A 55-cent stamp denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) as part of its latest “World Heritage” series features the Rideau Canal in the Canadian capital.
Covering 202 kilometres from Ottawa to Kingston Harbour at the east end of Lake Ontario, the massive 19th-century construction opened in 1832 with a final cost of £822,804, according to the official treasury minute report. One of the first canals designed specifically for steam-powered vessels, it also features several fortifications, including Fort Henry in Kingston, Ont., La Citadelle in Québec, Qué., and Citadel Hill in Halifax, N.S.
Inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2007, it is North America’s best preserved slackwater canal (and the only canal from the continental canal-building era of the early 19th century to remain operational along its original line and with most of its structures intact).
Issued as a “prestige booklet” featuring bridges, waterways and railways, the Rideau Canal stamp is joined by five other stamps featuring World Heritage sites in China; India; Italy and Switzerland; Scotland; and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The UNPA launched its World Heritage series in 1997 with a set marking the World Heritage Convention’s 25th anniversary.