On a clear night, you can look up and see most of the planets, if you know where to look, with your naked eyes. If you do it often, they become familiar enough that you begin to recognize them without thinking. Jupiter in its glory, blazing Venus, and even Saturn are not that hard to... Continue reading →
While I write this, the government’s events to mark the War of 1812 are kicking into high gear. This fall marks a few key events: the captures of Fort Mackinaw and Detroit by Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, and the repulsion of an American invasion at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Of course the war wasn’t... Continue reading →
They depict, as do dozens of other secular Christmas stamps, Canadians outdoors in winter. My thoughts went to the scene, a man in snowshoes following a woman on a toboggan pulled by a dog. They appear to be delivering a present. It occurred to me that I have never seen anyone successfully get a dog... Continue reading →
Today, more than 40 years after man first walked on the moon, and when transatlantic flights are taken with a grain of salt, we have to strain to think about what it must have been like for those early adventurers. First off, they didn’t have autopilot, GPS, satellites, radar, and constant radio contact with the... Continue reading →
It seems that Canadian football fell out of fashion and everyone began watching the “important” teams from south of the border. You know, those guys who play on a smaller field and need an extra down to try to make 10 yards. The CFL, by nature of being Canadian, seemed to be somehow less, especially... Continue reading →
There is nothing that collectors, Canadian Stamp News, or even Canada Post can do to reverse these long-term trends. However, there is reason to take heart. While the quantity of stamps being issued is dropping, the quality is going up at a staggering rate. By that I mean that we are seeing stamps being produced... Continue reading →
I believe that some of the personalized postage issues belong among the regular Canada Post listings in references, rather than lumped in the back of the book. The reasons, I believe, are compelling. Now, I am not talking about Uncle John and Aunt Mary standing around the Christmas tree, or even the new specialized issues,... Continue reading →
I have to admit that I am a big fan of the British television series Dr. Who. For most of my life I have been watching a succession of “doctors” battle a selection of British actors in rubber masks through space or time. The series, which is now 50 years old, obviously has staying power.... Continue reading →
When a successful post office that serves a large number of people is closed and replaced with a back corner of a drugstore, that isn’t converting from one type of post office to another, it is a definite and permanent reduction in service. It is also a definite and permanent reduction in cost for Canada... Continue reading →
Now I really do believe that these machines add some fun to collecting. In my perfect world, of course, they would not be necessary. I would much rather see honest-to-goodness post offices staffed by real postal workers within easy reach of all Canadians. In this mythical world, these workers would all be well-versed on philatelic... Continue reading →