The field is a little murky as to the status of letters to Santa at the Christmas parade downtown St. John’s this weekend.

Postal workers, who usually collect the letters at the parade, are on strike but they’re hoping that some other group will pick up the slack or that people will hold off for a few days.

The strike is now a week old but talks are continuing with the help of a mediator, and St. John’s Union President Craig Dyer believes they are making progress.

He’s advising people to drop their letters to the red community mailbox sites or the retails outlets, such as Shoppers and Lawton’s, and they will ensure that the letters reach Santa at the North Pole.

The parade is scheduled for Sunday at noon from the Fort William Building, weather permitting.

Meanwhile, Canada Post lost 315-million dollars before tax in the third quarter compared with a 290-million-dollar loss a year earlier.

The Crown corporation says revenue growth in its direct marketing did not make up for a drop in its parcels results.