priority Mail is December 19, or next Wednesday.
If your package needs to go to Asia, Australia, or New Zealand, you only have until Tuesday. All Europe-bound or packages that need to go to Central or South American have to be sent by Priority Mail by December 18.
Canada Post delivered a record 3.2 million parcels last weekend and Monday, including 2.2 million on Monday alone. It expects to deliver an average of 1.7 million packages a day between now and Christmas.
To support the volume, it has hired 3,800 seasonal employees, on top of its 50,000 permanent workers.
The agency does have some requests of homeowners to ensure the safety of mail carriers, including removing all snow and ice from your driveway and walkway, de-icing stairs and paths, and keeping stairs, handrails and mailboxes in good repair.
