There鈥檚 a little bit of history going back and forth in the mail in East Kootenay, with a Christmas card that dates back more than 60 years making a regular trek through Canada Post every year.
Fernie resident Catherine Crewe, and Invermere resident Nancy Nester have been signing, dating, and sending the same Christmas card back and forth to each other since they were both five years old.
Crewe, who sends the card to Nester on odd-numbered years, said that it began when her mother received a card from Nester鈥檚 mother in 1960.
鈥淢y mom and Nancy鈥檚 mom were best friends in Toronto, growing up and going to school,鈥� she said.
Crewe鈥檚 mother kept the card she received in 1961, signed it with her name and the year, and sent it back from where she lived in Lethbridge.
That simple act began a tradition, with Crewe and Nester taking over responsibility of sending the card back and forth to where-ever the other lived across Canada starting in 1964, when Nester was five years old.
Since then, the two long-time penpals haven鈥檛 missed a year, even if they infrequently meet in person.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no unbroken year - there鈥檚 every year marked,鈥� said Crewe.
鈥淓very even-numbered year she sends it to me, and every odd-numbered year I send it to her.鈥�
That means, as we get close to Christmas in 2021, Crewe is in possession of the card which she鈥檒l soon be sending to Nester, in Invermere.
鈥淲e take good care of it now,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e register it with the mail because we don鈥檛 want it lost.鈥�
The card has done a lot of travelling between where they both have lived over the years - Toronto, Lethbridge, Fernie, Waterton, Victoria and Invermere.
The card is simple, reading 鈥淗ave a merry Christmas and the happiest new year ever!鈥�
Over the years, it鈥檚 been filling up with names and dates.
鈥淵ou can see how our writing has changed over the years,鈥� said Crewe, pointing to Nester鈥檚 first signature in 1964, and hers underneath, from 1965.
鈥淲hat it means to me is it brings back memories of my mom,鈥� said Crewe, who explained neither her mom or Nester鈥檚 had any plan to keep it, or begin a tradition when they first sent the card back to each other.
鈥淭hey were busy - they were both working moms raising kids and a family, and they kept at this.
鈥淔or me its really important to keep it going in memory of my mom.鈥�
There鈥檚 no plans to stop anytime soon - while the inside of the card is filling up, it鈥檚 printed on a letter-size piece of paper.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still space.鈥�
Nester said that the tradition was a compelling one, and was probably one for the record books by now. The current record (as recorded by Guiness World Records) for exchanging the same Christmas card is held by two Americans, who sent the same card back and forth for 57 years between 1930 and 1987.
Nester said that she nor Crewe had any intention of breaking the tradition anytime soon.
鈥淥f course (we鈥檒l keep it going) - as long as we can.鈥�
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scott.tibballs@thefreepress.ca
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