But across Canada, they look suspiciously like the people behind the counter at the post office.

Santa's helpers need day jobs after all, and many of them are with Canada Post. But help Santa they do, and in Yellowknife this Christmas about 15 will open over 1,000 letters addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0."

In one letter, a three-year-old writes he has been a good boy this year and "could you please bring me a crane, a pop-up garage, some Play-doh and building blocks?"

But Christmas is the season for giving, so the boy promises that he and his brother will leave cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer.

In another missive, a girl in Grade 4 is sad because the hamster Santa gave her last year died this summer. She was sad and doesn't know what she wants for Christmas this year -- although she does like to read. But she has questions. "What are your favourite kind of cookies? How are the elves and the reindeer? Is it cold up there?"

Santa keeps a tight schedule, what with his strict girth-maintenance program and all the time he spends training his reindeer to run at nearly light speed. So like anyone with his kind of clout, he hires people to write his letters for him.

In Yellowknife, Loretta Kaminski managed to score a contract with the big man this year.

This Christmas, she will commit pen to paper, keeping the faith alive for thousands of children in this territory. Across Canada, 15,000 others with day jobs at Canada Post will answer over a million letters on Santa's behalf.

"It's a ball," she says.

"It makes them happy, it makes them excited, it's something for them to look forward to. It's a big event, even more so than birthdays or the Easter bunny," she says.

And how does Santa reply? Well, it's a busy day at the North Pole. Santa has been tinkering around his workshops, helping the elves make all the beautiful toys he will deliver in just a few days.

Mrs. Claus is busy, too.

She's in the kitchen baking cookies and stirring up a delicious brew of hot chocolate.

And she's been hard at work fixing up Santa's suit for another year of hard riding around the globe.

But Santa has to go now. Mrs. Claus is calling, and he's got cookies to eat and a suit to try on.

Christmas is just around the corner.