The 69th annual British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) Convention was held in conjunction with Caltapex and jointly hosted by the Calgary BNAPS Regional Group and the Calgary Philatelic Society (CPS) on Sept. 1-3.
In addition to an extensive bourse, the annual convention—dubbed “BNAPEX”—included a competitive exhibition. This year’s show theme was the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, and there were range of exhibits relating to BNA topics as well as worldwide exhibits by CPS members.
The BNAPS Horace Harrison Grand Award went to Ronald E. Majors for his exhibit entitled “Canadian Postal History: A Rate Study using Decimal-Franked and Stampless Covers (1859-1868).” The Allan Steinhart Reserve Grand Award winner was David Piercey for his exhibit entitled “Steamship Mail in the Early Decimal Period of Newfoundland 1865-1910.”
The Caltapex Grand Award winner was Donna Trathen for her exhibit entitled “Christina Broom: Her Work as a Photographer.” The Youth Grand Award winner was Alex Liusz Moser for his exhibit entitled “Time of Dinosaurs.”
BNAPS SPECIAL AWARDS
Six BNAPS special awards were handed out, including the Ed and Mickey Richardson Award, which goes to the exhibit that represents the highest level of achievement in research, originality, innovation and/or presentation. This year’s honour was given to David Bartlet for his exhibit entitled “Vended Postage Automation.”
The Daniel Myerson Award for the most complete presentation in the finest quality of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland went to Kevin O’Reilly for his exhibit entitled “A Postal History of Labrador before Confederation.”
The Canadian Military Mails Study Group Award is given to the best military exhibit. This year’s award went to Jon Johnson for his exhibit entitled “WWI Canadian Army Nursing Sisters Serving Overseas.”
The William G. Robinson Award is given for the best Railway Post Office exhibit, which was Sean Weatherup’s “The Railway Post Office Operating between Halifax and Sydney.”
The John D. Arn White Queen Award for the best exhibit of Elizabethan material went to Joel Weiner for his exhibit entitled “The Centennial Booklets of Canada 1967-1973.”
The Herb McNaught Memorial Award for the best single-frame entry was given to Peter J. McCarthy’s “Canadian Railway Post Office Markings.”
Lastly, the Order of the Beaver Novice Award, which goes to the best exhibit by a person who has not exhibited previously at a BNAPS exhibition, was given to Gordon William Turnbull for his exhibit entitled “Booklets and Coils of Canada – The Canadian Postal System Enters the Machine Age.”
BNAPEX AWARDS
Gold medal winners of the BNAPEX exhibition include:
- Earle L. Covert, “Canadian Centennial Postal Stationery”;
- Robert J. Elias, “Canadian Postal Rates and Fees: Early Elizabethan II Era (1952-1967)”;
- Jon Johnson, “WWI Canadian Army Nursing Sisters Serving Overseas”;
- Hal Kellett, “Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan Territory Mail 1846-1905”;
- Ronald E. Majors, “Canadian Postal History: A Rate Study using Decimal-Franked and Stampless Covers (1859-1868)”;
- Peter J. McCarthy, “Canadian Railway Post Office Markings”;
- Kevin O’Reilly, “A Postal History of Labrador before Confederation”
- David Piercey,“Steamship Mail in the Early Decimal Period of Newfoundland 1865-1910”;
- Ken Pugh, “The B.N.A. Faked Bisect Covers of Raoul Ch. de Thuin”;
- Gordon William Turnbull, “Booklets and Coils of Canada –The Canadian Postal System Enters the Machine Age”;
- Sean Weatherup, “The Railway Post Office Operating between Halifax and Sydney”; and
- Joel Weiner, “The Centennial Booklets of Canada 1967-1973.”
Vermeil medal winners include:
- David Bartlet, “Cello-Paqs 1961 to 1967” and “Vended Postage Automation”;
- Earle L. Covert, “1991 Flag Stamp on Postal Stationery”;
- Stephen Sacks, “1917 Confederation Issue of Stamps: Usages and Rates as well as Related Research”; and
- Richard S. Wilson, “Newfoundland’s 1897 Royal Family Issue.”
Silver medal winners include:
- F. Jeffrey Scott Arndt, “Fakes, Forgeries, and Fantasies: Some Call Them Album Weeds”;
- Richard Thompson, “The 12½¢ and 17¢ Stamps of 1859”;
- Richard Thompson, “The One Cent Small Queens 1870-1897”;
- Gordon William Turnbull, “The 1949-1951 Vending Booklets Exposed”; and
- Raymond Villeneuve, “Special Delivery Service between Canada and the U.S.: 1898-1946.”
Silver-Bronze medal winners include:
- Leopold Beaudet, “Eclectic & Eccentric Admiral Postal & Fiscal History”;
- Earle L. Covert, “Religious Groups Using Illustrated Permits”;
- Hugh Delaney, “Passage to Confederation (Fathers and Mothers)”;
- Bronze Medal Chris Hargreaves, “A History of Canada’s Airmail Stamps, 1928-1939”;
- John MacEntyre, “Canada: The Development of Official International Airmail Routes 1928-42”; and
- Dale Speirs, “The Maple Leaf Flag.”
CALTAPEX AWARDS
Large Gold medal winners of the Caltapex exhibition include Donna Trathen for her exhibit entitled “Christina Broom: Her Work as a Photographer.”
Gold medal winners include James R. Taylor’s “Earth Science – From Flat Earth to Planetary Tectonics.”
Large Vermeil medal winners include Donna Trathen’s “Horses: Origin, Breeds and Roles.”
Vermeil medal winners include:
- Bill Bartlet, “22nd World Scout Jamboree at Rinkabi, Sweden July 27-August 6, 2011”; and
- Sandra Freeman, “Lampooning the Three Axis Amigos.”
Large Silver medal winners include:
- Alex Liusz Moser “Time of Dinosaurs” (youth); and
- Raymond Villeneuve, “Promoting the Games: Olympic Poster Stamps 1906-1956.”
Silver medal winners include F. Jeffrey Scott Arndt’s “Exporta 100 peso Strawberry.”
SPECIAL AWARDS
A dozen additional special awards were also jointly awarded, including the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (AAPE) Award of Honor, which was given to Donna Trathen’s “Horses: Origin, Breeds and Roles.”
The American Philatelic Society (APS) Medal of Excellence for pre-1900 material went to Ronald E. Majors’ “Canadian Postal History: A Rate Study using Decimal-Franked and Stampless Covers (1859-1868).”
The APS Medal of Excellence for 1900-1940 material was given to Gordon William Turnbull’s “Booklets and Coils of Canada – The Canadian Postal System Enters the Machine Age.”
The APS Medal of Excellence for 1940-1980 material went to Joel Weiner, “The Centennial Booklets of Canada 1967- 1973.”
The APS Medal of Excellence for post-1980 material was won by Earle L. Covert for his exhibit entitled “1991 Flag Stamp on Postal Stationery.”
The APS Research Medal went to Robert J. Elias’ “Canadian Postal Rates and Fees: Early Elizabethan II Era (1952-1967).”
The American Topical Association (ATA) Best in Topicals Award was won by James R. Taylor for his exhibit entitled “Earth Science – From Flat Earth to Planetary Tectonics.”
The ATA Best Youth Topicals Award was given to Alex Liusz Moser’s “Time of Dinosaurs.”
The Canadian Aerophilatelic Society (CAS) Award for the best aerophilatelic entry went to Chris Hargreaves’ “A History of Canada’s Airmail Stamps, 1928-1939.”
The Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada (PSSC) Specialization Medal was won by Jon Johnson for his exhibit entitled “WWI Canadian Army Nursing Sisters Serving Overseas.”
The Sterling Achievement Award from Women Exhibitors for notable accomplishment in an exhibit’s treatment went to Richard Thompson’s “The One Cent Small Queens 1870-1897.”
The Thunderbird Award from the North West Federation of Stamp Clubs was won by Donna Trathen’s “Christina Broom: Her Work as a Photographer.”
Lastly, the Jon Johnson Award for the best exhibit (of two frames or more) by a member of the Calgary Philatelic Society went to James R. Taylor’s “Earth Science – From Flat Earth to Planetary Tectonics.”
COURT OF HONOUR
There were two court of honour exhibits, including John Bucci’s “Celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary Of Confederation” and Sandra Freeman’s “Development of Early Bolivian Air Service 1910-1945.”