August 30, 2007
Ottawa - Canada Post announced today it will begin providing free delivery of letters from family and friends to Canadian troops deployed in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas effective October 26, 2007 until the start of 2009. At that time, Canada Post and the Department of National Defence will jointly evaluate the program.
Canada Post also announced it will again provide free parcel service for family and friends of deployed Canadian troops for the coming 2007 holiday season. The program, which will run from October 26, 2007 to January 11, 2008, means Canada Post will deliver parcels free of charge to Canadian troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas. At the end of this period, Canada Post and the Department of National Defence will jointly evaluate the program, as was the case last year with the parcel delivery program.
"We know how important mail from home is to the men and women serving overseas under very difficult conditions. Starting October 26, family and friends will be able to send letters free of charge to the deployed soldiers. This is our way of showing our continued support for our troops and their families," said Moya Greene, president and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Post.
"We began discussions with the Department of National Defence following last year's successful holiday season program to determine the feasibility of repeating this important initiative again this year, One of the measures of the program's success is the fact that the Royal Mail in the United Kingdom recently announced they will institute a similar program for their troops," she said.
"As Minister responsible for Canada Post, I strongly support this initiative. The words of encouragement written by families and friends to men and women deployed overseas is a very special form of support. I hope that many Canadian families will take advantage of this possibility," said Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
With capacity limitations on military aircraft carrying supplies and munitions to deployed forces, this offer is restricted to family and friends of the deployed service men and women serving overseas in war zones. That includes members of the Canadian Forces serving in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sinai and Jerusalem. Troops serving on any of the deployed Her Majesty's Canadian Ships are also included in the offer.
"I congratulate Canada Post for this excellent initiative to offer free mail service all year to family members and friends of troops deployed in combat zones," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. "Canada's New Government strongly supports our men and women in uniform, and we welcome this very positive initiative to help our troops overseas remain connected with their loved ones in Canada."
To ensure the proper customs declaration form and addressing information, the letters and parcels will need to be deposited at one of Canada Post's more than 6,600 full service retail outlets across the country (letters and packages dropped in regular street letter boxes will not qualify). They will then be forwarded to Canadian Forces Bases in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Victoria, British Columbia and Belleville, Ontario. Once delivered to the military bases, the Department of National Defence will take charge of the letters and parcels and ensure their delivery overseas. All mail must be addressed to a specific soldier, including rank and mission information.
