When was the last time you mailed something? To a friend or a family member? Or when was the last time you received something from them? Do you remember the joy it brought you when you opened a beautifully decorated holiday card, read about faraway adventures on a postcard, or received a birthday gift carefully packaged?
At the end of October 2025, I wanted to spark that feeling again, the simple joy of receiving mail. in my own small way. It started with me buying a roll of 100 stamps and asking a simple question on TikTok: “When was the last time you received mail? & Would anyone like a postcard sent to them in Canada?” I didn’t have a full plan. At first, the interest was slow and steady. In response to my first few videos, I sent out over a dozen postcards to a handful of provinces. For those early ones, I bought postcards locally from different Saint John businesses. It was exciting to connect with people and to hear how much joy getting mail still brings them.
Then came my fourth video on October 30th. It was short and to the point and opened with: “Do you want a postcard? And do you live in Canada?” The kind and excited comments and messages came flooding in. It took me five days to carefully respond to everyone, and by then I was well over my original goal of 100 postcards.
Very quickly, the project took on a life of its own; I’ve been asked to send postcards to people’s sisters, brothers, daughters, and a mother living in different provinces. (One went to someone’s mom in Newfoundland, one to a brother in Alberta). Some went to families whose kiddos love getting mail. I’ve sent postcards to a Grade 4/5 classroom and a daycare in Ontario. A few people received the very first postcard they’ve ever gotten.
My videos reminded people of letters they’d been meaning to mail to their grandparents, wedding cards they still hadn’t sent, and notes they’d been putting off. I’ve also been told that I’ve inspired them to send out their own postcards as a small show of love for Canada Post.
I realized I was going to need a lot of postcards. To keep the project cost-effective and ensure I could send one to everyone who asked, I decided to start designing my own. I sorted through some of my favourite photos taken around Saint John, captured a few new ones, and over the next few weeks, designed seven different postcards and got them printed locally at Print Three. And over the next few months, I was still writing and sending postcards to the people who reached out.
How Far the Postcards Have Travelled
So far, 212 postcards have been written and sent, with most written by me and a handful lovingly written by others who joined in along the way. Together, they’ve travelled across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec, and Saskatchewan. And one postcard even made its way to Road to Nowhere in Iqaluit, Nunavut!
A Little Update from the Mailbox (early 2026)
In early 2026, I learned that one of my postcards that arrived in an Ontario classroom inspired the class to have each student make their own postcard and feature them on the wall for the whole school to enjoy.
Finding New Ways to Spread the Joy of Mail (Added Dec 22, 2025)
In the spirit of the holidays, I was able to share a little postcard joy locally. Saint John’s own zine, It’s Burning Off, (by the team: Hadeel Ibrahim (editor & typewriter), Dr. Gemma Marr (editor) Pamela Marie Pierce (illustrator) & Julia Wright (founder & editor) ), included one of my postcards in their December 2025 edition. The postcard features a snowy photo of the King’s Square bandstand, shared with the hope that it would inspire readers to send a note or two to friends and family during the holiday season.
The Joy I Received Back in the Mail
One of the most unexpected and meaningful parts of this project has been the mail that’s come back to me. Along the way, I’ve received kind notes, beautiful postcards, photography, and even hand-painted artwork and postcards sent from across Canada. Many included lovely handwritten messages in support of Canada Post, along with fun facts about the cities and towns they were mailed from.
Reading messages like “Thank you so much for the postcard, it truly made my day” has made this one of the most surreal and warm-hearted projects I’ve ever done.
As of Jan 8, 2026, I’ve received 13 pieces of mail back from across Canada, from Newfoundland to Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia.
This project started as a way for me to show support for our public mail service in a physical, tangible way. Canada Post has frequently been in the news, and with the possibility of rural postal office closures in 2025, it got me thinking. I truly believe it’s important to be able to easily send a letter or package from one coast to the other. Canada Post connects us across the country, and in smaller communities especially, it’s an essential service, providing a relatively consistent and affordable way to receive goods, messages, and moments of connection.
Thank you to everyone who has commented, liked, shared, messaged me, and joined me on this journey to share joy through the mail! (link to my thank you video)
