The release of the Canada Post’s fundraising semi-postal stamp signals the start of the Crown corporation’s annual fundraising campaign.
The stamp, which was issued Sept. 24, pays the domestic letter rate—currently 85 cents—and has a 10-cent surcharge to support the fundraising initiative. The surcharge is indicated by “+10” following the “P” symbol, which represents the non-denominated Permanent rate.
A $1 donation from the purchase of a booklet of 10 stamps as well as a 10-cent donation from the purchase of an official first-day cover goes directly to support Canadian children through the funding of programs for breakfast, anti-bullying, special education, camps for children fighting illness, early literacy and other programs through the Canada Post Community Foundation.
“Everyone can recall days from their childhood, spending a hot summer afternoon lying in the grass looking up at the clouds rolling by,” said designer Matthew Warburton, of Emdoubleyu Design, of the inspiration for the stamp. “This design recreates that feeling of freedom, wonderment and joy with a child sitting on a grassy, flower-speckled hilltop, looking up at the sky and seeing animal shapes in the fluffy clouds.”
The stamp was illustrated by Julie Morstad, one of Canada’s top illustrators of children’s books, whose work is honoured frequently in the Alcuin Society Book Awards.
An official first-day cover was cancelled in Ottawa.
$1.1M LAST YEAR
In 2017, the Canada Post Community Foundation provided $1.1 million in funding to grassroots and community-based child and youth organizations across the country.
The new issue is available in booklets of 10 stamps printed by Lowe-Martin using four-colour lithography. An official first-day cover cancelled in Ottawa was also released as part of the issue.