[press release]
Canada Post’s Christmas stamps capture the season in playful and traditional images 
OTTAWA – Canada Post’s Christmas stamps ring in the holiday season with three mirthful images from one of Canada’s most prolific stamp designers and a classic Renaissance rendering of Mary and the baby Jesus. Holiday well-wishers can add special cheer to their cards and letters with a secular or a sacred image.
Filled with billowy snowflakes in a navy blue sky, Rolf Harder’s images appear to be taken from an enchanted forest, occupied only by Santa Claus, a single Christmas tree and a dove carrying an olive branch. The renowned designer, who died in 2013, produced more than 60 works for Canada Post. His work has been added to the permanent collections of the Musée national des Beaux-arts du Québec and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The fourth stamp depicts the Virgin and Child, which was painted around 1460 by a highly esteemed painter from Florence, Italy, known only as the Master of the Castello Nativity. This rare painting uses gold and tempera, a pigment common until the advent of oil paint, whose many layers create intense colours. Virgin and Child is part of a generous donation of paintings made by Michal and Renata Hornstein to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
About the stamps:
Master of the Castello Nativity: Designed by Louise Méthé, this PermanentTM domestic stamp measures 26.25 mm by 32.25 mm and was printed by Canadian Bank Note using six colours, including a special gold ink. Virgin and Child was photographed by Brian Merrett and the image was made available courtesy of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The stamp is available in booklets of 12 with a single-stamp Official First Day Cover cancelled in Montréal. 
Rolf Harder Christmas stamps: Designed by Hélène L’Heureux, the Christmas stamps were developed from Rolf Harder’s original illustrations under the art direction of his daughter, Vivi Harder. They are available in domestic booklets of 12 Permanent stamps, and single-sided booklets of six U.S. and international-rate stamps. They are also available in souvenir sheets of three Permanent, U.S. and international stamps. Printed by Canadian Bank Note using six colours, they measure 22 mm by 24 mm. 
TORONTO – On the eve of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 semi-finals, and less than three weeks before the start of the 2016-17 NHL® Season, Canada Post today unveiled the fourth issue in its five-year NHL stamp series.
The six legends hail from five provinces. As a group, they played in more than 8,300 NHL games and scored more than 3,800 goals and more than 5,700 assists – more than a point per game (regular season and playoffs). Between them, they have won 18 Stanley Cup® Championships.
Phil Esposito
Guy Lafleur
Darryl Sittler
Mark Messier
Steve Yzerman 
Sidney Crosby
Available in a mixed booklet of six, containing all of this year’s lineup, the stamps measure 40 mm x 32 mm with simulated perforations, and are printed by Lowe-Martin on Tullis Russell paper with seven-colour lithography. The booklet front features a tightly cropped action shot of Lafleur and Sittler. Oversized-rate hockey-card-size souvenir sheets are available in a pack of six, as well. Each includes a chance to win: one in 40 packs has a signed and authenticated souvenir sheet. Related products: A gummed mini-pane collectors’ item featuring all six players. The mini-pane features embossed, foiled logos of the team each player was best known for. The Official First Day Covers – one for each player – will be cancelled in the birthplaces of the player: Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (Esposito); Thurso, Que. (Lafleur); Kitchener, Ont. (Sittler); Edmonton, Alta. (Messier); Cranbrook, B.C. (Yzerman); and Cole Harbour, N.S. (Crosby). Limited edition signed and numbered framed prints are available for each player.
Here are the fronts and backs of the hockey-card-size souvenir sheets for each player: 
And the mini-pane for the issue: 
OTTAWA, SEPT. 8, 2016 /CNW/ – Don’t give up the ghosts – another fright-filled adventure is yours to enjoy in Canada Post’s latest collection of five Haunted Canada stamps. [The stamps were issued September 8th. —VSC]
The Bell Island Hag – Bell Island, N.L. The spirit, it is said, dwells in the marshes near Dobbin’s Garden and appears to a lone person, overpowering him or her with her stench. As she covers her victim with her cowl, she always hisses the same words: “No one came to help me when I died in that swamp. No one will help you. Now taste what I tasted and smell what I smelled as my life was taken from me.” The victim is found hours later, unconscious and reeking of death.
The Dungarvon Whooper – Renous, N.B. Lumberjacks returned from work one day to discover their young cook dead and his money belt missing – apparently the work of the camp boss. The cook was quickly buried as a snowstorm blew in, and in the night, terrifying whoops and wails issued from his shallow grave. The lumberjacks fled in terror, never to return. To this day, Miramichi residents claim to hear the cook’s mournful cries, despite the efforts of a priest to quiet the grave years after the suspected murder.
The Lady in White – Montmorency Falls, Que. Hidden in the roar of Montmorency Falls are the cries of La Dame blanche (the Lady in White) calling out for her lost love. It was at the falls that Mathilde Robin’s fiancé, Louis Tessier, had courted her. Little did the betrothed couple know that Louis was soon to perish in battle during the Seven Years’ War. Overwhelmed with grief at the news of this death, Mathilde donned her wedding gown and tossed herself into the raging cataract.
The Phantom Bell Ringers of the Kirk of St. James – Charlottetown In the early morning of October 7, 1853, a sea captain was mystified to hear what sounded like the clanging of a ship’s bell coming from the town centre. He made his way to the Kirk of St. James, where he and the church keeper spied four women, one peering down from the belfry. The two men pursued the women up to the tower but found nothing except the bell, still vibrating. Later that day, the Fairy Queen mail steamer sank in stormy seas, with seven lives lost, including four women – three were members of the congregation of the Kirk of St. James.
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre – Toronto Staff and patrons have witnessed all manner of apparitions and otherworldly events in the restored theatre centre. A woman dressed in Edwardian dress has reportedly appeared in the lobby, while the hand-operated elevators have been seen stopping of their own accord at various floors. And be careful where you sit – the seats in the Winter Garden Theatre have flipped down and back up, as if unseen audience members had sat down and got up again. Or so they say.
The stamps measure 32 mm x 32 mm and are available in booklets of 10. They were designed by Lionel Gadoury and printed by Colour Innovations in five colours with a holographic foil. The issue also includes a souvenir sheet of five stamps measuring 127 mm x 73 mm, an Official First Day Cover (above) cancelled in Renous, N.B., and an uncut press sheet (below) measuring 650 mm x 480 mm. There are also five postage-paid postcards (available individually or as a set of five) and a Haunted Canada gift set of coin and stamps. 
Issue date: July 12, 2016
Hatched by designer Kosta Tsetsekas and illustrator Keith Martin, these stamps are the first in a three-year series celebrating Canada’s avian citizens. Our first flock includes five official birds: the Atlantic puffin (Newfoundland and Labrabor), the great horned owl (Alberta), the common raven (Yukon), the rock ptarmigan (Nunavut) and the sharp-tailed grouse (Saskatchewan).
subjects. He explains that, “You ultimately have to understand the physicality of these creatures.”
Forced to pick a favourite, Martin chose the puffin. “When it’s flying, it’s like a missile,” he says, “but when it lands, it always looks like it’s doing it for the first time. I wanted to reflect that quirkiness in my illustration.”
each bird in the 15-stamp series,” he smiles. “So, naturally, we’re eager to see them take flight.”
OTTAWA, May 26, 2016 /CNW/ – The mystery about the prehistoric creatures depicted in Canada Post’s exciting new Dinos of Canada stamp series is whether they are the hunters or the hunted.
The series, unveiled today, depicts five beasts from Canada’s geological past as reflections in the eyes of their prey or the predators stalking them. They are vividly illustrated by Sergey Krasovskiy, one of the world’s top paleo-artists.
Acrotholus audeti
Comox Valley elasmosaur
Cypretherium coarctatum
Canada’s first dinosaur, paleontologists later came to realize it was a mammal-like reptile. Its fearsome jaws were filled with serrated teeth and it likely used a sail on its back for display. It lived in what is now Prince Edward Island about 270 million years ago in, when it was hot and dry and located near the Equator.
Troodon inequalis
2911a USS Enterprise (sheet)
Under license by CBS Consumer Products, the collections includes five stamps depicting cast members from Star Trek: The Original Series. The U.S.S. Enterprise and a Klingon D7-class battle cruiser blast their way onto the coil stamps, while two special-effect lenticular stamps allow for continuous reruns of classic scenes. Along with a prestige booklet, official first day covers, souvenir sheets, uncut press sheets, panes, and booklets, fans will discover a galaxy of memorabilia, including postcards and stamp dispensers.
Four limited-edition items add to the fleet of collectibles: a framed print signed by William Shatner, a framed stamp pane cancelled with a gold-ink postmark of the Enterprise’s trusty shuttlecraft, a lenticular enlargement, and a lenticular uncut press sheet which is a first for any postal administration.
Five picture postcards: 
Canada Post spokesman Phil Legault said that the postal agency’s interest is, of course, on the Canadian aspects of the series: Captain James T. Kirk was played by William Shatner, a Montreal native, and picture in one of the stamps (shown on the right). Legault would “neither confirm nor deny” that another stamp might feature “Scotty,” the engineering chief who was played by Vancouver native James Doohan.
“Canada Post had a special little surprise for star gazers tonight at the Vulcan Trek Station,” the postal agency’s Phil Legault tells The Virtual Stamp Club. “They were the first to publicly see the “Spock” stamp, the third to be released this week celebrating Star Trek’s 50th anniversary. The Mayor of Vulcan, Tom Grant, Town Councillors and members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada were also on hand.” 
The stamp was “unveiled” by Chris Doohan, James’ son, in downtown Toronto: 
Canada Post is working on a special project to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek™ this year. The full line-up of stamps and collectibles will be available in early May, but a number of “stamp sightings” have already been seen across Canada in social media – check them out here 
Windsor, a University of Calgary PhD student in linguistics and expert in the Star Trek Klingon language, and more than 175 enthusiasts got the first look at the Klingon Commander Kor and Klingon D7-class battle cruiser stamps (attached here) with a photo from tonight. 
These are the sixth and seventh stamps “sighted” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek and Canada’s connection to the series this year. Kor, one of the most powerful enemies, was played by Toronto-native John Colicos. The first five stamps include the U.S.S. Enterprise itself and crew members Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy.
“Flanked by two delivery agents carrying the special parcel, Siân 
M. Matthews, Chairperson of Canada Post’s Board of Directors and who resides in nearby De Winton, Alta., presented Mr. Shatner with a framed memento of his stamp, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek™ – and Canada’s connection to the series.”
OTTAWA, March 1, 2016 /CNW/ – With spring just around the corner, Canada Post continues its perennially popular flower series with two new stamps featuring the billowy and showy hydrangea cultivars beloved by Canadian gardeners. A celebration of beauty to come, these beautiful blossoms continue a long tradition of flower stamps often sought after by gardeners, plant enthusiasts and brides.
The stamps illustrate yet another attractive quality of hydrangeas. While white is a common colour, some species develop flowers of different colours, depending on the pH of the soil. Acidic soil creates blue flowers, neutral soil creates cream-coloured blossoms, and alkaline soil produces purple or pink, as exemplified by the stamp image of Endless Summer.
The stamps measure 26 mm x 32 mm and are available together in booklets of 10 stamps and coils of 50 stamps. They were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company and use lithography in six colours. The souvenir sheet of both stamps measures 120 mm x 84 mm. The Official First Day Cover bears the cancellation site of Sunny Corner, NB. Designed by Benny Corrigan, with art directed by Karen Satok and David Sacha of Toronto’s Sputnik Design Partners Inc., the stamps were illustrated by Montréal artist Marie-Élaine Cusson.
One postcard is illustrated with a close-up image of two species of hydrangea. The white flower featured on the stamp is the cultivar Annabelle, a selection of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea aborescens). Native to the United States, Annabelle is one of the most cold hardy hydrangeas. The pink flower on the second stamp is Endless Summer, a cultivar of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Native to eastern Asia, this species will also produce blue or lavender flowers, depending on soil acidity or alkalinity.
The other postcard features two selections of hydrangea, aligned in an alternating pattern of diagonal lines. The pink flower featured on the stamp is Endless Summer, a cultivar of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Native to eastern Asia, this species will also produce blue or lavender flowers, depending on soil acidity or alkalinity. Endless Summer is unique among hydrangeas in that it flowers on both old and new growth. On the second stamp is the snow-white flower of Annabelle, a cultivar of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea aborescens). Annabelle, native to the United States, is one of the most cold hardy hydrangeas.
OTTAWA, March 8, 2016 /CNW/ – Canada Post today issued a new stamp that pays tribute to the women who fought and won the right to vote 100 years ago in this country. While the suffrage movement began to form nearly four decades earlier, the struggle to secure the vote did not significantly advance until the First World War, when women worked in hospitals, factories and offices, and often raised families alone, spurring demands for equality. In 1916, women in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta became the first in Canada to win the right to cast provincial ballots.
The Official First Day Cover features one of the most important figures of the women’s suffrage movement, Nellie McClung. Her portrait is set over an image of the 1915 petition to the Government of Manitoba that helped secure full political rights for women in that province. At the bottom is a black and gold banner reading “Votes for Women,” one of several artifacts currently on display in a women’s suffrage exhibit atWinnipeg’s Manitoba Museum.
After Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, women gained their voting rights in British Columbia and Ontario in 1917, Nova Scotia in 1918, New Brunswick and Yukon in 1919, Prince Edward Island in 1922, Newfoundland in 1925 (before it became a Canadian province), Quebec in 1940 and the Northwest Territories in 1951. However, it wasn’t until 1960 when all Canadians, including Inuit and First Nations, were eligible to vote regardless of race or ethnicity.
OTTAWA, Feb. 1, 2016 /CNW/ – With their country going to war in 1914, Black Canadians stepped forward to join the fight but many were turned away because of racial prejudice. By persevering, they finally won the right to serve overseas, with hundreds of them joining a new, predominantly black unit.
[press release]
