The beaver graced the first stamp issued in present-day Canada, the 1851 three-pence issue from the Province of Canada.
This year marks a golden milestone for one of Canada’s most iconic national emblems: the beaver. It’s been 50 years since Parliament officially recognized Castor canadensis as a symbol of Canadian sovereignty – though its significance stretches far deeper into the country’s colonial and philatelic past. Continue reading →
A 1957 five-cent stamp honours English explorer David Thompson, who immigrated to Canada to join the HBC at age 14 in 1784. After studying surveying with the HBC and penetrating Western Canada as far as the site of present-day Calgary, Thompson transfered to the North West Company in 1798.
Canada’s oldest company, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), continues to live on through the world of philately. From commemorative stamps and first-day covers to rare postmarks from remote trading posts, HBC’s role in Canada’s postal history remains a fascinating chapter for collectors and historians alike. Continue reading →
The ORAPEX jury faced a challenging task evaluating the numerous top-quality exhibits entered in this year’s show. (Photo by Mike Walsh)
At this year’s ORAPEX exhibition in Ottawa, exhibitors weren’t just showcasing their material – they were gaining invaluable feedback from some of the most experienced judges in philately. Leading the session was Chief Judge Ed Kroft, who offered candid, practical advice on how collectors can improve everything from title pages to treatment and presentation. Continue reading →
The earliest known Penny Black, the beginning of a more than 150-year communications revolution, crossed the block but failed to sell at a U.K. auction in 2021. Photo via Sotheby’s.
As the world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black turns 185 this May, collectors and letter writers alike are honouring its legacy in a unique, heartfelt way. The U.K.-based Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society (HLAS) is encouraging thousands of its members—across 38 countries including Canada—to mark the occasion by simply writing and mailing a letter. Continue reading →
As sweeping new U.S. tariffs ripple through global trade, Canadian stamp dealers are bracing for serious consequences. The latest measures—announced on April 2 under the “Reciprocal Tariff Policy”—impose a 10 per cent duty on imports from nearly every country in the world, along with additional duties of up to 50 per cent on goods from... Continue reading →
The Illustrated Philatelic Dictionary, featuring some 500 definitions, is the first updated reference on Canadian philatelic terms in 50 years. Published and printed by Canadian Stamp News, the book is available for purchase online or by calling the CSN office.
Collectors now have a fresh, all-Canadian reference to help decode the language of philately. Trajan Publishing has released its Illustrated Philatelic Dictionary, a nearly 100-page, full-colour softcover book packed with terms both traditional and modern—available now at CoinStampSupplies.com. Continue reading →
An April 1899 registered cover mailed to Toronto farmer and seed merchant William Rennie from MacLeod, Alta., then a district of the North-West Territories, carries an estimate of $750-plus as Lot 151.
Collectors and postal historians alike will find much to admire in Eastern Auctions’ upcoming sale, slated for April 9-12, where a remarkable 1,150 lots of Canadian and colonial stamps and postal history will cross the block. The four-session sale opens with a standout offering—what’s believed to be the most comprehensive collection of Alberta postal history... Continue reading →
A Canadian philatelist has made history, earning international recognition for his outstanding contributions to the world of competitive stamp exhibiting. Presented at a prestigious global exhibition, this honour marks a first for North America and cements his legacy in philatelic circles. His decades of dedication, leadership, and expertise have shaped international exhibitions and left a... Continue reading →
In 1997, Canada Post issued an official membership kit for the Stamp Travellers’ Club with a range of beginner supplies, books and stamps.
During the 1980s, as philatelic interest soared to record highs, Canada Post launched a bold initiative to inspire the next generation of collectors. With millions of letters passing through the mail each year, the Crown corporation capitalized on this momentum by creating the Stamp Travellers’ Club, a mail-based program that, at its peak, attracted more... Continue reading →
The CBC Stamp Club partnered with Trans-Canada Airlines (now Air Canada) to produce first-day covers featuring four stamps issued in 1951, in conjunction with CAPEX, to commemorate the centenary of Canadian postage stamps.
The venerable Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the country’s oldest continuously operating national public broadcasting network, once had a stamp club. Established 88 years ago, in November 1936, the CBC includes distinct English-and French-language service units known as CBC and Radio-Canada, respectively, reflecting Canada’s official languages. Canadian officials based their Crown corporation on the British model,... Continue reading →