Category Archives: Top Story

Echoing issues from past years, membership and finances were among the main topics of discussion at the first virtual annual general meeting (AGM) hosted by the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) this December. A welcome sign to officials worried about a dwindling membership base, the RPSC gained 85 members last year, jumping from 1,460... Continue reading →

Along with some dealer sales – mostly for sellers with a strong online presence – auction results have also held their own during the pandemic. In 2020, the hobby’s natural ebb and flow continued, with certain collecting areas outperforming others in terms of general interest if not outright value. Among the major trends – a continuation from... Continue reading →

Looking ahead to 2021, the “Edmonton Spring National” in March and Orapex in May – Canada’s first two national-level shows of the year – are already cancelled. The June Royal Convention originally slated for Peterborough, Ont., before the host Kawartha Stamp Club withdrew as the host, is also up in the air. The only remaining 2021 national... Continue reading →

With pandemic-related show cancellations continuing into next spring, collectors across Canada have begun to wonder about the 2021 Royal Convention. This year marked the first time since 1950 the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) – and its predecessor Canadian Philatelic Society, which earned its “Royal” prefix in 1959 – did not host a convention.... Continue reading →

The Canadian Stamp Dealers Association (CSDA) has unveiled its new board for the upcoming term that begins on Dec. 1. Long-time CSDA president Rick Day, of Burlington, Ont., has stepped down from the helm after nearly two decades. He’s set to assume the vice-president’s role previously filled by incoming President Angelo Komatsoulis, of Montréal, Qué.... Continue reading →

After being certified as genuine by a U.S. expertization service, a 94-year-old block of four “Admiral” provisional stamps with an unlisted inverted surcharge has been deemed fake by the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation. The mint block of four 1926 two-cent-on-three-cent carmine “Admiral” provisional stamps (Scott #139) was apparently first discussed in 1978, when... Continue reading →

At the helm of Toronto’s post office during its incorporation and subsequent population boom, James Scott Howard oversaw mail delivery from July 1828 until his dismissal nearly 10 years later. About a decade after the city incorporated in 1834, its population more than doubled to 21,000. While an excellent postal service was necessary, mail delivery... Continue reading →

James Scott Howard became York’s fourth postmaster in 1828, about a decade after arriving in the bustling capital of Upper Canada from Fredericton, N.B. Six years after Howard came to the helm of York’s postal service – a role that also pegged him, albeit unofficially, as Upper Canada’s deputy postmaster general – the capital incorporated as... Continue reading →

Now derided by some Canadians as the sarcastic “centre of the universe,” present-day Toronto served as the heart of the fledgeling Province of Upper Canada soon after its establishment in 1791. Two years later, with Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) still serving as the British colony’s first capital, Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe made his first visit to the... Continue reading →

After nearly four months with no new issues, Canada Post released its five-stamp “Medical Groundbreakers” set honouring medical physicians and researchers on Sept. 10. Available in 10-stamp booklets with two of each design, the set is Canada Post’s first issue since May 20, when it released a pair of stamps marking 100 years of radio... Continue reading →