The 62nd edition of ORAPEX, one of Canada’s longest-running national-level stamp exhibitions, will return to the Nepean Sportsplex in Ottawa, Ont., on May 3–4, 2025, bringing collectors, exhibitors and dealers together for a weekend of philatelic excellence and youth engagement.
This year’s theme, The Beaver, pays tribute to one of Canada’s most iconic national symbols. Attendees can expect to see a wide range of exhibits and displays exploring the beaver’s historic and cultural significance in Canadian philately. ORAPEX is part of the American Philatelic Society’s World Series of Philately, and this year’s show introduces a new opportunity for exhibitors — an FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie) option. Exhibitors who choose this category will have their displays reviewed by two FIP-qualified judges, receiving feedback on how to meet international exhibition standards. Seven adult exhibitors have opted in, along with last year’s top youth exhibitor, who is preparing for the Dubai World Stamp Exhibition in February 2026.
ORAPEX 2025 will feature three youth exhibits, including a return from last year’s award winner. A Youth Booth will once again be available, offering free stamps and supplies to young collectors in an effort to foster the next generation of philatelists.
The 2025 Show Honouree is Stéphane Cloutier, FRPSC, FPHSC, a respected collector, exhibitor, judge, author and organizer. A collector since age eight, Cloutier attended CAPEX 78 at 11 and began a lifelong passion for postal history and postmarks, both Canadian and French. He has exhibited nationally and has earned multiple gold and vermeil medals for his displays, including studies of Hamilton postmarks, duplex cancellations, and Bickerdike machine markings. In 2005, he edited and published the Catalogue of Canadian Duplex Cancellations, a 230-page reference that remains current through updates published by the Postal History Society of Canada.
Cloutier has also made lasting contributions to organized philately. He served as Secretary-Treasurer and later President of the Postal History Society of Canada, sat on the boards of both the RPSC and ORAPEX, and is currently a general consultant to the ORAPEX committee. He became an RPSC-accredited judge in 2009 and has since judged nearly 30 exhibitions. After a long career at the University of Ottawa Library and a leadership role at Sparks Auctions, Cloutier now lives in Victoria, B.C., where he co-manages Garden City Philatelic Auctions.
Organized by volunteers from the Ottawa Philatelic Society, the Alta Vista Stamp Club, and the Amicale des philatélistes de l’Outaouais, ORAPEX offers free admission and parking, with a weekend of seminars, exhibits, a full bourse and community spirit.
For more information and seminar schedules, visit the official ORAPEX website at www.orapex.ca.