The 90th convention of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) is returning to St. Catharines, Ont., this weekend.
Hosted by the St. Catharines Stamp Club, the three-day show is being held June 22-24 at the Holiday Inn and Suites Parkway Convention Centre on 327 Ontario St. The bourse will be open tomorrow and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is $3 on Friday and Saturday. In addition to free admission on Sunday, parking is also free at the venue all weekend.
It’s only the second time the convention has been held in the “Garden City” (in 2009, it was held at the same location in the city’s York-Haig neighbourhood). In fact, it’s only the third time The RPSC’s big show has been held in the Niagara Peninsula east of Hamilton, which has hosted the show three times itself (1966, 1989 and 1998).
The RPSC board of directors is scheduled to meet today at 4 p.m.
“That will give the board members a chance to wander the bourse and make their presence known,” said meetings and seminars co-chair Rod Paige, who’s also the past vice president of The RPSC.
ROYAL SHOW LOCATION
Starting in 1959 with the first Royal Convention in Sarnia, Ont., and ending with the most recent convention in Boucherville, Qué., The RPSC has held its annual show 59 times, including 17 shows (nearly one third of the total) in Western Canada; 14 shows west of Toronto in Ontario and four shows east of Toronto in Ontario (not including Ottawa); six shows in Western Québec; five shows in Eastern Québec; four shows in the Maritimes; and two shows in Ottawa. Seven other shows were technically “not this type of Royal,” said 2018 convention chair Stuart Keeley. Three shows were held in conjunction with Capex (1978, 1987 and 1996); three were held in the U.S. (Alexandria Bay, N.Y. in 1968; Philadelphia in 1976; and Chicago in 1986); and one was held without dealers in Niagara Falls in 1963.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
JUNE 22, 2018 |
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| 9:45 a.m. | Opening ceremony | Lobby outside bourse entrance |
| 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse open | |
| 11 a.m.-noon | Seminar: “Great Britain Postal Reform, 1837-1840” by Tom Slemons |
Concord Room |
| 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | RPSC Fellows meeting | Niagara “A” Room |
| 1 p.m.-2 p.m. | RPSC Foundation meeting | Niagara “A” Room |
| 1 p.m.-2 p.m. | Seminar: “The Fun of Topical Collecting” by Larry Davidson |
Concord Room |
| 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Seminar: “Understanding the Machin Series – A Primer” by Steve McGill |
Concord Room |
| 5 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse close | |
JUNE 23, 2018 |
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| 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse open | |
| 10 a.m.-11 a.m. | RPSC Annual General Meeting | Concord Room |
| 11 a.m.-noon | RPSC Board meeting | Concord Room |
| 11 a.m.-noon | Seminar: “Getting Started with Thematic Exhibiting” by Dawn Hamman |
Ostin “A/B” Room |
| 1 a.m.-2 p.m. | RPSC Philatelic Research Foundation Board meeting | Concord Room |
| 1 a.m.-2 p.m. | Seminar/workshop: “Workshop, GB Postal Reform to Modern Machins” by Tom Slemons & Steve McGill |
Ostin “A/B” Room |
| 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Seminar: “ATA Roundtable” |
Ostin “A/B” Room |
| 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. | Seminar: “A Show and Tell of Unusual Canadian FDCs” by Andrew Chung |
Ostin “A/B” Room |
| 5 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse close | |
| 6 p.m.-7:15 p.m. | RPSC President’s Reception | Hall in front of Concord Room |
| 6:30 p.m.-7:15 p.m. | Symposium | Concord Room |
| 7:30 p.m. | Awards Banquet | Concord Room |
JUNE 24, 2018 |
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| 8 a.m.-10 a.m. | PSSC Breakfast and Lecture | Concord Room |
| 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse open | |
| 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Exhibitor feedback session | Concord Room |
| 1 p.m.-2 p.m. | Seminar: “Judging – Treatment and Importance” by Dr. Joel Weiner |
Ostin “A/B” Room |
| 1 p.m.-2 p.m. | RPSC chapter representatives meeting | Concord Room |
| 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Guided walkthrough of exhibits | |
| 3 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse close | |