News

Sometimes, I have to admire Deepak Chopra’s decision to take the helm of Canada Post. With all respect to Moya Greene, what he took over was a sinking ship with a striking crew. Still above water to be sure, but taking on water. The real challenge remains the corporation’s difficult relations with its staff. To continue the analogy, it is as if the captain and the crew, both of whom recognize that the ship it taking on water, can’t agree if they should plug the hole, man the pumps, or shut the watertight doors. Unable to agree, they end up pumping a bit, closing a few doors, and making the hole a bit smaller, but still continue to take on water. Meanwhile, the ship is still steaming through iceberg-infested water and more hits are to be expected. Continue reading →

While the digital version will be pretty much the same as the print version, except for hot links inside ads and editorial content, I do believe that electronic content offers a much better experience for the reader. I’m not talking about gimmicks, such as virtual reality games that almost nobody plays. I see opportunities for enhanced content, or even content not really suited to print, being connected to these articles. Right now we’re at the early stage of a digital experience, but I’m quite sure it is just the start of a whole new way for you and me to share our love of stamps. Continue reading →

Here in the hobby we are pretty well informed and have the chance to look at the whole program. Most Canadians only see a small part of the picture. Later this year, in the town where I live, there will be some events to honour Laura Secord. It makes sense since I live just a short walk from the place where she met with the native warriors and British soldiers, and even closer to the site of the battle that followed. There is a good chance that the stamp showing Secord will get some play. I know if I ran the local post office I’d be selling special covers and cancels whenever I got the chance. Continue reading →

All of this means that trying to predict the stamp market is a bit of a guessing game. A year ago it seemed as if the top end of the market had entered hibernation and most rarities would be off the market for some time while owners waited for a better time to sell. More recently, we have seen a couple of high-value sales, and I expect that we will be hearing about a few more over the summer. Does that mean that collectors are opening their wallets, or does it mean that owners have stopped waiting and are testing the waters? Continue reading →

Now in spite of what my children may think, I was not alive 100 years ago. But, I am old enough to remember a time when mail was different, very different. For one thing, if someone wanted to read an out-of-town newspaper, chances are they had it delivered by mail. I remember my father receiving copies of the Toronto and Montreal newspapers in the mailbox. They were delivered by a mailman – nobody ever heard the term “letter carrier” back then – who wore a very military uniform, complete with forage hat and cap badge. Back then the mail was royal, and the various letterboxes were mostly green with a very official coat of arms emblazoned on the front. Continue reading →