The British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) will hold its second annual mid-winter Virtual Exhibition and Conference on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, building on the success of last year’s inaugural online event.
The one-day virtual gathering will combine a competitive and non-competitive philatelic exhibition with a full slate of live online seminars hosted by BNAPS study groups. While BNAPS members are invited to submit exhibits and organize seminars, the event itself is open to all collectors, not just society members. Attendance is free, although advance registration is required.
Organizers note the virtual event is intended to complement, not replace, BNAPEX 2026, the society’s annual in-person convention, which will be held in Valleyfield, Que., from Sept. 18–20.
The VEC 2026 exhibition will feature up to 40 exhibits displayed across as many as 160 virtual frames. Both competitive and non-competitive exhibits are being accepted. Once uploaded, exhibits will remain available for online viewing until Feb. 20, allowing collectors additional time to study the material beyond the conference day itself.
A central component of the virtual conference will be a series of live study group seminars. Ten seminars will be presented in two concurrent streams, covering a wide range of British North America philatelic topics. The seminars are open to all registered participants, regardless of whether they belong to the study group hosting the session or are members of BNAPS. Sessions will include opportunities for questions, discussion and feedback, and video recordings of the seminars will be posted following the event.
Planning for the Virtual Exhibition and Conference began in early November 2025, when requests for exhibit frames opened and exhibitors were able to begin uploading material to the event website. Registration opened on Jan. 20, 2026, which also marked the deadline for requesting exhibit frames and uploading exhibits.
A detailed seminar schedule, posted on the BNAPS website on Jan. 6, outlines a full day of programming presented in two concurrent streams. Sessions range from Newfoundland and Pence–Cents material to digital philately, military mail, fancy cancels and perfins, and conclude with a judges’ critique and a multi-paper Pence–Cents Era session.
Seminar program
10–11 a.m.
Stream 1 — Newfoundland Study Group
Chair and speaker: Malcolm Back
“The Newfoundland 1897–1908 Royal Family Issue: The stamps, specimens, proofs and postal history”
Stream 2 — Digital Philately Study Group
Chair: Darin Cherniwchan
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Stream 1 — Air Mail Study Group
Chair: Chris Hargreaves
Show-and-tell session. Participants are invited to share recent acquisitions or ask questions about earlier material.
Stream 2 — Large and Small Queens Study Group
Chair: Darin Cherniwchan
12:15–1 p.m.
Break
1–2 p.m.
Stream 1 — Canadian Military Mail Study Group
Chair: Mike Street
Speaker: Harold Krische
“American Aid for German Prisoners of War in Canada during the Second World War”
Stream 2 — Elizabethan II Study Group
Chair: Bob Elias
Show and tell
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Stream 1 — Admiral Study Group
Chair: Leopold Beaudet
Discoveries and curiosities presented by study group members
Stream 2 — Perfin Study Group
Chair: Jim Graham
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Stream 1 — Fancy Cancel and Miscellaneous Markings Study Group
Chair: Mike Halhed
Topics include the upcoming 100th newsletter, development of a fancy cancel website, and early fancy cancels, including material on Pence, First Cents and early Large Queens issues.
Stream 2 — Departmental Handstamps
Speaker: Gary Steele
4:45–5:45 p.m.
Stream 1 — Judges’ critique
Judges’ review of the exhibits
Stream 2 — Squared Circle Study Group
Chair: Rick Friesen
6–7 p.m.
Stream 1 — Pence–Cents Era Study Group
Chair: Jim Jung
Presentations include:
• Dave Hobden, “Differences of paper for Unitrade Nos. 1 and 4, Pence issue”
• Bill Radcliffe, “Pence–Cents rarities”
• Jim McCormick, “The 1864 two-cent decimal stamp: Printing orders and plate varieties”
Further details, including updates and complete event information, are available on the BNAPS website