Two new issues were released nationwide by Canada Post today.
Among today’s releases is a continuation of the ongoing Lunar New Year series, this for the Year of the Dog, which will be the 10th issue in the Crown corporation’s most recent 12-year series.
The design of the non-denominated Permanent stamp includes a Chinese paper lantern with the image of a dog overlaid in red. The words dog, chien and the Chinese characters for “gǒu” (or dog). The set will also include an international-rate stamp as well as a souvenir sheet.
From Feb. 16, 2018 to Feb. 4, 2019, those born in the Year of the Dog will have plenty of days to call their own. Possessing many of the same positive attributes as our favourite canines, those people born in the Year of the Dog are known to be trustworthy, protective, courageous and driven by a sense of duty and justice.
An international-rate stamp (shown above) was also released today.
Famous Canadians born in the Year of the Dog include Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen and Lucy Maud Montgomery.
This year’s lunar New Year stamp issue was designed by Roy White and Liz Wurzinger, of Vancouver’s Subplot Design.
“We wanted it to play a pivotal role in the design of these stamps, so we came up with the idea of translating Meimei Mao’s intricate dog illustrations onto these beautiful, illuminated lanterns. Raeff Mile’s photographs of them capture the warmth, richness and depth we were striving for,” explained the designers.
The domestic stamp is available in a booklet of 10 stamps; a pane of 25 stamps; and a corner block of four stamps.
The international-rate stamp is available in a booklet of six stamps; a souvenir sheet of one stamp; and an uncut press sheet of 12 souvenir sheets.
A “traditional” souvenir sheet with both stamps is also available.
Both the domestic official first-day cover (OFDC) and souvenir sheet OFDC were cancelled in Vancouver.
A nine-stamp definitive set entitled ‘From Far and Wide’ was also issued today.
‘FROM FAR & WIDE’
Today’s other new issue is a nine-stamp definitive set dubbed “From Far and Wide.”
“This definitive series offers a traveller’s view of many must-see places throughout Canada,” reads the souvenir sheet.
The five non-denominated Permanent stamps in the top row feature St. John’s, N.L.; Hopewell Rocks, N.B.; MacMillan Provincial Park, B.C.; Prince Edward Island National Park; Québec’s Parc national de l’Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé.
One of the nine stamps depicts Pisew Falls Provincial Park in Manitoba.
The remaining four stamps are denominated $1, $1.20, $1.80 and $2.50, respectively, and depict Pisew Falls Provincial Park, Man.; Point Pelee National Park, Ont.; Naats’ihch’oh National Park Reserve, N.W.T.; and Arctic Bay, Nunavut.
Because definitive stamps are typically smaller than commemoratives, they can pose a challenge for designers with their 24 mm by 20 mm canvas.
“Since the stamps in this series are so tiny, our objective was to keep the design as simple as possible – so as not to detract from the visual impact of these incredible photographs,” said Montréal designer Stéphane Huot.
Another of the ‘From Far and Wide’ stamps depicts MacMillan Provincial Park, B.C.
The “From Far and Wide” stamps were printed by Lowe-Martin and are available in a booklet of 10 stamps; a booklet of 30 stamps; a coil of 100 stamps; coils of 50 stamps (in either domestic rate, international rate, oversized rate and U.S. rate); booklets of six stamps (U.S. rate, international rate and oversized rate); a souvenir sheet of nine stamps; and a souvenir sheet OFDC.
NEW YEAR, NEW STAMPS
“Welcoming a new year means bidding farewell to the one that has passed – and what a year it was,” writes Canada Post Director of Stamp Service Jim Phillips in the most recent issue of Details.
Another of the nine stamps depicts Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.
“In this issue, we wrap up our sesquicentennial celebration by revealing the last of the hidden Canada 150 features on every 2017 stamp.”
Up next on Canada Post’s stamp program are stamps featuring:
- “Women in Winter Sports” (Jan. 24);
- Kay Livingstone and Lincoln M. Alexander (Feb. 1); and
- a commemorative envelope celebrating the centenary of The War Amps (Feb. 8).