Issue date: November 2nd.

From Details magazine:

The Secular Stamps:
This year, Canada Post continues its long tradition of Christmas stamps with a secular issue that’s designed to inspire plenty of warm thoughts. The three stamps – domestic, U.S. and international rates – display colourful folk-art inspired depictions of traditional cold-weather wear, the very items you’ll likely find under many trees this Christmas.

Did you know European settlers brought wool- producing sheep to North America, as early as the mid-17th century, to keep their families’ feet warm with knitted socks? Or that worsted caps worn by voyageurs are possibly the predecessor of what we now call toques? What about early Canadians who definitely warmed up with fur-lined mitts made of animal skin, a style that likely originated with the Inuit? In Canada, even dressing for the cold connects us with the past.

At this gift-giving time of year, Canada Post will deliver on the wish list of discerning collectors with a limited edition uncut production press sheet that features multiple booklets from this issue, along with booklets of the 2018 sacred Christmas stamp (page 10). Also included is a bonus pack of all four stamp booklets plus two Official First Day Covers and a souvenir sheet. Unlike uncut press sheets specifically designed as collectibles, the production press sheet is made up of actual booklets before they’re cut for sale. This Canada Post first is sure to make the season very merry and bright for collectors.

The religious stamp:
Few stories have inspired as many creative interpretations as the Nativity. For centuries, artists have used the methods and media of their time to express their vision of the birth of Christ.
This year’s stamp, designed by Montréal-based Paprika and illustrated by Daniel Robitaille, employs the simple but rich symbolism of traditional folk art to revitalize the essential elements: the Holy Family, their humble accommodations, the makeshift crib and the heralding star of Bethlehem. Imagery on the Official First Day Cover continues the story, showing the intrepid Magi following the star to seek the Infant King. Warm colours evoke a sense of family intimacy and peace that befit the season.

[press release]
Annual Christmas stamps mark the beginning of the festive season
Canadians can choose either sacred or secular themes for their holiday greetings.

OTTAWA – Nothing marks the beginning of the holiday season like the arrival of the first Christmas card or letter. That’s been so for a long time: Canada issued the world’s first Christmas stamp – bearing a map of the British Empire and the words “Xmas 1898,” and since 1964, Canadians have been treated to holiday-themed stamps every Christmas.

This year, holiday mailers can again choose stamps with a sacred or secular theme. The sacred PERMANENT™ domestic-rate stamp features a rendering of the Nativity that is inspired by folk art.

The secular stamps offer bright and colourful illustrations of knitwear – socks (PERMANENT domestic rate), a hat (US rate) and mitts (International rate) – that evoke the warm and cozy items traditionally found under many a Canadian Christmas tree.

Both stamp issues are designed by the firm Paprika (Montréal), illustrated by Daniel Robitaille and printed by Colour Innovations (Toronto).

In a philatelic first, Canada Post is making available a limited edition of 500 uncut production press sheets, which feature several of each of the stamp booklets. This collectible is packaged for gift-giving. It includes a bonus gift of both the sacred and secular booklets (four in all); a secular souvenir sheet; and two Official First Day Covers, which are cancelled in St. Joseph, Man., (sacred) and Cardigan, P.E.I. (secular).

Stamps are available online or at postal outlets throughout Canada. The uncut press sheet is available online only at canadapost.ca/shop.

[press release]
Stamp marks 100th anniversary of Armistice of 1918
Our soldiers’ immense sacrifice had a profound impact on Canada

OTTAWA, Oct. 24, 2018 /CNW/ – Canada Post unveiled a stamp today that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War, a conflict that irrevocably changed Canada and its status on the world stage.

Canadian soldiers stood fast at Ypres, stormed the Regina Trench, climbed the heights of Vimy Ridge, captured Passchendaele and, on November 11, 1918, entered Mons. The immense sacrifice of our soldiers earned the country widespread recognition and had a profound impact on Canada.

The stamp depicts a dove suspended above barbed wire and includes the image of a poppy, a powerful symbol of remembrance and the principal emblem of The Royal Canadian Legion. The imagery symbolizes struggle, peace and remembrance and honours those who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of freedom and democracy.

The stamp was unveiled at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, which has a responsibility to provide care for veterans. The stamp is cancelled in Ottawa, home of the National War Memorial, which appears on the back of the Official First Day Cover. At the unveiling event, Thomas D. Irvine, Dominion President of The Royal Canadian Legion, introduced the Legion’s Bells of Peace Initiative in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada. At the setting of the sun on November 11, the Parliament Hill carillon and bells at Legion branches and spiritual centres across the country will ring 100 times to mark the sacrifices of our veterans and the joy that peace brought at the end of the war. Youth will also be engaged to research locations and place flags on the graves of Canadian Veterans of the Great War.

Canada’s war effort was remarkable, but victory came at a terrible price. Of the more than 650,000 Canadians who served with the Allies, more than 66,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded.

After more than four years of horrific trench warfare, fighting came to an abrupt end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The armistice signed earlier that morning in a railway car near Compiègne, France, silenced the guns on the Western front and brought relief to the world that had never before seen such a conflict.

The stamp, which comes in a booklet of 10 is available on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada. From Details magazine:

After more than four years of bitter struggle, the fighting in the First World War came to an end at “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. This stamp celebrates the silencing of the guns and commemorates those who fought and died for peace. Of the more than 650,000 Canadians who served with the Allies, over 66,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded.

Designers Larry Burke and Anna Stredulinsky, of Halifax’s Burke & Burke, placed the dove – a universal symbol of peace – at the centre of the stamp. The bird hovering over barbed wire in a devastated landscape serves as a poignant metaphor for the return of peace to a war-torn world.

“To us, the armistice was less about the moment of its signing than the lasting peace it brought,” explains Burke, adding that photos of the celebrations in 1918 were selected for the booklet, pane and Official First Day Cover to convey the relief, joy and hope that Canadians felt when the fighting stopped.

After the war, Armistice Day was observed on a Monday in early November until 1931, when a campaign led by the Canadian Legion resulted in a fixed date of November 11 and a new name: Remembrance Day. Every year on this day – when the clock strikes eleven – Canadians observe two minutes of silence in honour of the brave individuals who have served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace. This year, on the 100th anniversary of the First Word War armistice, we once again reflect on their sacrifices and renew our solemn promise never to forget.

[media advisory]
Canada Post and Royal Canadian Legion mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice

OTTAWA, Oct. 19, 2018 /CNW/ – Canada Post and The Royal Canadian Legion will hold a special event to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, which ended the First World War, with the unveiling of a new stamp and the launch of the Bells of Peace initiative across Canada.

What: The unveiling of the stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice and the launch of the Bells of Peace initiative

Who:

• The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
• Thomas D. Irvine, CD, Dominion President, The Royal Canadian Legion
• Major (Retired) Gerald “Jerry” Bowen, Veteran of the Second World War and Korean War
• LCdr James Brun, Royal Canadian Navy
• Jay Davis, Vice-President of Engineering, Canada Post
• Katie Quinn, 2018 Vimy Pilgrimage Award alumna

When: Wednesday, October 24, 10:30 am EDT

Where: The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre
1750 Russell Road, Ottawa

Issue date: September 24, 2018

From Details magazine:
The release of the Canada Post Community Foundation’s fundraising semi-postal stamp signals the start of Canada Post’s annual fundraising campaign. Your dollar donation for a booklet of 10 stamps and 10 cents for the Official First Day Cover goes directly to support Canadian children and youth, through the funding of programs for breakfast, anti-bullying, special education, camps for children fighting illness, early literacy and other programs.

Designer Matthew Warburton of Emdoubleyu Design says of the inspiration behind the stamp, “Everyone can recall days from their childhood, spending a hot summer afternoon lying in the grass looking up at the clouds rolling by. This design recreates that feeling of freedom, wonderment and joy with a child sitting on a grassy, flower-speckled hilltop, looking up at the sky and seeing animal shapes in the fluffy clouds.” The stamp was illustrated by Julie Morstad, one of Canada’s top illustrators of children’s books, whose work is honoured frequently in the Alcuin Society Book Awards.

Thanks to the generosity of our customers in 2017, the Canada Post Community Foundation provided $1.1 million in funding to grassroots and community-based child and youth organizations across the country.

[press release]
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep scales high-value stamp
New issue created using traditional intaglio printing process

OTTAWA, Oct 10, 2018 – A legendary climber of the Rocky Mountains’ sheer crags pauses in a majestic pose on Canada Post’s newest large-format, high-value definitive stamp. Valued at $4, the stamp is part of an ongoing Canadian wildlife series.

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) live on the steep grasslands and rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and Alberta, and south to Colorado and New Mexico. Their split hooves make them legendary climbers, known to scale high rocky peaks. Overhunting, loss of habitat and diseases that spread from domestic livestock significantly reduced their numbers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While conservation efforts have helped to increase some populations, the bighorn sheep is designated of “special concern” in British Columbia.

The stamp was created using both lithographic and intaglio printing. The background was created using lithography, the process used to create most modern Canadian stamps. This base was then overprinted with a four-colour intaglio plate that added the detailed engraving of the sheep, mountains and foliage. At one time, all Canadian stamps were engraved or intaglio; lithography was introduced to Canadian postage in 1952. As with previous stamps in the high-value series, the stamp incorporates hidden security features.

The intaglio plates were created by master engraver Jorge Peral, who worked on other stamps, including the $8 Grizzly (which launched the wildlife series in 1997) and $10 Blue Whale (2010). He has also engraved paper currency in Canada and several other countries.

The stamps are available in a pane of four (souvenir sheet) (shown at right). Additional collectibles include an Official First Day Cover (OFDC) cancelled in Jasper, AB (shown above); a limited edition uncut press sheet with nine panes of four stamps signed by master engraver Jorge Peral (shown below); a framed and numbered lithographic print signed by illustrator Rodrigo Peral; and a framed enlargement of the stamp image, plus the actual stamp.

The bighorn sheep has been featured on numerous U.S. issues: Sc. 1467 in 1972, Sc. 1880 in 1981, Sc. 1949 (1982), Sc. 2288 (1987’s North American Wildlife), Sc. 4138 (2007), and Sc. 4331 (Wyoming Flag). [VSC]

Stamps and collectibles can be pre-ordered online at canadapost.ca/shop.

[press release]
Birds of Canada stamp series ends with homage to plumage
Five unmistakeable species spotted stretching wings on last issue

VANCOUVER – One bears our country’s name and migrates in formations that point the way from one passing season to the next. Another, bold and curious, given a name that imitates its song, will perch on your outstretched arm. A third stands as an example of a single population thriving in Canada even though the species is endangered.

Canada Post’s Birds of Canada stamp series took flight three years ago and now glides to a smooth landing with a final issue that features five birds:

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) – Named for its hat-like marking and cheery “chickadee-dee-dee” call, the black-capped chickadee is found across most of Canada but holds a special place in New Brunswick, where it earned official status after a provincial Federation of Naturalists contest. Campers and hikers know this ever-curious bird will come perch nearby – or on your arm.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) – Chosen by Quebec as a symbol of its dedication to wildlife protection, the snowy owl nests on the Arctic tundra and feeds mainly on lemmings.

Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) – Declared the avian emblem of British Columbia after a province-wide vote, the brilliant-blue Steller’s jay is a common sight in campgrounds and coniferous forests in western Canada.

Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis) – Seen nationwide, the Canada goose is known for its noisy honk and V-shaped flight formation during migration, a sign of the changing seasons.

Whooping Crane (Grus Americana) – The largest and only self-sustaining population of the endangered whooping crane – once one of the rarest bird species in the world – nests in Wood Buffalo National Park, located in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

The first three birds on the list above are official provincial birds; the three-year series has now celebrated the official bird of each province and territory.

The Official First Day Cover is cancelled in Vancouver, the location of the 27th International Ornithological Congress. The conference, held every four years, is bringing roughly 2,000 avian researchers and conservationists from around the world to the city.

The stamps are available for purchase on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada – and can be easily spotted without binoculars and identified without a guide book.

See the stamp designs and descriptions below the postmarks .

[Media Advisory]
Canada Post is paying tribute to emergency responders with five stamps to be unveiled at events across Canada

OTTAWA, Sept. 4, 2018 /CNW/ – Over five consecutive days starting Monday, September 10, Canada Post will unveil a stamp issue to pay tribute to five groups of Canada’s emergency responders. One stamp will be unveiled each day at a separate event across the country to honor a different kind of emergency responder.

The stamps express the respect and gratitude of Canadians to emergency responders, professional and volunteer. With their skills, with their service and by their sacrifices, they find and rescue the lost; treat and save the seriously ill and injured; and protect us, our homes, businesses, and communities.

What: Canada Post’s iconic stamp program is paying tribute to emergency responders with five stamps

Who, When, and Where:

• Paramedics: Monday September 10 – Fredericton, New Brunswick
• Canadian Armed Forces: Tuesday, September 11 – Valcartier, Quebec
• Search and Rescue: Wednesday, September 12 – Banff, Alberta
• Firefighters: Thursday, September 13 – Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Police: Friday, September 14 – Ottawa, Ontario

All events will begin at 10.30 am local time. You can read more on the stamps and emergency responders in the Canada Post online magazine.

Here are the first-day postmarks:
Updated September 10th:

Paramedics

From Canada Post:
Canada’s highly trained paramedics deliver life-saving care to individuals experiencing medical emergencies in the critical minutes before they arrive at a hospital. They’re ready to face almost any situation – from heart attacks and drug overdoses to accidents, natural disasters and incidents involving multiple casualties. As front-line medical experts, they make a vital contribution to public health and safety. From treating patients and transporting them to health care facilities to delivering community paramedicine programs in areas of need, the duties of paramedics put them at the centre of our most vulnerable moments. Thanks to their courage, compassion and expertise, we know we’re in good hands.

[press release]
Canada Post stamp honours the country’s paramedics
This is the first of five stamps to be unveiled this week to reflect Canadians’ gratitude for all emergency responders

FREDERICTON, N.B. – Canada Post today unveiled a stamp that honours the country’s paramedics for providing life-saving medical care to Canadians.

These skilled, highly-trained and compassionate front-line emergency responders provide medical care on the scene and en route to hospital. They respond to natural disasters and emergencies in our communities. They attend virtually any situation – from heart attacks, drug overdoses, trauma events, and incidents involving multiple casualties. Once dispatched to an emergency, paramedics have some daunting expectations to meet, including arriving quickly, assessing and treating their patients with urgency, expertise and empathy, and co-ordinating with other emergency responders. Their expertise and professionalism has saved countless lives.

The stamp was unveiled at the Ambulance New Brunswick headquarters in Fredericton.

Canada Post and the stamp designers consulted with the Paramedic Association of Canada, which represents more than 20,000 practitioners, to ensure the stamp image is representative of paramedics in Canada.

The five Emergency Responders stamps

The other Emergency Responders stamps pay tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces, search and rescue experts, firefighters and police. All five stamps reflect Canadians’ respect and gratitude for the skills, service and sacrifices of the men and women who protect Canadians, sometimes by risking their own lives.

The stamp honouring members of the Canadian Armed Forces will be unveiled at Base Valcartier in Quebec tomorrow. A stamp honouring search and rescue experts will be unveiled in Banff, Alta. on Wednesday. The firefighters stamp will be unveiled in Halifax on Thursday and a stamp paying tribute to police officers will be unveiled in Ottawa on Friday.

The stamps will be available for purchase on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada as of Friday, September 14.

Updated September 11th: From Canada Post:
Floods, forest fires, ice storms and other natural disasters sometimes cause so much destruction that local emergency-response efforts become overwhelmed. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are then ready to assist. Deployed around the world in international combat operations and peacekeeping missions, the Forces serve as a critical last line of defence at home. Experts in such areas as engineering, health services, aviation, logistics and the use of specialized equipment, regular and reserve members help conduct evacuations, deliver aid, provide transportation, execute search and rescue missions, and perform other critical tasks during emergencies in Canada and abroad.

[press release]
Canada Post honours Canadian Armed Forces as “last line” of help in emergencies
This is the second of five stamps to be unveiled this week that reflect Canadians’ gratitude for all emergency responders

BASE VALCARTIER, Que. – Canada Post today unveiled a stamp that pays tribute to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for their critical role in responding to emergencies across Canada, such as wildfires, floods and ice storms.

Dedicated members of the CAF, both Regular and Reserve members, are a last line of defence when natural disasters occur. Trained in engineering, health services, aviation, logistics and the use of specialized equipment, they conduct evacuations, deliver aid, provide transportation, execute search and rescue missions, among many other tasks. Following Government of Canada approval to a provincial or territorial government request, the CAF can deploy members and assets – including ships, aircraft and vehicles – from the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy. These missions are known as Operation LENTUS.

This year alone, the CAF have answered the call for help in August (almost 600 forest fires in B.C.); May (the evacuation of 140 people threatened by fire in Manitoba, and flood relief in B.C. and New Brunswick); and April (floods at Kashechewan First Nation in Ontario).

The stamp was unveiled at 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, near Quebec City, which is home to roughly 6,000 members mainly from the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and the 2nd Canadian Division Support Group. Members from the base have assisted in Operation LENTUS missions, most recently in the spring floods of 2017 in Quebec.

The five Emergency Responders stamps

The other Emergency Responders stamps pay tribute to paramedics, search and rescue experts, firefighters and police officers. The paramedics stamp was unveiled at the Ambulance New Brunswick headquarters in Fredericton, N.B. yesterday. The next stamp will be revealed in Banff, Alta., tomorrow, and all five will be unveiled by Friday.

The stamps will be available for purchase on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada as of Friday, September 14. Click here for high resolution images of the announced stamps and their Official First Day Covers.
For more details on Operation LENTUS, see http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-canada-north-america/op-lentus.page

From Canada Post September 12th:Visit Canada’s magnificent coastlines, mountains, forests and waterways and you’ll see why they attract so many outdoor enthusiasts. But changing weather, challenging terrain and human error can sometimes spell disaster. When that happens, Canada’s search and rescue technicians are there to help, trained extensively in survival, first aid, parachuting, diving and mountain climbing. Whether from the Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Armed Forces, Parks Canada or a provincial, territorial or volunteer organization, these elite experts do their best to find and save those who are lost, hurt or stranded.

[press release]
Stamp honours Canada’s search and rescue experts
This is the third of five stamps to be unveiled across Canada this week to reflect Canadians’ gratitude for emergency responders

BANFF, Alta. – Canada Post today unveiled a stamp that pays tribute to the country’s search and rescue experts, and their willingness to spring into action with skill, determination and courage whenever called upon.

Every year, millions of Canadians and visitors explore this country’s forests, mountains, waterways and oceans, while others work daily in remote conditions. Whether in the wilderness for recreation or work, changing weather, human error or other factors can quickly result in these individuals being lost, injured, stranded or otherwise endangered.

Search and rescue experts find, rescue and treat people in life threatening situations, and transport them to safety or advanced medical care as need be. In performing their life-saving duties, search and rescue experts often find themselves in dangerous conditions such as avalanches, extreme weather or high seas.

The stamp was unveiled in Banff, Alta., a centre for Parks Canada’s Mountain Safety Program. While the stamp portrays a helicopter extraction in the mountains, a wide variety of search and rescue operations are also performed by many Canadian groups, including the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard, as well as volunteer organizations across the country. Search and rescue experts also educate Canadians about safety, particularly in wilderness settings.

The five Emergency Responders stamps
The additional four Emergency Responders stamps pay tribute to paramedics, the Canadian Armed Forces, firefighters and police officers. All five stamps reflect Canadians’ respect and gratitude for the skills, service and sacrifices of those who protect Canadians, sometimes by risking their own lives.

The paramedics stamp was unveiled at the Ambulance New Brunswick headquarters in Fredericton, N.B. on Monday, and a stamp honouring members of the Canadian Armed Forces was unveiled at Base Valcartier in Quebec yesterday. A stamp honouring firefighters will be revealed in Halifax, N.S. tomorrow, and a stamp paying tribute to police officers will be unveiled in Ottawa on Friday.

The stamps can be purchased on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada as of Friday, September 14. Click here for high resolution images of the stamp and Official First Day Cover.

From Canada Post September 13th:
Part-time, full-time and volunteer firefighters protect lives, property and environments across Canada. At the ready 24 hours a day, they spring into action at a moment’s notice, regardless of when or where disaster strikes. Although firefighters are well known for bravely facing off against flames, their duties go beyond fighting fires and rescuing victims trapped in burning buildings. They assist with many other life-threatening events, including rescue operations, motor vehicle accidents and hazardous-material emergencies. Firefighters also make Canada a safer place by educating us about fire prevention, escape planning, and building and fire codes. [press release]
Canada Post honours the country’s firefighters with stamp
Fourth of five stamps to be unveiled this week to reflect Canadians’ gratitude for all emergency responders

HALIFAX, N.S. – Canada Post today unveiled a stamp that honours the country’s firefighters for saving lives and protecting property and the environment with their skills and courage.

Few emergencies trigger such an immediate sense of threat as a fire breaking out in our homes or communities, or being injured and trapped in a vehicle after a serious collision. In situations that might make most people panic, firefighters arrive well equipped and trained to intervene as a cohesive team.

Able to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice, firefighters do much more than fight fires and rescue victims from burning buildings. They also provide emergency medical services and perform difficult technical rescues and extractions. They respond to vehicle collisions, overdoses, hazardous-material emergencies and other life-threatening events. As well, they make Canada safer by educating people about fire prevention, investigating fires and enforcing fire codes.

The stamp was unveiled in Halifax with the participation of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency, Canada’s oldest firefighting department, established in 1754.

Canada Post and the stamp designers consulted with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, whose members represent roughly 3,500 fire departments across Canada, to ensure the stamp accurately represents firefighters.

The five Emergency Responders stamps
The other Emergency Responders stamps pay tribute to paramedics, the Canadian Armed Forces, search and rescue experts and police. All five stamps reflect Canadians’ respect and gratitude for the skills, service and sacrifices of those who protect Canadians, sometimes by risking their own lives.

The paramedics stamp was unveiled at the Ambulance New Brunswick headquarters in Fredericton, N.B. on Monday, and a stamp honouring members of the Canadian Armed Forces was unveiled at Base Valcartier in Quebec, Tuesday. A stamp honouring search and rescue experts was unveiled in Banff, Alta. yesterday, and a stamp paying tribute to police officers will be unveiled in Ottawa tomorrow.

The stamps will be available for purchase on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada as of Friday, September 14.

From Canada Post September 14th:
Canada is one of the safest countries in the world due in large part to the civilian and sworn members of our police forces, who perform critical – and often dangerous – work with compassion, integrity and professionalism. Their many duties include providing emergency assistance in cases of crime, natural and human-caused disasters, accidents and other life-threatening situations. Through community patrols, security services, investigations and other means, police officers work tirelessly to protect Canadians and visitors from harm. Internationally respected for their expertise, our police officers are also deployed to countries around the world to assist in times of crisis.

[press release]
Stamp honours police and civilians who support them
Final reveal in five-stamp issue concludes a week-long celebration of selfless emergency responders who protect and save lives

OTTAWA – Canada Post today unveiled the fifth and final stamp in an Emergency Responders issue that pays tribute to the brave people who protect and assist Canadians and visitors to our country during times of emergency.

The stamp honours our police and the civilians who support them. These highly skilled emergency responders assist in cases of crime and during accidents and disasters. They act with compassion, integrity and professionalism and are respected around the world for their international contributions.

Their efforts to prevent crime through community outreach, security patrols and modern investigations make Canada one of the safest countries in the world.

The Police stamp was unveiled at the Ottawa Police Association in the nation’s capital, home to the Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial. The stamp’s unveiling completes a week-long celebration of our emergency responders at separate events held across the country.

Canada Post and the stamp designers consulted with the Canadian Police Association, whose members represent roughly 60,000 police personnel from across Canada, to ensure the stamp represents policing accurately.

The five Emergency Responders stamps
Paramedics were honoured in Fredericton, N.B. on Monday; the Canadian Armed Forces were celebrated at CFB Valcartier, Que. on Tuesday; our Search and Rescue experts were honoured in Banff, Alta., on Wednesday; and Firefighters were celebrated in Halifax, N.S. yesterday.

The stamps express the respect and gratitude Canadians have for professional and volunteer emergency responders. As a group, with their skills, and by their sacrifices, they find and rescue the lost; treat and save the seriously ill and injured; and protect us, our homes, businesses, and communities.

The stamps are available for purchase on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada.

Issue date: July 26, 2018

From Details magazine: These photos reveal the awesome power and beauty of nature.

Visitors to Canada could be excused for thinking that an intense interest in the weather – not hockey – is our national pastime. Too cold, too hot or just right – Canadians always have something to say on the subject. Yet nothing inspires meteorological murmurs more than some of the fleeting (but fabulous) phenomena that can appear when weather permits.

These stamps, which follow our first weather- themed issue from 2015, showcase five other weather wonders: steam fog, a moon halo, a waterspout, lenticular clouds and light pillars. Captured in Canada by amateur and professional photographers with endless patience, keen eyes and some luck too, these photos reveal the awesome power and beauty of nature.

Timmy Joe Elzinga, a resident of North Bay, Ontario, used his smartphone to shoot the otherworldly photo of light pillars – ethereal bands of light that appear when tiny ice crystals in the air reflect light from artificial sources. Awoken one cold January night by his young son, Timmy noticed the strange lights out the bathroom window. “Red, blue, green, yellow, purple and pink lights seemed to beam up in to the air,” Elzinga explains. “It almost looked like something out of Star Trek.”

Day of issue press release:
Weather Wonders stamps feature five stunning image
New stamps follow up on popular first instalment released in 2015

NORTH BAY, ON, July 26, 2018 /CNW/ – We talk about it in the elevators and hallways of our work. We monitor it morning, noon and night, dress up for it and plan our days around it. We obsess about it, and are captivated by its beauty and force. The weather – in all its wonder – takes centre stage again in Canada Post’s latest stamp issue.

Weather Wonders, Part 2 is a five-stamp issue that showcases some of Canada’s most awe-inspiring weather phenomena in photographs taken from across the country. This year’s release follows up on the wildly popular first weather wonders issue of 2015, which featured striking images of hoar frost, early-morning fog, a double rainbow, lightning and sun dogs.

This year’s collection features five new photos of unique and distinctly beautiful weather events:

• Mark Newman’s photograph of a thick layer of steam fog over an unidentified British Columbia lake was taken just as an icy wind caused humid air to condense over the warmer surface. The image beautifully captures a moody, almost ghostly, scene.
• Garry M. Cass photographed a magnificent, if not menacing, waterspout over Lake Ontario near Toronto. These swirling funnels of water can be just as dangerous as land-based twisters.
• Marilyn Dunstan’s bucolic photo of lenticular clouds – some call them UFO clouds because of their disc-like shape – was taken in Jasper National Park in Alberta.
• Timmy Joe Elzinga snapped spectacular light pillars reflecting the city lights of North Bay, Ontario. These can appear when ice crystals in the air reflect light drawn from artificial sources.
• David McColm’s photograph forever freezes a moon halo in Whistler, B.C. The weather phenomenon is the result of airborne ice crystals refracting the moonlight on a chilly night.

Elzinga recalls first seeing “dancing beams of light” in the winter sky after waking to tend to a crying child. It was “like something out of Star Trek,” prompting him to open his bathroom window, remove the screen and take “as many pictures as possible.” When posted online, the images went viral, drawing worldwide attention.

Newman’s steam fog shot adorns the cover of the booklet of 10 stamps. The souvenir sheet and Official First Day Cover include all five weather-themed stamps designed by Parcel Design of Toronto.

Issue Date: July 13th.

From Details magazine:This issue, featuring five sharks in Canadian waters, is fearsomely fascinating.

Despite being demonized by popular fiction and movies, sharks are some of the most fascinating and diverse creatures on Earth. Sharks are also among the world’s oldest surviving species. Their earliest ancestors are thought to have swum the seas at least 420 million years ago.

Canada’s coastal waters serve as a permanent or temporary home to nearly 30 shark varieties. The five we’ve chosen to highlight in this issue, designed by Andrew Perro and illustrated by Julius Csotonyi, have their own unique story.

The endangered white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) – known more dramatically as the “great white” – inhabits Atlantic waters and occasionally travels to our west coast, making rare visits around Haida Gwaii during warm-water events.

Native to Canadian waters, the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) can grow up to nine metres long on a diet of plankton and other tiny organisms. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has also assessed this species as endangered in the Pacific region and as a special concern in the Atlantic.

Once assessed as a special concern by COSEWIC but no longer considered at risk, the blue shark (Prionace glauca) (right) makes its home in the Atlantic.

The slow-swimming Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) (left), found on the Atlantic side of the Arctic, enjoys a longevity greater than any other vertebrate on Earth, more than 400 years, in fact!

A visitor to our Atlantic coast, the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) is the fastest shark on the planet, reaching speeds of 50 km/h or more. from Canada Post:
Canada Post and the Vancouver Aquarium®, an Ocean Wise® initiative, will unveil five stamps that honour sharks in Canadian waters to special guests as well as Aquarium members and visitors on Thursday, July 12. WHAT: Presentation of five stamps featuring sharks found in Canadian waters

WHO:

• Clint Wright, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Vancouver Aquarium, an Ocean Wise initiative
• Jessica McDonald, Chair of the Board of Directors and Interim President and CEO, Canada Post

WHEN: Thursday, July 12, 12:15 p.m. (Media arrival by noon)

WHERE: Vancouver Aquarium
Teck Engagement Gallery (lower level)
845 Avison Way, Vancouver
(Media check in at Aquaquest Reception)

Canada Post is offering an uncut press sheet:

Updated July 12th, from Canada Post:

Stamps celebrate sharks in Canadian waters
New issue showcases mysterious marine creatures

VANCOUVER, July 12, 2018 /CNW/ – Experts note that between 400 and 500 shark species inhabit the world’s oceans and waterways. These fish can be less than a foot long or larger than a bus. From fierce hunters that breach waves and ambush prey, to gentle giants known to nudge kayaks and bask with scuba divers, sharks are compelling and often misunderstood.

Canada Post has released a new stamp issue starring these fascinating yet oftentimes feared creatures just in time for Discovery Channel™’s Shark Week. They were unveiled today at the Vancouver Aquarium®, an Ocean Wise® initiative.

Nearly 30 shark species are native to Canadian waters or known to visit our shores. This stamp set highlights five of them:

• The blue shark is native to the Atlantic and often spotted around Newfoundland, the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• The shortfin mako is the fastest shark in the world. It hits speeds up to 50 kilometres an hour, usually when attacking. A visitor to Canada, the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, along the Scotian Shelf, is the northernmost edge of its migratory range.
• The basking shark glides through the ocean open-mouthed, feeding on krill, plankton and fish eggs. This gentle giant has been assessed as endangered (Pacific population) and as a special concern (Atlantic population) by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
• The white shark, a threatened species, has seen its numbers decline significantly in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.
• The Greenland shark lives deep in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. One of the longest-living vertebrates, some have reached 400 years old.

The five stamps, designed by Andrew Perro and illustrated by Julius Csotonyi, will be available in a booklet of 10, as a souvenir sheet of all five stamps, a souvenir sheet Official First Day Cover and a dramatic 25-stamp uncut press sheet. The stamps will be issued July 13 and available at post offices and online. They can be ordered online at canadapost.ca/shop.

[press release]
Astronomy stamps showcase Milky Way, Northern Lights
Canadians provide stunning photos of celestial phenomena

CALGARY, June 29, 2018 /CNW/ – Celestial events like meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, comets and asteroids make headlines because they inspire a sense of wonder. Canada Post’s latest stamps are sure to do the same. They showcase the majestic splendour of two spectacular phenomena: the Milky Way and the Northern Lights.

The stamps feature stellar photographs from two Canadian night sky photographers who have been drawn to the magic and beauty of the heavens throughout their careers. Matt Quinn’s stunning photo of the Milky Way was taken at Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario, while Alan Dyer captured a magnificent image of the Northern Lights in Churchill, Manitoba. Both photographs were taken in 2016.

Thanks to the darkness created by our country’s vast wilderness, Canadians enjoy some of the greatest night sky viewing in the world.

The Milky Way, a spiral galaxy containing our solar system and hundreds of billions of stars, manifests as an ethereal band of light in Quinn’s ghostly image. The brilliant colour of the Northern Lights is green in Dyer’s photo but can also appear in undulating reds, blues, yellows, pinks and purples. The phenomenon occurs when charged particles released by the Sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere.

The stamps were issued on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and salute its commitment to educating Canadians about the wonders of the universe. Founded in Toronto in 1868, the society has more than 5,000 members across Canada.

The cover of the booklet of 10 and the Official First Day Cover include decorative astronomy-themed illustrations – a satellite, a celestial body and an observatory, a subtle tribute to the National Research Council of Canada’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, B.C., which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Designed by Parcel Design of Toronto, each stamp includes metadata – the date and time the photograph was taken, coordinates and type of camera lens used for the photo – in special ink in the borders, making it visible only under a black light. Lines and names overlaid on the images highlight constellations.

The stamps were issued June 29 and are available at post offices and online at canadapost.ca/shop.