Updated October 25, 2018 (click on links to go to details/discussion pages):

• January 15: Year of the Dog
• January 15: From Far and Wide
• January 24: Women in Winter Sports
• February 1: Black History: Lincoln Alexander, Kay Livingstone
• February 8: War Amps commemorative envelope [100th anniversary of a charity that helps amputees]
• March 1: Two exquisite varieties of lotus emerge for our annual flower stamps. Sc. 3087-91
• March 21: Canadian National Institute for the Blind 100th anniversary – envelope
• April 5: Great Canadian Illustrators – The work of five talented Canadian Illustrators is featured on new stamps. Sc. 3092 and 3093-7
• April 20: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II graces a new commemorative, 65 years after her coronation.
• May 1: Native Bees of Canada
• May 18: Memorial Cup (major junior hockey) 100th anniversary.
• [Canada Post did not issue a stamp or stamps for the Royal Wedding of Harry & Megan.]
• June 29: Astronomy, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s 150th anniversary
• July 13: Sharks in Canadian Waters
• July 26: Weather Wonders
• August 20: Birds of Canada.
• September 14: Emergency Responders (5 stamps each with its own first-day of issue).
• October 10: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. ($4)
• September 24: Canada Post Community Foundation
• October 24: World War I Armistice
• November 2: Christmas stamps (secular and religious).

[press release – November 10, 2017]
Lincoln Alexander, Emergency Responders, and Women in Winter Sports among new stamps to be issued in 2018
HM The Queen’s coronation and Memorial Cup anniversaries also celebrated

OTTAWA – The 2018 Stamp Program once again sets out to inform, enlighten and entertain Canadians with stamps that tell the stories of the people, places and events that make this country so amazing.

“Our stamps reflect the interesting, often beautiful, and sometimes heroic things that make us who we are as a nation,” says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post. “In this huge, culturally diverse country, there’s something in the program to interest everyone.”

Look for these exciting new stamps in 2018:
• From Far and Wide tours some of Canada’s most picturesque locations through nine breathtaking stamps, including “Jellybean Row” in St. John’s (N.L.), Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park (B.C.), Arctic Bay (Nunavut) and Point Pelee National Park (Ont.).
• Five of Canada’s most accomplished athletes share the podium in Women in Winter Sports.
• Black History Month celebrates trailblazers Lincoln Alexander, the first Black Member of Parliament, federal cabinet minister and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and activist and humanitarian Kay Livingstone.
• Two exquisite varieties of lotus emerge for our annual flower stamps.
• The work of five talented Canadian Illustrators is featured on new stamps
• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II graces a new commemorative, 65 years after her coronation.
• Native Bees of Canada will cause a buzz with two striking stamps.
• The Memorial Cup scores big with a special issue marking its 100th anniversary.
• Astronomy stamps light up the night sky, on the occasion of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
• Sharks in Canadian Waters depict five denizens of the deep.
• Everyday heroes from five life-saving lines of work receive a salute in Emergency Responders.
• A majestic Bighorn Sheep scales a new $3 stamp.

Back for a repeat performance are the following issues:
• Lunar New Year celebrates the loyal and likeable folks born in the Year of the Dog.
• An encore of the popular Weather Wonders series is in the forecast.
• Birds of Canada takes its third and final flight.
• A new Canada Post Community Foundation stamp is poised to help raise funds for youth in need.

Next year’s Christmas issues will feature original illustrations of both the Nativity and the warm, woolly items that keep us cozy in winter.

In addition, Canada Post will issue two commemorative envelopes in 2018, to mark the 100th anniversaries of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and The War Amps.

Many stamp topics are the result of suggestions from the Canadian public or organizations that wish to honour a significant person, milestone or event. Canada Post welcomes suggestions for the 2019 program and beyond.

-30-

Les timbres de 2018 honoreront Lincoln Alexander, les intervenants d’urgence et des championnes de sports d’hiver, entre autres
Les anniversaires du couronnement de S.M. la Reine et de la Coupe Memorial seront aussi célébrés

OTTAWA – Le programme des timbres-poste de 2018 entreprend encore une fois d’informer, d’inspirer et de divertir les Canadiens avec des timbres qui racontent l’histoire de gens, de lieux et d’événements qui font du Canada un pays extraordinaire.

« Nos timbres illustrent quelques-unes des qualités fascinantes, souvent admirables et parfois héroïques qui nous définissent en tant que pays, dit Deepak Chopra, président-directeur général de Postes Canada. Dans un pays aussi grand et aussi culturellement diversifié que le nôtre, le programme aura de quoi plaire à tout le monde. »

Surveillez l’arrivée de ces nouveaux timbres en 2018 :

• L’émission Terre de nos aïeux nous fait découvrir quelques-uns des endroits les plus pittoresques au Canada sur neuf timbres, comme maisons de bonbons haricots (Jellybean Row) à St. John’s (T.-N.-L.), Cathedral Grove du MacMillan Provincial Park (C.-B.), Arctic Bay (Nunavut) et le parc national de la Pointe-Pelée (Ontario).
• Cinq des athlètes les plus accomplies du Canada se partagent le podium dans Championnes des sports d’hiver.
• Le Mois de l’histoire des Noirs rend hommage à de célèbres pionniers, dont Lincoln Alexander, premier Noir à avoir été élu à la Chambre des communes et au poste de ministre fédéral du Travail, et 24e lieutenant-gouverneur de l’Ontario, ainsi que l’activiste et l’humaniste Kay Livingstone.
• Deux espèces exquises de fleurs de lotus voient le jour sur nos timbres annuels consacrés aux fleurs.
• L’œuvre de cinq illustrateurs canadiens de talent est dévoilée sur de nouveaux timbres.
• Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II paraît pleine de grâce sur un nouveau timbre commémoratif, 65 ans après son couronnement.
• Deux timbres sur les abeilles indigènes du Canada vont piquer l’intérêt de plus d’un.
• La Coupe Memorial voit grand avec une émission spéciale qui marque son 100e anniversaire.
• L’émission sur l’astronomie illumine le ciel nocturne à l’occasion du 150e anniversaire de la Société royale d’astronomie du Canada.
• L’émission sur les requins du Canada illustre cinq chasseurs des mers.
• Des héros de la vie ordinaire, représentés par cinq métiers qui sauvent des vies, sont salués dans l’émission sur les intervenants d’urgence.
• Un mouflon d’Amérique grimpe sur un nouveau timbre de 3 $.

Nous retrouvons aussi les séries suivantes :
• La nouvelle Année lunaire fête toutes les bonnes âmes fidèles qui sont nées sous le signe de l’année du Chien.
• Un deuxième volet de la fameuse série Phénomènes météorologiques voit le jour.
• Les oiseaux du Canada prennent leur troisième et dernier envol.
• Nous préparons une nouvelle vignette de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada pour lever des fonds destinés aux jeunes dans le besoin.

Des illustrations originales de la Nativité et de ces articles en laine douillets qui nous tiennent bien au chaud l’hiver vont orner les timbres de Noël de l’année prochaine.

En 2018, Postes Canada compte émettre aussi deux enveloppes commémoratives, une pour le 100e anniversaire de l’Institut national canadien pour les aveugles (INCA) et l’autre pour le centenaire des Amputés de guerre.

Nombreux sont les motifs de nos timbres, d’après les suggestions du public ou d’organismes canadiens qui veulent rendre hommage à des personnalités et souligner des moments ou des exploits importants. Postes Canada accueille les suggestions en vue du programme de 2019 et au-delà.

Updated November 29th:

What was the design change that caused the delay in sale of the stamp, as announced in the press release immediately below?

“The cover design was changed from the lone image of the lit shamash to the partial menorah to better reflect the celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights which is the subject of the stamp,” Canada Post spokesman Phil Legault told The Virtual Stamp Club. The “shamash” is the middle, or ninth, candle on a menorah that is used to light the other eight candles.

“The booklet and the first day cover were reprinted,” Legault said. The booklets are on-sale now; the Official First Day Covers will be available by mid-December but “the cancel date of November 14, 2017 on the first day covers did not change.”

Updated November 13th:

The stamp has been delayed by six days, to November 20th.

[press release]
Canada Post to release Hanukkah stamp recognizing eight-day Festival of Lights

TORONTO – Canada Post will introduce a stamp recognizing Hanukkah, the Jewish faith’s eight-day celebration also known as the Festival of Lights on November 20, 2017.

The stamp’s geometric design represents the different types of menorahs, along with a strong contrast between light and dark, which creates the appearance of flickering flames. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. This year, the festival takes place from sunset on December 12 to nightfall on December 20.

The planned release date has been moved forward by a week to resolve a design issue with the stamp booklet. The stamp will be available for sale online on November 20, 2017 and in post offices later that week. This is an important stamp and we apologize for the delay.

The stamp was unveiled at the Starry Nights event held at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library and hosted by Ve’ahavta, a Jewish charitable organization delivering programs that alleviate poverty.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest site, in the second century BCE, after the Maccabees regained religious freedom. The Temple menorah (a seven-branched candelabra) was supposed to stay lit at all times. However, there was only enough oil to last one day, and it would take eight days to harvest and press the olives, and transport the oil to replenish the supply. Miraculously, that small amount burned for the next eight days, which is why the kindling of a menorah, adding a light each day, is central to the eight-day Hanukkah celebrations.

Background: Stamps for other major celebrations
In May, Canada Post issued an Eid stamp to recognize two important festivals celebrated by Muslims in Canada and worldwide. In September, Canada Post and India Post partnered on a historic joint stamp issue featuring two stamps marking Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The Hanukkah, Eid and Diwali stamps, as well as our Christmas stamps, depict our pride in Canada being a land of enormous diversity.

The shopping section of the Canada Post website indicates this stamp will be issued Tuesday, November 14th.

Media Advisory
Canada Post to unveil a stamp celebrating Hanukkah

Canada Post invites you to join its President and CEO Deepak Chopra at the unveiling of a stamp that recognizes Hanukkah, the Jewish faith’s eight-day celebration also known as the Festival of Lights. The stamp will be unveiled  on Sunday, November 12 at Ve’ahavta’s annual Starry Nights Gala.

WHAT: Starry Nights Gala

WHERE:
Bram & Bluma Appel Salon
Toronto Reference Library
2nd Floor
789 Yonge Street, Toronto

WHEN: Sunday, November 12
7:15 p.m. Program begins

7:20 p.m. Hanukkah commemorative stamp unveiling

7:30 p.m. Ve’ahavta’s Starry Nights Gala continues

From Canada Post’s website:

ISSUE DATE: November 20, 2017
STAMP DESIGNER: Angela Carter, Entro Communications
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 300,000
DIMENSIONS: 28 mm x 35 mm
STAMP VALUE: 1 X PermanentTM (domestic rate)

[press release]
Canada Post marks the Halifax Explosion with new stamp
Illustration, front-page story capture moments before and after

HALIFAX – Canada Post issued a stamp November 6, 2017, commemorating the devastating explosion that rocked Halifax on the morning of December 6, 1917, when two ships – one loaded with explosives – collided in the narrows leading to its harbour. Released one month before the 100th anniversary of that fateful day, the issue also salutes the resilience of the Haligonians who rebuilt their city from the ashes.

“With this stamp, Canada Post remembers those whose lives were lost or forever changed in this terrible incident,” says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post. “We also pay tribute to the residents of Halifax, other Canadians and people from around the world who helped those affected and contributed to the recovery effort.”

The stamp captures the moments before and after the disaster through elements from the past and present. Since few photos exist of the doomed ships just before the accident, local illustrator Mike Little recreated the scene based on historic accounts and materials. An image of the front page of The Halifax Herald the day after the explosion shows the heartbreaking aftermath. The stamp was designed by Larry Burke and Anna Stredulinsky of Burke & Burke in Halifax. Halifax was a bustling port supplying Canada’s efforts in the First World War in 1917. The blast occurred when a fire detonated munitions aboard the French ship Mont-Blanc after it struck the Imo, a Norwegian cargo ship. The largest human-made explosion in history, prior to the detonation of the first atomic bomb. It claimed the lives of nearly 2,000 people, injured 9,000 more, and damaged property worth millions of dollars.

Postes Canada commémore l’Explosion d’Halifax en émettant un nouveau timbre
Une photo et la une d’un journal illustrent l’avant et l’après de cette catastrophe

HALIFAX – Postes Canada lance aujourd’hui un timbre commémoratif de l’explosion qui a secoué la ville d’Halifax le matin du 6 décembre 1917, lorsque deux navires, dont l’un transportait des matières explosives, sont entrés en collision dans les détroits du port de la ville. Émise un mois avant le centenaire de cette journée fatidique, la figurine rend également hommage à la résistance des Haligoniens, qui ont rebâti leur ville sur ses cendres.

« Avec ce timbre, Postes Canada se souvient des personnes qui ont péri ou dont la vie a été à jamais changée en conséquence de ce terrible accident », déclare Deepak Chopra, président-directeur général de Postes Canada. « Nous saluons aussi les habitants d’Halifax, du Canada et du monde entier qui ont aidé les sinistrés et contribué aux opérations de relèvement. »

La vignette illustre l’avant et l’après de ce désastre au moyen de représentations du passé et du présent. Comme il existe peu de photos des navires tels qu’ils étaient juste avant l’accident, Mike Little, un artiste de la région, a su recréer la scène à partir de récits historiques et d’images de l’époque. Une photo de la première page du quotidien The Halifax Herald prise le lendemain de l’explosion révèle toute l’horreur de la catastrophe. Le timbre a été conçu par Larry Burke et Anna Stredulinsky de la maison Burke & Burke d’Halifax. En 1917, le monde est en guerre et Halifax est une ville portuaire particulièrement active. La détonation se produit lorsque le vaisseau cargo norvégien Imo éperonne le Mont-Blanc, un navire français chargé d’explosifs, causant un incendie. La force de la déflagration tue près de 2 000 personnes, en blesse 9 000 autres et entraîne des millions de dollars de dommages matériels. Il s’agit de la plus grosse explosion d’origine humaine du monde avant celle de la première bombe atomique.

[press release]
’Tis the season: Annual Christmas stamps now available
Stamp issues celebrate both secular and sacred aspects of the holiday OTTAWA – Since 1964, Canadians have counted on Canada Post to dress up their holiday mail with festive stamps heralding the season. Christmas stamps have become a tradition dear to our hearts – and a joyful sign that the holidays are almost upon us. Once again this year, Canadians can make their mail merrier with their choice of stamps bearing either sacred or secular imagery.

This year’s sacred issue, designed by Louise Méthé, showcases The Adoration of the Shepherds, a vibrant oil-on-panel painting housed at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Attributed to Italian artist Tommaso di Stefano Lunetti (c. 1495-1564), this carefully composed masterpiece was based on Luke’s gospel, in which angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds, who then rushed from their fields to find their newborn saviour.

The Christmas Animals stamps were designed by Hélène L’Heureux, with illustrations by Christiane Beauregard. They feature three classic Canadian creatures – a cheery polar bear (Permanent domestic rate), a brilliant red cardinal (U.S. rate), and a caribou festooned with lights (International rate) – that are sure to add a touch of festive whimsy to your holiday mail. C’est le temps des Fêtes : les timbres de Noël sont maintenant en vente
Ces émissions présentent les côtés profane et religieux de la fête

OTTAWA – Depuis 1964, les Canadiens comptent sur Postes Canada pour orner leur courrier des Fêtes de jolis timbres aux motifs symboliques. Cette tradition a séduit nos cœurs et les vignettes sont un rappel agréable de l’arrivée de Noël. Cette année encore, nous pouvons égayer nos envois de timbres consacrés à des thèmes religieux ou profane.

Le motif religieux, conçu par Louise Méthé, représente l’Adoration des bergers, huile sur toile conservée au Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario. Ce chef-d’œuvre expressif du peintre italien Tommaso di Stefano Lunetti (circa 1495-1564) rappelle l’évangile de Luc selon lequel les anges ont annoncé la naissance de Jésus aux bergers, qui se sont empressés de venir à la rencontre de leur jeune sauveur.

Les figurines sur les animaux de Noël, conçues par Hélène L’Heureux, sont illustrées par Christiane Beauregard. Elles représentent trois espèces de chez nous – un ours polaire enjoué (Permanent au tarif du régime intérieur), un cardinal rouge flamboyant (tarif des envois vers les É.-U.) et un caribou tout illuminé (tarif du régime international) – qui vont sûrement ajouter un peu de fantaisie à votre courrier des Fêtes.