It's in the mail, really it is...

(Well, they can hope can't they)

The loonie, strong and flying high has Canadians running for the border, even if only as far as their computers.

With Canada's currency suddenly on fire and heading higher and higher each week, Canadians are busy shopping, making pilgrimages to favourite American shopping sites and ordering as fast as they can.

In fact, we're ordering so much and so fast that Canada Post and Canada customs are having a hard time keeping up with the flow of goods.

There is such a backlog of goods waiting at three Canadian sorting plants, that many consumers are finding that they are waiting four weeks or more for their items to clear the Post office and be on their way.

Part of the problem has been a price gap in Canada from old prices that were posted on items such as books with a dual pricing structure.

With Canadians finding they have a little extra change in their pockets now, they're just ordering from the States and taking advantage of the exchange. Regardless of the wait, which by all accounts may get worse before it gets better.

With the Christmas shopping season just around the corner, unless Canadian retailers become more competitive with their pricing, the trend to order on line from the USA is expected to increase quite a bit. And with it,will come more delays in getting item A to point B in any short period of time.

Canada Post swamped by Internet shoppers
Canadian Press
October 30, 2007 at 5:17 PM EDT

EDMONTON — A surge in Internet cross-border shopping by Canadians trying to cash in on the soaring loonie is creating headaches for consumers, border agents and Canada Post.

There are already complaints of delivery delays as mail sorting centres try to dig out from heaps of Canadian Internet orders from the U.S. — and the holiday shopping season is barely under way.

Officials say the volume of parcels has choked three main international mail-sorting centres operated by Canada Post and the Canada Border Service agency in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

There are reports of parcels from the United States languishing for days and even weeks at the centres before being released for delivery.

Bruce Cran of the Consumers' Association of Canada says he is getting plenty of complaints and is warning that the backlog is going to get worse.

Canada Post and the border service agency say they are working to speed up service and are urging consumers who plan to cross-border shop for the holidays via the Internet to place orders as early as possible.