My grandfather was a homesteader. During the long winter nights, he wrote letters to a pen pal in Montreal. Through correspondence, they fell in love. Florinda eventually became my grandmother.
On Nov. 29, 2010, I mailed a letter at the Canada Post outlet in Gravelbourg, Sask. It was addressed to the CIBC in Assiniboia, Sask.
It got to Regina the same day. Eight days later, at the time of writing, they still don’t have it. Assiniboia is 42 miles away. I also await a letter that was mailed to me from Toronto on Nov. 24, 2010.
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In 1910, my grandmother’s letters made it from Montreal to Gravelbourg in less than two weeks. Keep in mind that from Mortlach to Gravelbourg, the mail was hauled by horse and sled, or wagon in the summer.
Gravelbourg only obtained rail service in 1913. A lot can be said for the Royal Mail that had been in operation since 1867.
In 1981, the Liberals under Pierre Trudeau reorganized Canada’s mail service into a crown corporation. We had metric sized envelopes and parcels were being weighed in grams. I won’t go any further.
John Hamon,
Gravelbourg, Sask.
