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Canada’s symbolic beaver turns 50
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 →
HBC’s legacy through postal history
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 →