Monthly Archives: October 2015
Canadian postal history evolves with transportation
Throughout its illustrious history, Canada Post has continuously explored new modes of transportation, including (clockwise from top left) a Royal Mail sledge (Library and Archives Canada, Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana, Acc. No. R9266-4212); the Royal Mail steamer Coriscan (Patent and Copyright Office/Library and Archives Canada/C-010370); a winter crossing of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1970-188-2076 W.H. Coverdale Collection of Canadiana); and a Canadian Airways airplane (Hayward Studios/Library and Archives Canada).
This week, and most other weeks of the year, Canada’s postal couriers will travel more than 1.6 million kilometres during their dispatches from coast to coast to coast, ensuring the country’s postal services remain intact. That’s about 86 million kilometres – more than half the distance to the sun – travelled each year on behalf of Canada Post. And with about 6,000 post offices scattered across the country, there’s more to the Crown corporation’s network than its thousands of dedicated postal workers. Various modes of transportation – everything from carriages to dog sleds and airplanes – have played a significant role in moving mail across Canada. Continue reading →
A little cash would be a big boost for stamp shows
The Canadian Stamp Dealers’ Association certainly has been in a quagmire over what to do about its Toronto National Postage Stamp Show. Well, no longer. Association president Rick Day recently sent an email to members informing them its board had decided that, after almost 30 years in the show business, its November 2015 show “will be our last one.” It’s sad, but not surprising. “The bottom line is that our April 2015 show lost a substantial amount of money primarily because the pool of dealers available and willing to take booths wasn’t sufficient to sustain the break-even requirement for the shows to continue,” Day wrote to members. “For this reason and with sincere regrets, the Board voted to get out of the show business …” There are three key points I want to address. Continue reading →
Legendary NHL goalies on Canada Post’s latest issue
Lorne Worsley, Johnny Bower, Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent, Ken Dryden and Martin Brodeur are featured on Canada Post’s ‘NHL Great Canadian Goalies’ six-stamp set. It’s the third of a five-year collection of NHL stamps leading up to the league’s 100th anniversary in 2017.
ess than a week before the first puck dropped to begin the 2015-16 NHL season, six legendary goalies were immortalized as part of Canada Post’s multi-year NHL stamp collection celebrating the goaltending greats who transformed the game of hockey. Available in booklets of six – one for each player, including Lorne Worsley (Montreal Canadiens), Johnny Bower (Toronto Maple Leafs), Tony Esposito (Chicago Blackhawks), Bernie Parent (Philadelphia Flyers), Ken Dryden (Montreal Canadiens) and Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) – the stamps measure 40 mm x 32 mm with simulated perforations and were printed by Lowe-Martin on Tullis Russell paper using seven-colour lithography. Continue reading →