Further to my article in October Stamp News about the remote Penny Post Office between Prince George and Jasper in Canada that handles all its mail by rail, I received an email from the Postmaster and her husband on Christmas Day. The population of 5½ in summer increased to 6 when the previous Postmaster gave birth to her second child in September. They owned a farm on the outskirts but have left Penny as the winter is too harsh for a young family. Angela and Andreas moved to Penny from Germany in February 2010 and became good friends with the young couple. So being the last 2 people around they took over running the famous Post Office.

Penny-Map

Angela said, “There are times when it is extremely quiet here, but sometimes people who own a cabin here are sharing our solitude. We are so glad to have our little Post Office. Even in these days of internet communication, mail is still such an important link to the outside world when you are living in a remote place like Penny.” “For us it is so important to keep our Post Office alive.” “In winter time the Office doesn’t see so many customers, but we hope that the VIA ‘Skeena’ train will stop here again when they are having more passengers in spring.” She returned to Germany for Christmas leaving her husband, Andreas, in charge. Penny population at Christmas = 1.

PennyPostcard3
PennyPostcard2
PennyPostcard1

Andreas explained, “If it’s very cold, you have to start the fire in the Post Office long before you can use the stamper, pens and even the paper, because everything is frozen.” “The VIA rail train is going all year round, it delivers our mail three times a week in and three times out.”

Angela has asked Canada Post for a special round philatelic canceller and hopes to get one in 2013. They have a range of beautiful postcards (3 shown below) and can post them to you. It costs C$1.85 airmail postage to Australia. They also sell mint stamps. You may pay by credit card or PayPal.  As mentioned in my October 2012 article, all mail is taken to and from Penny by the ‘Skeena’ train and processed in Prince George.  So if you would like a postcard or envelope with the special postmark carried on Canada’s last ‘rail mail’, Angela and Andreas would enjoy hearing from you.

Postmaster, Penny Post Office, Penny, British Columbia, V0J 2K0, Canada.
(Angela = angela.jacoby@gmx.net   Andreas = Andreas.Morgenbrodt@gmx.de)

“Today it’s -13°C at 9.30am and sunny out here, perfect for Christmas!”

 

David Mallen
January 2013
www.asv.net.au