As I was searching about for an envelope for a letter I was writing, there was a knock on the door. It was the postwomen, with a COD delivery for my mom. My parents, with whom I am staying, live in the country, about 20 minutes from the nearest town with a post office. After the $7.46 for the COD had been scrounged, she handed over our regular mail and asked if there was anything to be sent. I had the letter waiting on the desk. She chatted while I addressed and sealed it. But all the cash in the house had gone to the COD post and I needed it to go priority mail. No problem she said, she would take the letter, get a price, and bring a bill back tomorrow.

I’ve often wondered why Canada Post doesn’t pick up outgoing mail left in urban mailboxes for the delivery person, as USPS does in the States. I was happy to find that Canada Post does exactly that for rural addresses, and will even take a envelope with some money in lieu of a stamp, if you don’t have one on hand. But being able to hand a letter over and get billed for it the next day is the best I’ve heard yet.