Above And Beyond At This Time Of Year!

I have posted previously about being new to collecting pictorial postmarks (and stamps) from Canada. I have been sending requests to the post offices as listed on the CanadaPost website, and have been getting crisp clean cancels on my unaddressed envelopes as well as the return envelope. So far very happy with this venture! I will post pictures of my covers later.

But today I got a response from the Gravelbourg SK post office that made my day. Not only did they cancel the envelope, they included a hand-written Christmas greeting as well! Way to go above and beyond in service! Thank you Gravelbourg!

A refreshing change from the complaining that we often see about postal services. Thank you for sharing.
Don

I am reminded of this postie's creativity:

Some poor dude has been trying to sell this monstrosity on ebay for a year or so. It hurts every time I see it!

It continues! Two days ago I got a request returned from Cherry Grove AB with a very nice note from the postmaster! Not to badmouth the postal service here in the states (my postal clerks in New Berlin ROCK!) but these folks are blowing me away.

And one last response that made my day. A few days ago I got a response from Killaloe ON with a nicely handstamped envelope (the smaller envelope in the picture). When I went to the post office today, I found a second mailer from the postmaster in Killaloe - she sent me an additional cover because she felt the handstamp on the first wasn't clear enough. She covered the cost of a new stamp on the envelope and 4 P stamps on the mailer that I don't have!

This would NEVER happen in the states! I get blurry smudged pictorial cancels all of the time! I am loving Canada Post!!!

Back in the fifties, my uncle Dr. Arthur C. Hill of Sherbrooke, QC, attempted to (and succeeded in, I think) acquiring the cancellations of EVERY Post Office in Quebec. He employed the same technique as fester616, sending SASE's to the various postmasters. He also had one of the finest collections of Canadian stamps at the time and I used to soak off and bundle bathtubs full of stamps for him (literally!).
When the time came for him to retire from philately, alas, I was not the beneficiary! I wonder what became of his collection (all but the 12 penny black), and in this case, who has that complete 1950's Quebec cancellation collection?