May 2, 2005

(Letter sent to the editor of the Calgary Herald)

Dear Editor:

I would like to respond to Joan Pagnucco's April 30th letter, "Pricey postage" in which she expressed concern over the price of mailing a letter to Alaska.

The actual rate for sending a 30-gram letter to the US is 85-cents, and since Alaska is part of the United States, the rate for USA mail applies. By comparison, the cost to mail the same letter from the United States to Canada is CDN$1.17.

Not only do Canadians enjoy one of the lowest domestic basic letter rates among industrialized nations, but we compare favourably with our international rates as well.

Sincerely,

John Caines
Manager, National Media Relations
Ottawa (613) 734-7675