So, on with the show:
Once again in a blue moon, it’s time for your favorite Internet column, Ask Canadia’s Blogger. Every week Once in a while, I’ll pick a few interesting questions asked by my loyal readers and provide super intelligent and relevant answers. And by that I mean I’ll make some shit up.
I started things with a bang with the Janelle Edition, this edition of ACB is the extra very special DELMER Edition. Delmer writes…
Bonjour Michel,
Comment ca va?
L’ autre jour, j’ai ete au Canada (c’est tres jolie en Juillet) et j’ai noticee un livre de timbres Americaine …
[In all fairness, that’s not too bad up until I created the conjugation for “I noticed.”]
The other day I was in Canada (it is lovely this time of year) and couldn’t help but notice the book of American postage stamps my wife had on her kitchen counter. During the conversation that ensued, and as I’m not convinced a casual email is the appropriate place for a dramatic re-enactment when it comes to things as important as postage I’ll just summarize, she said she could send mail to me (in Ohio … which is also lovely this time of year) using American stamps.
As I wondered how the Canadian government made money off this arrangement she then went on to say she could send mail from Vancouver to Montreal (which is lovely, well, you know) using American postage and that no Americans would be involved in the delivery process at all (which may be the best way to assure your mail gets delivered in the first place).
As a boy I used to collect stamps and am well aware the Canadian people have had postage stamp-making technology since at least 1972 (which is when I started my collection). And, as I recall, you guys turned out some pretty nice work – so much better that the stuff the Brits were cranking out which seemed to consist of nothing more than some old gal in profile on different colored backgrounds – which makes your use of American stamps even more puzzling.
Oh, I almost forgot, she said she bought the American stamps at her local post office.
Naturally, I have a question or two:
Can you send mail from Ottawa using American stamps or is the cross-use of postage a West Coast Canadian thing? Can you buy American stamps at your local post office? Do you feel the allowed use of American stamps in Canada is in any way oppressing the Canadian people? Would the people of Quebec be better off spending their time fighting off the pox that is the use of American Postage Use in Canada rather than succession? Have the Canadian people (and I assume you speak on behalf of each and every one) considered that if they required their citizens to use only Canadian stamps the cost of beer might drop considerably? And milk? Eggs too?
Americans want to know (and I speak on behalf of each and every one of us … except for the Republicans; and even they don’t know what their common interest is these days.)
Mot en haut,
P.S.: As you might be aware, I married this great Canadian Chick. I was wondering if you could give me any tips about (or is it aboot?) what Canadian Chicks like? I mean I can sort of figure out what “Caribou-style” means, but that’s about the extent of my Canadian Chicks knowledge. Any help appreciated.
Of course I replied:
Dear D,
I am doing well. I think I’m gonna turn your emails into a “Do you have THIS in Canada”.
Can you send mail from Ottawa using American stamps or is the cross-use of postage a West Coast Canadian thing?
I’m pretty sure I can, but as I am not looking to marry an American, I have little to no reason to have American stamps on hand. I’m curious, and might try this in the near future.
Can you buy American stamps at your local post office?
Yes – If I couldn’t, it would require me (and every Canadian) to drive to the States to get USA stamps, and then drive back home to send you a letter… That wouldn’t make sense.
Do you feel the allowed use of American stamps in Canada is in any way oppressing the Canadian people?
I think we have much bigger fish to fry. And chickens. Seals to club. You get the point.
Would the people of Quebec be better off spending their time fighting off the pox that is the use of American Postage Use in Canada rather than succession?
Postage Schmostage. Make love not war!
Have the Canadian people (and I assume you speak on behalf of each and every one) considered that if they required their citizens to use only Canadian stamps the cost of beer might drop considerably? And milk? Eggs too?
I don’t think we have. Beer, milk and eggs are already pretty affordable, and I think it would be dangerous to make it more available to the lower-lower classes. I mean even homeless people can afford beer around here (milk and eggs too, but they seem to prefer beer), who’s making less money than a homeless dude? Well, me apparently. I also see a lot of them with 1,000$ bikes and it pisses me off. That’s a completely different post.
So there you have it, my stamp knowledge in a nutshell. Notice how nice I was and didn’t mention your geekness for collecting stamps? Yup, I’m nice like that.
As far as your Canadian Chick question, I always knew you were nice enough to be Canadian (and you kinda are now!). I’m pretty sure you’ll figure things out once you’re in Canada, so to speak. Whatever you do, remember to never stick any wet item on metal when outside. That and the excellent documentary Men with Brooms.
Those should take you as far as you want. Now plow that Tundra!
Prends soin,
Mike – Canadia’s Blogger.
Can you send mail from Ottawa using American stamps or is the cross-use of postage a West Coast Canadian thing?
No you can’t! Canadian Stamps = Canadian taxe. If the letter is put in the big red box in Canada, the stamps need to be canadians to pay our postal services.
Exemple: Me going to Mexico, me buying stamps from mexico, me with my canadians $$$ buying a billion stamps for the price of one canadian stamp, me coming back to canada and using the canadian postal service a billion time for the price of one. Canada filling for banckrupcy
Canadian Chick: Queue de Castor, Barack Obama use this trick when he came to Ottawa
.-= THE BROTHER´s last blog ..Laissez un message après le bip. =-.
@THE BROTHER: You are one smart cookie. However, I think you couldn’t see the forest for the trees: This is by no means serious answers/advice.
Now, how do you explain that Delmer’s Wifey can use an American stamp from BC? 
That Paul Gross makes such good documentaries…
I’m so confused… Caribou style?? Is that to avoid the fuzz on the antlers??
.-= Willie G´s last blog ..Goodbye =-.
Answer:
You can buy canadian/usa stamps for 0,98$, the stamp will be good for posting in canada and USA
Oh Delmer.
You’re so silly.
These are good questions though….luckily we have your brother to give us *real* answers.
.-= Sheila (Charm School Reject)´s last blog ..Vacation All I Ever Needed =-.
@Suze: He does! His whole “Due South” series was also pretty accurate, eh?
@Willie G: Who knows really? I live in the city where caribous are scarce.
@THE BROTHER: See, that’s why you’re the Professor, and I’m just Gilligan (or quite possibly the Captain).
@SheilaCSR: My brother is all about keeping it real. Yo.
I think my brain just exploded.
.-= Coal Miner’s Granddaughter´s last blog ..Nipple Shield =-.
@CMG: Why?
Because I’ve had no sleep for a week and your talk of interstate/country postage boggled my addled brain. With little cohesion, it exploded, all over my Mac.
So, I’ll send you my mailing address and you can ship me a new Mac, and a new brain, via US postage.
.-= Coal Miner’s Granddaughter´s last blog ..Nipple Shield =-.
@CMG: Darn. I had to ask. Sure, send me your address…
I had to check my original mail as the PS caught me off-guard. I tend to say “gal” instead of “chick.”
I’ve put more research into this than is healthy. When you sent your reply to me and said you used American stamps to mail Americans, I thought, for a second, you were serious. I followed that thought (it was a long second) with “certainly he knows he can use Canadian stamps to mail me.” I almost emailed you to see if you were yanking my chain — “Hey Mike, you know you can mail me with Canadian stamps, vrai?” — but decided that exchange would be awkward for one or the other of us depending on your answer.
So. I called the Canada Poste help line. The very nice lady who answered the phone told me American postage stamps could not be purchased in Canadian Post Offices.
While I’m sure the very nice Canadian lady meant well, and I’d no experience with Canadian gals fibbing to me (if you don’t count them overcharging me for things at Canadian Tire, though I blame that on CT and not the employees much like Dave Carroll blames United Airlines Policy and not Ms. Earwig) I couldn’t let it rest.
I Googled “white rock bc post office” (or something similar) and came up with hit after hit. I called one and the lady who answered there told me I *could* buy American stamps there and asked how many I might need. I said “a book” and she said that would be no problem (pas de probleme).
When that call ended I considered that a lot of the Post Offices were called things like, Lougheed Mall Postal Outlet, Dee’s Post Office, and Shoppers Drug Mart. I wasn’t able to identify what I’d consider a standalone Post Office like we have here and wasn’t sure if that’s because things work differently up north or if I was just that stupid (if you have doubts about whether or not I could have been *that stupid* I invite you to reread the bits above… well, and the bits below).
MAYBE, I thought, there are a couple of buildings, here and there, dedicated to postal things — like sorting mail — with most of the mail-related things being taken care of by other businesses. Like drug stores. It made some sense … we got our marriage license at a London Drugs (here you have to go to the courthouse, between 9 and 5 M-F), why not stamps?
AND … who knew? Maybe Canadians only got mail one or two days a year. As you know, I live in Canada now and I’ve never seen one of those little trucks postmen drive. (Alright. I only live there a three or so days a month. But I’m counting it.) Maybe there’s just one or two postmen driving coast-to-coast. They wouldn’t need a lot of stand-alone post offices to support them.
(Well, I never really had that last thought.)
In the end I guessed that stand-alone post offices which are solely Canada Poste buildings likely do not sell American Stamps. Drug Stores and other buildings identified as Post Offices may sell American Stamps as a service to their customers (for SASEs for things like Wedding Invitations) … this is similar to the local supermarket selling stamps down here.
You likely cannot send mail from Vancouver to … to … rats, what’s another city up there? … You likely cannot send mail from Vancouver to Stephen Harper using American stamps.
I’d considered the Canadian Gal I married might have been pulling my leg about mailing letters from Vancouver to Montreal (or anywhere really); due to the angelic look on her face I accepted her explanation without too many questions. (And, OMG, based on some of the things I say I *should not* be that gullible.) I like The Brother’s explanation about joint Canadian/American postage.
Thank you, Canadia’s Blogger, for taking the time to answer my question.
.-= delmer´s last blog ..I’m Jim Belushi =-.
@Delmer: I was wondering when you would finally get to read and answer this.
I thought the “I think I’m gonna turn your emails into a “Do you have THIS in Canada”.” made it obvious to anyone that I was partly joking. And that made-up PS? I thought I was going to be called on it as soon as I hit publish. 
Now, full disclosure:
Part of what I answer was based on the fact that when I go to a post office to mail a letter/package to the USA, I do ask for an AMERICAN stamp. What I get is a CANADIAN stamp worth more money than a regular stamp. But everybody calls these AMERICAN stamps, and I thought that your GallantGal (see how I make up cute nicknames on the fly) meant the exact same thing. So when I said that I could buy AMERICAN stamps in Canada, that’s what I was thinking about.
Can I mail a letter within Canada with an American stamp? Well, if you understand that what I call an American stamp is really a Canadian 0.98$ stamp (as per the previous paragraph), why wouldn’t I be able to mail something using extra postage?
Luckily THE BROTHER was at the ready to provide much more decent answers than mine. Maybe I’ll start doing “Ask Canadia’s Blogger’s Brother” instead.