Amazon has announced the immediate availability of the popular Kindle eBook reader in Canada, allowing the many Canadians angry with Amazon’s early America-only policy where the Kindle was concerned to start working the cost into their Christmas budget.

Costs have yet to be officially converted into Canadian currency but the Kindle will sell for $259 USD plus about $30 USD per unit in import fees. The real news is the ability for Canadian-based customers to wirelessly download books, newspapers and magazines through Amazon’s service over any 3G wireless network.

We know that Canadians are passionate about books and reading, and we’re excited to make Kindle available to our customers there. Kindle enables customers around the world, including Canada, to think of a book and start reading it in under 60 seconds.

Ian Freed, vice-president of Kindle

The average cost of the Kindle Store’s 300,000+ titles is about $12 and there will be Canadian content available immediately with Canwest jumping on-board with its Globe and Mail, National Post and several local daily newspapers.