Award-winning exhibits took centre stage at the Edmonton Spring National Stamp Show, held March 21–22, 2026, where a strong national field competed at the only exhibition of its kind in Western Canada this year.
Hosted by the Edmonton Stamp Club, the World Series of Philately event carried added prestige, with the Grand Award winner qualifying for the American Philatelic Society’s 2026 Champion of Champions competition. Exhibits were judged across a full range of Royal Philatelic Society of Canada medal levels, with numerous special awards recognizing excellence in research, treatment and specialization.
Sam Chiu captured the Grand Award with The IPO Tieprints of 1899: Chinese Imperial Post Office’s Measures to Counteract Pilfering of Foreign Stamps on Outgoing Mail, a 95-point large gold exhibit that also earned the APS Award for Research and the Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Excellence. Chiu was among the most decorated exhibitors, also receiving major honours for additional entries, including Hong Kong Wartime Airmail September 1939 to December 1941, which earned the RPSC Award of Excellence for Treatment and the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society’s Best Airmail Exhibit.
Joel Weiner claimed the Reserve Grand Award for Allied Forces Cancellations Used in Palestine During World War I, 1917–1921, scoring 94 points and earning the APS Award of Excellence (1900–1940) and the Postal History Society of Canada’s Best Military Exhibit. Weiner also received an RPSC Award of Excellence for Synopsis/Title Page for his exhibit on Oxford postal markings.
Several other multi-frame exhibits achieved large gold status with significant recognition. Bryan Dunne’s British Columbia Forgeries received the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada Specialization Award along with both the British North America Philatelic Society’s Best BNA Exhibit and Best BNA 2×4 Exhibit. Steve Friedenthal’s exhibit on Canadian Second World War patriotic postage meter slogans earned the APS Award of Excellence (1940–1980) and PHSC Best BNA Postal History Exhibit.
Kenneth Snelson was honoured with the RPSC Award of Excellence for Material for his exhibit on U.K. Returned Letter Offices, while Dave Bartlet’s Canadian and Newfoundland Pioneer Airmail Flights of 1918–20 received the American Air Mail Society Gold Award. Robert Stock’s exhibit on Oxford County postmarks earned the APS Award of Excellence (pre-1900) and BNAPS Best Researched BNA Exhibit.
In the single-frame class, Jean-Jacques Tillard won both the Single Frame Grand Award and the United Postal Stationery Society’s Porter Venn Best Single Frame Award for his exhibit on French postal stationery. Other notable single-frame winners included Jean Wang, whose exhibit on wartime tobacco funds earned BNAPS Best BNA One Frame Exhibit, and Dave Bartlet, who received the ATA One Frame Award for his exhibit on the Royal Flying Corps in Canada.
Additional honours included Mark Oakley’s RPSC New Exhibit Award for his exhibit on British Columbia post offices and Dale Speirs’ AAPE Jean Beninghoff Encouragement Award. In thematic exhibiting, Bartlet also earned the AAPE Creativity Award and ATA Bronze Award for his exhibit on Okanagan wineries.
In the youth category, Kali Daum received the ATA Youth Award for Facial Hair in Philately.
This year’s show also marked the theme St. Joseph High School – a 50-year relationship, recognizing five decades of Edmonton Stamp Club meetings at the school, adding a local historical dimension to a nationally significant exhibition.