Canada
stamps
P=have O=don’t have it
Scott: #311-14P
Issued: 24.9.1951
Centennial of British North American Postal
Administration
Inside #314: Canada #1O
This centennial commemorative issue of four postage
stamps honoured the transfer in 1851 of the administration of postal service
from Great Britain to British North America. The three low denominations
emphasize the development of communications by land, water, and air, a feature
of Canadian history closely related to the development of postal service. The
fourth stamp in the series features the first postage stamp issued in 1851 by
the Province of Canada. The first day of issue coincided with the stamp
exhibition called CAPEX (Canadian Association for Philatelic Exhibitions). The
Postmaster General, the Hon. G. Edouard Rinfret, K.C., M.P., was the Honorary
President. The central motif of the 15-cent stamp is a reproduction of the 1851
three- pence beaver design stamp designed by Sandford Fleming (See below). This
was the first 15-cent denomination since 1908. In 1951 the Department
anticipated that the 15-cent denomination would be convenient to prepay postage
on airmail letters to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe. The colour
approximated the red of the original 1851 three-pence stamp.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 92-93.
The first postage stamp issue of the
Province of Canada
The first postage stamp issue of the Province of
Canada featured the beaver on the 3-pence, H.R.H. Albert, the Prince Consort on
the 6-pence denomination, and Her Majesty Queen Victoria on the 12-pence. These
stamps were produced on laid paper without perforations. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch
and Edison, the New York security printers, received the contract to print
Canadian postage stamps, producing all the requirements until 1st May, 1858. On
that day the company name changed, following amalgamation, to the American Bank
Note Company with headquarters remaining in New York City. The new firm
continued the former printing contract until Canadian Confederation in 1867.
Sandford Fleming, a young civil engineer and draughtsman, designed the 3-pence
stamp under the direction of the Honourable James Morris, Postmaster General.
He also prepared the artwork with a similar beaver motif for a 1-shilling
denomination which never appeared as a finished postage stamp. Sandford
Fleming's most important work concerned railway construction in Canada, and for
his work Queen Victoria knighted him. He became chief engineer for the
Intercolonial Railway (1857-76), and for the Canadian Pacific Railway
(1871-80). In 1872 he was in charge of the Ocean-to-Ocean Expedition undertaken
to find a route for the Canadian Pacific through the Yellowhead Pass. During
these years he devised the system of time zones. From 1881 until his death in
1915 he served as Chancellor of Queen's University at Kingston. The 3-pence
denomination featuring a beaver building a dam was symbolic of the people in
the young country of Canada building their towns, cities, and communities. The
secondary purpose of choosing the beaver centred in the original meaning of the
beaver skin; it represented a medium of exchange in trade.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 8.
Scott: #399P
Issued: 22.8.1962
Centenary, City of Victoria, B.C.
Inside #399: British Columbia and Vancouver
Island #2O
From its first settlement as an outpost of the
Hudson's Bay Company, strategically located on the south eastern tip of
"Vancouver's Island", Victoria has grown into a thriving center of
charm and distinction that is probably unique in North America. This year marks
Victoria's Centenary as an incorporated city. It was James Douglas, a chief
factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, who selected the location for Fort Victoria
which was named in honour of the girl queen who ascended the Throne of England
in 1837. The isolated post had to be self supporting and the arable land
surrounding the new port provided excellent crops. It was ideally located in a
favourable trading district, accessible to the North Pacific mainland. The life
of the outpost centered about the operation of the Hudson's Bay post until 1849
when Vancouver's Island was made a crown colony and declared open for
colonization. Sparked by the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858, the trading post
exploded almost, overnight into a lively frontier town. Since it was the only
seaport in British Columbia, it became the outfitting center for the miners and
adventurers seeking the wealth of the goldfields. No sooner had the excitement
of the first gold rush subsided than the Cariboo Rush broke, followed by the
Klondike gold stampede of 1898. With such limpetus, its growth was rapid and
the community was incorporated as the City of Victoria in 1862, just 100 years
ago. Today, Victoria is justly proud of the largest dry-dock in Canada, the
largest astrophysical telescope in the nation, the largest per capita tourist trade
in Canada and the mildest winter climate of any Canadian city. Each year,
thousands of tourists throng its streets and find in the restful, unhurried
atmosphere the ideal spot for relaxation. Of great interest in Victoria is the
solid background of British customs and institutions which have survived more
vigourously than in any other Canadian city. Victoria has kept as its basic
charm the beauty and dignity of ivied walls, picturesque gardens and imposing
Tudor or colonial homes. The new stamp is designed to commemorate the
development of the city from its lusty frontier days to its modern role as
provincial capital. The new issue follows precedents set in 1908 and in 1949
when stamps honouring the 300th Anniversary of Quebec and the 200th Anniversary
of Halifax were produced.
Canada Post Office Department.
[Postage Stamp Press Release], 1962.
British Columbia and Vancouver Island
stamp
The United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British
Columbia, in 1860, issued a postage stamp inscribed with the names of both
British Columbia and Vancouver Island. This unusual step was taken for reasons
of economy, both colonies having sufficient customers to justify the printing
of stamps, but not enough to justify separate issues for each colony.
The one stamp was denominated 2 1/2 pence, depicted
Queen Victoria in profile, and was surface-printed in a brownish-rose color by
De La Rue. 235,440 were printed.
In 1862, Vancouver Island switched to decimal
currency, and sold these stamps for 5 cents. It first issued its own 5- and
10-cent stamps in September 1865.
In June 1864, British Columbia increased its postal
rate to 3 pence, selling these stamps for 3d until its own stamps became
available in November 1865. Pairs of stamps, used to pay a special rate to
Vancouver Island, were also sold at 15 cents per pair. Although after 1865, the
2 1/2d stamp was officially invalid, in 1867 some were made available at a 6
1/4 cent rate to express mail operators.
The upshot of all this was the single type of stamp
was sold for 2 1/2d, 3d, 5c, 6 1/4c, and 7 1/2c without ever receiving a
surcharge indicating a changed value.
The surviving stamps sell for about US$250 as of
2003, but much more if they are in good condition and well-centered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_and_Vancouver_Island
Scott: #753O, #754-56P
Issued: 18.1.1978
CAPEX '78
Inside #753: Canada #3O
Inside #754: Canada
#7O
Inside #754: Canada #8O
Inside #756: Canada #2O
Scott: #756aO
Issued: 10.6.1978
The Canadian International Philatelic Exhibition,
CAPEX 78, will be held at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto
from June 9 to 18, 1978. This is the nation's second international stamp
exhibition, the first having been held in 1951. CAPEX 78 will commemorate the
centennial of Canada's entry into the Universal Postal Union. Sponsored by the
Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, under the patronage of the Fédération
Internationale de Philatélie and under the auspices of the
Federacion Interamericana de Filatelia, the show will be the largest and most
important in Canadian postal history. To herald this important congress of
philatelists and collectors, the Post Office has chosen to issue a
stamp-on-stamp design featuring a pair of one of Canada's classic stamps:
the12-penny Queen Victoria of 1851. The Queen Victoria classics, from fine
examples now owned by the National Postal Museum, Ottawa, have been engraved by
Robert Couture. The intaglio is printed in the original colour (black) over a
light background. Design is by Carl Brett of Toronto.
Canada. Post Office Department.
[Postage Stamp Press Release], 1978.
Scott: #909-13P
Issued: 11.3.1982 / 20.5.1982
CANADA '82
Inside #909: Canada #1O
Inside #910: Canada #102O
In the summer of 1908 Canadians honoured the three
hundredth anniversary of the founding of Quebec in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain,
the French explorer and colonizer. In March, 1908 the government proposed to
issue a series of postage stamps to commemorate the occasion. In view of the
marked departure from the precedent in subject matter for the proposed stamp
designs, the Department sought the permission of King Edward VII to use
portraits of non-royal persons and historical subjects on stamps of permanent
validity. His Majesty consented, and the stamp were released on [16th] July,
1908 for sale to the public throughout the Dominion [before] the Prince of
Wales (later King George V) reached Québec.
"Partement pour l'ouest" - Champlain's departure for the West. This
stamps was designed by an artist of the American Bank Note Company. The scene
depicted is that described by Champlain in the following words, taken from the
narrative of his third voyage to America: "With our canoes laden with
provisions, our arms and some merchandise to be given as presents to the
Indians, I started on Monday, May 27th, from the Isle of Sainte Helaine,
accompanied by four Frenchmen and one Indian. A salute was given in my honour
from small pieces of artillery." The archaic French note is introduced in
the word "partement," used by Champlain in place of the modern
"départ."
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 42, 44.
Inside #911: Canada #223P
This issue of stamps in higher values continues to depict
scenes of Canadian interest from coast to coast. A Royal Canadian Mounted
Police constable on horseback with a prairie background. The force, organized
in 1873, has built a tradition of service, courage, and integrity. First known
as the North West Mounted Police, the men confined their duties to the
Northwest Territories. The term Royal was prefixed to the title in 1904, and in
1920 the name was changed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 73.
Inside #912: Canada #155O
Inside #913: Canada #158P
Canada #155 & #158
Commencing with the issue of 1928, the Post Office
Department for the first time utilized its higher value stamps with regular
issue for the purpose of depicting Canadian scenes of geographical and
industrial interest from coast to coast. This was a significant event in the
development of Canadian postage stamps as a medium of information about Canada.
The first stamps released under this new policy showed wide diversity of
subjects. They ranged from the internationally famous fishing schooner
Bluenose, on the Atlantic Coast, to scenic Mount Hurd in British Columbia. The
scheme met with instant public approval. The Department has continued scenic
stamps in each regular issue since 1928. With a few exceptions of commemorative
issues prior to 1928, Canadian postage stamps portrayed the royal family.
Canada #155
A vignette, "The Ice-crowned Monarch of the
Rockies," from an original watercolour painting by Frederick Marlett
Bell-Smith, R.C.A., by kind permission of R.D. Hume, Q.C., of Toronto. The
painting shows Mount Hurd, (named after Major Hurd, the engineer and explorer),
in the Ottertail Range of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, and in a
panel at each side of the stamp is a totem pole. This design depicts the
natural beauty of Canada and its interesting folklore. The totem poles are
reproductions from a Canadian government photograph of one owned by the Gitksan
tribe, a people of the Skeena River. The pole is located in the Upper Skeena
valley at a small place called Kitwanga, an Indian name meaning Place of the
Rabbit. The Indian name of the totem pole is Spesanish, meaning Half-Bear Den.
The pole stands nineteen feet in height.
Canada #158
The Canadian fishing schooner, Bluenose, racing off
Halifax Harbour, a composite picture made from photographs taken in 1922 by W.
R. MacAskill, of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The schooner was built in 1920-21, at
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, by Messrs. Smith and Rhuland, to the designs of W. J.
Roué,
of Halifax, and launched in March, 1921. Essentially a practical fishing boat,
the schooner was also designed to uphold the Bluenose racing supremacy on the
Atlantic seaboard. That she achieved her promoters' ambition is proved by the
fact that she decisively defeated every competitor of her class. She never lost
a series of races. The owners of the Bluenose were honoured in 1935 by having
their schooner present when King George V reviewed the British Fleet at
Spithead. In selecting this design, the Department gave world-wide publicity to
three important phases of Nova Scotian life and industry: fisheries, ship-
building, and seamanship.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 56, 58.
Scott: #913aO
Scott: #1722P
Issued: 29.5.1998
Centennial, Imperial Penny Post
Inside #1722: Canada #85O
Canada #1722
It was a momentous time in postal history; one hundred
years ago, imperial penny postage was introduced, allowing Canadians to send
letters anywhere in the British Empire at the rate of one British penny - just
two cents Canadian! It was a huge triumph for Canada, Postmaster General Sir
William Mulock played a pivotal role in negotiating this change from the
previous levy of five Canadian cents. The penny-postage stamp is one of the
most revered by collectors. It was the world's first Christmas issue. The stamp
featured a collage of Queen Victoria's crown, a map of the world with the
British Empire displayed in red, "Xmas 1898" and the phrase, "We
hold a vaster empire than has been". Produced in three colours and by two
different processes by the American Bank Note Company of Ottawa, it was the
most expensive issue in Canadian philatelic history to that date. Recognizing
the significance of the stamp for collectors, Canada Post will issue a single
domestic-rate stamp. Queen Victoria's crown, a portrait of Postmaster General
Sir William Mulock, and a reproduction of the original stamp are together
depicted against a dark backdrop with "Canada" boldly displayed.
Designed by François Dallaire of Montreal, this
commemorative stamp will be released May 29 in Hamilton, Ontario. For
collectors who may only have dreamed of having an authentic penny stamp in
their private collections, this new issue may be an affordable consolation.
Canada Post Corporation, Canada's
Stamp Details, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1998, p. 15-17.
Canada #85
British statesmen had sought postal reforms almost
from the time of Sir Rowland Hill's introduction of adhesive stamps in 1840. In
1885, Mr. James Henniker-Heaton, M.P., brought up the question of Imperial
penny postage for practical consideration by introducing a motion in the
British House of Commons. In 1890 the Jubilee of Penny Postage in Great Britain
stimulated public interest in the proposal. In July, 1898, an Imperial
Conference on postage rates was held in London. On the proposal of the Canadian
representative, Hon. William Mulock, Postmaster General of Canada (later Sir
William Mulock), the scheme was adopted for Great Britain, Canada,
Newfoundland, Cape Colony, and Natal. The delegates of the Imperial Conference
left the opportunity open to other regions within the British Empire to take
part in the Penny Postage providing Her Majesty's Government approved the
action. At first a proposal suggested fixing a uniform rate for the whole of
the British Empire, but no rate acceptable to all the governments concerned
could be settled upon. As chief Canadian proponent of the actual adoption of
Imperial Penny Postage, the Canadian Postmaster General decided to stimulate
interest in the event by issuing a special postage stamp covering the new rate
and emphasizing the vast extent of the British Empire. Mr. Mulock decided to
use a map on the stamps. The actual drawing for this design, was made in the
presence of Mr. Mulock by Mr. Warren L. Green, President of the American Bank
Note Company Limited in Ottawa. In October 1898, Mr. Green called at Mr.
Mulock's office and a memorandum in his handwriting still existing in the files
of the Canadian Bank Note Company, reads as follows: "This is a rough idea
for the new stamp. Mr. Mulock had a number of designs for this and naturally a
great many conflicting ideas. The only way I could get anything definite was to
sit right down with a pencil and a brush and work right alongside of him until
he got something that approached his idea." The stamp was not meant to be
a limited issue; it was intended to supplement the regular stamps for
prepayment principally, of overseas British correspondence, although the stamps
were available for any other postal use. Map of the world in Mercator's
Projection, showing various parts of the British Empire in red. The stamp bore
the inscription "Xmas 1898" and across the base of the design the
text reads: "WE HOLD A VASTER EMPIRE THAN HAS BEEN." On the occasion
of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Sir William Morris, a Welsh poet, wrote
"A Song of Empire", published as the Jubilee Ode in June, 1897. The
line occurs in the following stanza: "We hold a vaster Empire than has
been! Nigh half the race of man is subject to our Queen! Nigh half the wide,
wide earth is ours in fee! And where her rule comes all are free. And therefore
'tis, O Queen, that we, Knit fast in bonds of temperate liberty, Rejoice
to-day, and make our solemn Jubilee."
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 37-38.
Scott: #1738O
Issued: 24.7.1998
William Roue, Designer of the Schooner
"Bluenose"
Inside #1738:
Canada #158P (modified)
From a very young age, William James Roué amused himself by sailing bits of wood and
shingles in gutters and drawing pictures of yachts - childhood hobbies which
foreshadowed a career that would bring him national fame. That young boy went
on to design the most renowned fishing craft in Canadian history: the Bluenose.
Weighing in at 154 tons, the schooner was launched at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia,
over 75 years ago. The vessel was commissioned by Nova Scotians in the hopes of
redeeming Canada's loss to the U.S. in the 1920 International Fisherman's Race.
The Maritimers were determined to win the trophy for Canada in the 1921
contest. To meet the challenge, they needed to build a salt banker with the
speed of a fresh fisherman vessel, and the province insisted that the design
come from home. Though his experience was that of a yacht designer, Roué, a self-taught naval architect, conceived and
realized a remarkable design. In 1921, Canada won the International Fisherman's
Race, and Roué
was rewarded with a gold watch and commemorative scroll. Now, in commemoration
of its own, Canada Post is releasing the William Roué domestic-rate stamp designed by Louis Hébert of
Montreal. As a child, little did he know than that he would become the greatest
designer of wooden vessels in Canadian history, and one of the most talented in
the world. As an adolescent, Roué
progressed to making and sailing 1.5-metre model boats and, once he was old
enough, learned to crew at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (RNSYS). He
spent winter months in the library of the Yacht Squadron devouring volumes on
boat design. He enrolled in classes in mechanical drafting at the Victoria
College of Art and Design, now the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Roué was frequently called upon to design yachts for
fellow members of the Squadron while he worked in the family soft-drink business.
In his lifetime, Roué
created more than 100 designs for commercial vessels, including two fleets of
freighters for Newfoundland and the Arctic and a number of ferries. Roué passed away in 1970 at the age of 90. Canada's
most celebrated vessel was named for Nova Scotians, called
"Bluenosers", a name some believe was given to the crewmen of
schooners that carried blue-skinned Nova Scotia potatoes to Boston in the late
eighteenth century. Built by Smith and Rhuland and commanded by Captain Angus
J. Walters, the Bluenose sailed to victory in the Halifax Herald International
Fisherman's competition in 1921, 1922, 1923, 1931 and 1938, and held the record
for the largest catch of fish ever brought into Lunenburg. It was sold in 1942
to a West Indian trading company. Four years later, the ship was wrecked off
Haiti. An exact replica, named the Bluenose II was launched in 1963. More than
a decade later, the owners turned it over to the Province of Nova Scotia and it
became a seaborne ambassador. To this day, it continues to sail the North
Atlantic. Over the past decades, the Bluenose has been features on three
stamps: a 1929 50-cent issue, a 1982 60-cent stamp that commemorated the
International Philatelic Youth Exhibition, and a 1988 37-cent issue that celebrated
Bluenose skipper Angus Walters. The 1929 Bluenose stamp is the most famous of
Canadian stamps, recognized around the world.
Canada Post Corporation, Canada's
Stamp Details, Vol. 7, No. 4, 1998, p. 11-13.
For more details about #158 see above
under #909-13
Scott: #1900O
Issued: 6.4.2001
150th Anniversary, Canadian Post
Inside #1900: Canada #1O
Canada's early history is essentially the history
of the fur trade. Motivated by a quest for beaver pelts, European fur traders
pressed westward from New France and Hudson Bay; opening the northwest of
present-day Canada. Our first postage stamp honoured this coveted creature, and
on April 6, 2001, the Three Pence Beaver appears as a stamp-on-stamp
commemorating the 150th anniversary of the transfer of Postal authority from
Britain to Canada. At lengths of up to 1.3 m weights of up to 32 kg, the beaver
is the largest rodent in North America. A remarkable builder, it constructs
dams to increase underwater habitats in winter; canals to transport food; and
lodges to keep predators away. In light of its role in Canadian history, the
beaver became the symbol of Canada's sovereignty in 1975. During the French
regime in Canada, no organized postal service existed for the general
population. Government courier carried private letters, but recipients were
required to pay upon delivery. In 1755, Deputy Postmaster General Benjamin
Franklin opened Canada's first official post office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. By
the 1780s, mail service difficulties arose and a deputy postmaster general was
appointed for Canada but the post office remained under Imperial management.
Representatives from the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick met
to discuss the postal system in 1847, reaching an agreement that was approved
by the Imperial Parliament in 1849. Post office control passed to the Province
of Canada by proclamation on April 5, 1851, with Canadian administration
commencing on April 6th. The original Three Pence Beaver was based on a sketch
by Sir Sandford Fleming. While featuring a beaver on Canada's first postage
stamp seems natural and apt, it was a significant departure from contemporary
designs which featured the reigning monarch, a statesman, geometric design, or
coat-of-arms. As postal historian Thomas A. Hillman notes, the Three Pence
Beaver is one of the world's earliest examples of a pictorial stamp, and until
1939, the only one featuring a rodent. Designed by Tom Yokobina of Montréal, the 2001
Three Pence Beaver stamp-on-stamp presents our earliest stamp in a modern
setting. A complete dye proof of the original stamp, photographed with kind
permission from the Ron Brigham Collection, was superimposed over a background
of drop shadows and computer rendered dot patterns. Yakobina's use of modern
and classical type faces further emphasizes the duality of past and present.
Canada Post Corporation. Canada's
Stamp Details, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2001, p. 6-7.
Scott: #1956O
Issued: 5.7.2002
Centenary, Postmasters & Assistants Association
Inside #1956: Canada #77P
What started as a local grassroots organization
dedicated to improving the working conditions of postmasters in rural Manitoba
has grown to become a national organization that is now the second-largest
bargaining unit representing employees of Canada Post Corporation. To
commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants
Association, Canada Post will issue a single domestic rate stamp, which will be
available in a pane of 16. The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
(CPAA) was founded in 1902 in Stonewall, Manitoba. Stonewall's first post
office was opened on August 1st, 1878, with Ira Stratton becoming postmaster in
1897. Stratton, who served as postmaster until 1905, became increasingly
frustrated with his situation. He was expected to pay for his office rent,
heat, light, supplies, and any extra help. The hours were long, and he worked
without time off. In July of 1902, a fed-up Stratton met with colleague D.H.
McLean in nearby Emerson, Manitoba, and discovered that McLean had similar
problems. They called a meeting of postmasters from the surrounding area, which
led to the formation of The Manitoba and Northwest Accounting Postmasters'
Association. Stratton presented a petition, signed by 100 postmasters, to
Postmaster General William Mulock, which led to a 10% salary increase - the
association's first victory. The Association grew to include six provinces by
1906 and by 1910, all nine provinces were included. After the Second World War,
postmasters became full-time staff and received civil service benefits of sick
leave, vacation, and superannuation. In 1968, the Association was granted
collective bargaining rights. This association became the CPAA in 1978.
Presently, the CPAA is divided into eight branches, representing Canada Post
employees who work in rural post offices. Approximately 6,700 full- and
part-time employees and approximately 3,600 term employees are members,
staffing more than 3,500 post offices across Canada. Designer Chris Candlish of
Cambridge, Ontario took a historical approach to the design of this stamp. The
Provincial Archives of Manitoba provided a black-and-white photo (taken c1910)
of the Stonewall post office managed by Stratton, to which Candlish added sepia
toning. He also added a reproduction of an original 2¢ Queen Victoria carmine
stamp, which was used for the domestic 1st class rate and Empire rate in 1902,
and a cancellation showing the date 'JL 06 1902,' the date Stratton met with
McLean. The CPAA logo is also featured. The unique layout of the 16-stamp pane
includes three 8 mm gutters and a 16 mm inscription forming the selvedge. The
top left corner of the 2¢ stamp blends with the top inscription and into the
three gutters.
Canada Post Corporation. Canada's
Stamp Details, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2002, p. 6-7.
Canada #77
A new 2-cent stamp in carmine color was issued to
replace the purple 2- cent stamp of this series, upon exhaustion of the stock
of surcharged stamps. The decorative and symbolic use of the maple leaves on
the Diamond Jubilee commemorative and the regular issues of 1897 met with
instant public approval. However, the designers of the Maple Leaves issue
failed to give sufficient prominence to the denominations in words rather than
figures.
|
|
|
|
The purple 2- cent stamp #68 |
The new 2-cent stamp in carmine #77 |
As a result,
the public was not able to distinguish the face values quickly. The Post Office
Department accordingly modified the design and prepared a new issue of postage stamps.
Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, from a photograph by Messrs. W. &
D. Downey, London, England, and taken in 1897 for the occasion of her Diamond
Jubilee.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 36, 40.
Scott: #2041-2O
Issued: 28.5.2004
Pioneers of Transatlantic Mail
Inside #2042: Canada #9O
In 1854 reduced postal rates between Canada and the
United Kingdom created a demand for two new denominations in postage stamps;
10- pence and 7 ½-pence. The Postmaster General's Report of 31st March, 1854,
announced in part the reduction of postal rates affecting the overseas mail to
the United Kingdom. The mail of one-half ounce for each letter sent by packet
ships from Halifax was charged at the reduced rate of 6-pence sterling equal to
7 ½-pence in currency. The rate was also reduced from 1-shilling and 2- pence
sterling to 8-pence sterling on mail sent overseas by way of the United States.
When W.H. Griffin wrote to the security printers he sketched a suggested design
of the 10-penny stamps: "It would promote the public convenience to
procure postage stamps of the value of 10-pence and 7 ½ pence to correspond
with the packet letter charges." While these reductions were made in
sterling the people in the Province of Canada were being drastically restricted
by the confusion of money with its varying degrees of valuation. The Province
of that time did not have a currency of its own. Sterling was of higher value
than the monetary exchange commonly referred to as currency. For that reason,
the new stamps in 10-pence has an additional inscription of 8-pence stg
(sterling). The 7 ½-pence stamps were inscribed "Six Pence Sterling"
in the oval frame of Queen Victoria's portrait. Portrait of Queen Victoria from
the Chalon painting similar to the 12- pence stamps of 1851. Portrait of Her
Majesty Queen Victoria reproduced from a contemporary engraving of a
full-length painting by Alfred Edward Chalon, R.A. Although this work of art
portrays the young Queen in her robes of state, merely the head appears in
various British colonial postage stamp designs, including the 7 ½-pence for the
Province of Canada. On the occasion of Queen Victoria's first visit to the House
of Lords, she commissioned Mr. Chalon to paint this portrait as a gift to her
mother, the Duchess of Kent. The memorable event was the prorogation of
Parliament on 17th July, 1837, the year of the Queen's accession to the throne.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 9-11.
Inside #2042: Canada #27O
Scott: #2042aO
Until the middle of the 19th century, there was no easy
way for new Canadians to communicate with family and friends from the old
country. The transatlantic mails depended on slow and irregular sailing ships,
and post offices were few and far between. For most Canadian immigrants, living
on Canadian soil meant being completely cut off from the loved ones they had
left behind. Shipping magnates and business leaders Sir Samuel Cunard and Sir
Hugh Allan changed this by introducing transatlantic mail service via their
ocean-going steam vessels. In honour of these pioneers, Canada Post will issue
a se tenant pair of commemorative stamps featuring them on May 28, 2004.
Created by stamp design veterans Dennis Page and Oliver Hill of Page&Wood
in Halifax and veteran illustrator Bonnie Ross, the stamp has been created to
not only celebrate the two men, but also the 19th century milestone of fast,
regular transatlantic postal service. As such, the design depicts the growing
volume of mail that began to cross the Atlantic by steamship at this time.
Photographs of actual letters from these trips fill the lower portion of the
frame. Portraits of both Sir Samuel Cunard and Sir Hugh Allan, illustrated in a
popular formalized period style, present images of the two shipping magnates in
a heroic fashion. Images of the two ships, Cunard's Britannia and Allan's North
American, are depicted on route, as they determinedly brave the rough Atlantic
seas. The cancellation marks represent the dates of the arrival of Curnard's
Britannia in Halifax and the departure of Allan's North American from
Liverpool. According to Design Manager of Stamp Products Danielle Trottier,
"these commemoratives not only depict history, but are themselves a piece
of history in that they are part of Canada Post's first self-adhesive
perforated pane".
Merchant and shipowner Sir Samuel Cunard was born
in Halifax on November 21, 1787. He first partnered with his father in the
timber trade, and through his interests in whaling, timber, coal, iron and
shipping, he amassed a great personal fortune in the 1830s. In 1825, he
co-founded the Halifax Banking Company and in 1839, made a submission to the
British government to start regular transatlantic mail service by steamship
from Liverpool, England to Halifax, Quebec City and Boston, at a cost of 55,000
pounds a year, for 10 years. The first crossing was made in May 1840, but
regular mail service began in July with the Britannia, a paddlewheel steamship
which sailed from Liverpool to Halifax and then on to Boston in a total of 14
days and 8 hours.
For more information on Sir Samuel Cunard, see http://cunardsteamshipsociety.com/
Sir Hugh Allan established a transatlantic mail
route between Canada and Britain in 1856. Allan was a shipping magnate, railway
developer and financier, born in Saltcoats, Scotland on September 29, 1810. In
1826, he immigrated to Canada and settled in Montreal where he found a job as a
clerk in a commercial goods business. Ten years later, in 1836, backed by
family funding, he bought steamships and sailing ships to expand the company's
merchant fleet. Allan persuaded the Canadian government to finance the
transatlantic lines linking Montreal with Britain through contracts to carry
the mail (1853). But when the contract was awarded to Liverpool shipowners
McKean, McClary and Lamont, Allan considered them unqualified to handle the
work. In 1856 with improved ships, Allan managed to wrest the contract away
from his competitors.
For information on Sir Hugh Allan, visit www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/people/famousfirst676.html
Canada Post Corporation. Canada's
Stamp Details, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2004, p. 24-25.
Scott: #2119O
Issued: 15.8.2005
250th Anniversary Acadian Deportation
Beginning in 1755, thousands of settlers were
deported from their native Acadia (Nova Scotia) to the British colonies of
North America. To mark the 250th anniversary of the deportation, Canada Post
will issue a single domestic rate (50¢) commemorative stamp on August 15,
Acadian National Day. This is the second time Canada has commemorated the
Acadian deportation with a stamp. In 1930, the "Grand-Pré" stamp was issued to mark its 175th
anniversary. Danielle Trottier, Manager, Stamp Design and Production at Canada
Post, says the Stamp Advisory Committee proposed the "stamp on stamp"
concept for the issue. "This was such a significant event in Canadian
history, and particularly for the Acadian community. We felt it would be fitting
to showcase our previous commemorative stamp in the new issue. Coincidentally,
both stamps - from then and now - bear the 50-cent rate." Canada Post
commissioned graphic artist Pierre-Yves Pelletier for the stamp design. A
"seasoned pro" with 110 stamps to his credit, Pelletier, of Beloeil,
Quebec, was excited and challenged by the project. "The Acadian community,
naturally, is sensitive to its past and I wanted to pay tribute to their
heritage and to what they have been through." The original "Grand-Pré" stamp portrays the famous statue of
Evangeline and the Acadian chapel at Grand-Pré National Historic Site. Pelletier scanned the mint
condition 1930 stamp and illustrated the Acadian flag in motion. A backdrop of
waves, in a five per cent screen, represents the sea voyage. "For me, the
flag is the symbol and this is what I focused on," explains Pelletier. The
Acadian flag was established at the Second Acadian Convention in 1884. It is a
French flag - tricolour blue, white, and red - with a gold star at the top
left. The star, Stella Maris, is the star of the sea and symbolizes the
wanderings of the Acadians through the storms and dangers of life. "It was
important to keep the design simple and clean. The colourful flag works well
with the dark blue of the old stamp and its perforated edges. The waves are in
a very light screen so as not to detract from the main element, which is the
flag. The stamp on stamp was a good idea for this issue."
Canada Post Corporation. Canada's
Stamp Details, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2005, p. 20-21.
Inside #2119: Canada #176O
As a result of the change of the postage stamp
contract of 1st April, 1930, the Department required a new series of stamps of
the higher denominations. The policy of depicting representative phases of the
character of Canada was continued in the designs for this series. View of Grand
Pré, Nova Scotia the home of
Evangeline, heroine of Longfellow's famous poem of that name. The view is a
composite one, taken from photographs, and shows the museum, statue of
Evangeline, and the ancient well, grouped together for pictorial effect. The
grounds and buildings are maintained as a national shrine of Acadian relics.
Patrick, Douglas and Mary
Patrick. Canada's Postage Stamps. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart Limited,
1964, p. 60-61.
Best website
related:
Canada Stamps
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/
http://www.postalhistorycanada.org/index.htm
