  The canonical statistical model analysis of strange and multistrange hadron
production in central A-A relative to p-p/p-A collisions is presented over the
energy range from $\sqrt s=8.73$ GeV up to $\sqrt s =130$ GeV. It is shown that
the relative enhancement of strange particle yields from p-p/p-A to A-A
collisions substantially increases with decreasing collision energy. It is
largest at $\sqrt s= 8.7$ GeV, where the enhancement of $\Omega,\Xi$ and
$\Lambda$ is of the order of 100, 20 and 3, respectively. In terms of the model
these results are due to the canonical suppression of particle thermal phase
space at lower energies, which increases with the strangeness content of the
particle and with decreasing size of the collision fireball. The comparison of
the model with existing data on energy dependence of the kaon/pion ratio is
also discussed.
