Remembrance Day: Farmerettes and Soldiers of the Soil (Canada 2024)

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Remembrance Day stamps salute farmerettes and Soldiers of the Soil
Wartime heroes kept plates and stomachs full both at home and on the battlefieldOTTAWA – Canada Post is proud to announce the release of its annual Remembrance Day stamp issue, honouring the contributions of the farmerettes and Soldiers of the Soil during the First and Second World Wars.

The two-stamp set commemorates the young men and women who stepped up to support Canada’s agricultural efforts when the country and its allies needed them most.

The two world wars were not only won by troops on the battlefield. Civilians on the home front were instrumental in producing food, ammunition and other supplies for the war effort.

Canada played a lead role in producing food for Britain and the Allied troops during both wars. This was achieved with the help of different federal and provincial programs that recruited youth to work the farm fields at home after thousands of Canadian men left to serve in the battlefields of Europe.

This year’s Remembrance Day stamp issue honours participants of two of those programs: the farmerettes and the Soldiers of the Soil.

Farmerettes
During the First World War, the Ontario government created the Farm Service Corps, which recruited high-school girls to work on farms in 1917 and 1918. These workers were known as farmerettes. More than 20,000 girls participated in a similar initiative called the Ontario Farm Service Force’s Farmerette Brigade during the Second World War.

Farmerettes worked in farms, orchards and canneries for up to 10 hours a day, producing food for Canadians and the war effort. They paid their room and board from their hourly wage and supplied their own personal items – including work clothes.

Soldiers of the Soil
Created by the federal government in 1918, the Soldiers of the Soil initiative recruited teenaged boys to work on farms for the remainder of the First World War. More than 22,000 young Canadians enrolled in the program.

Participants planted, tended and harvested fruits and vegetables, helped with the haying and cared for livestock. At the end of their term, they were “honourably discharged” and awarded a bronze lapel badge of honour, often at a community ceremony acknowledging their wartime contribution.

About the stamps
The two stamps feature archival photos of participants in the national Soldiers of the Soil initiative and the Farmerette Brigade of the Ontario Farm Service Force at work in the fields.

The Soldiers of the Soil photo shows a group of young boys harvesting flax in a field near Willowdale, Ontario, around 1917. In the farmerettes photo, four members of the Farmerettes Brigade take a break from hoeing celery in Thedford, Ontario, in 1945.

Printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, two Official First Day Covers and a pane of six stamps.

The Soldiers of the Soil stamp is cancelled in La Rivière, Manitoba, a farming area where some participants were sent. The Farmerettes stamp is cancelled in St. Catharines, Ontario, where many farmerettes worked.The stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.

Video (English subtitles):

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Les timbres du jour du Souvenir saluent les farmerettes et les soldats du sol
Ces héros et héroïnes de guerre ont aidé à remplir les assiettes, ici et au front.

OTTAWA – Postes Canada est fière d’annoncer son émission de timbres annuelle du jour du Souvenir. Cette année, l’émission souligne les contributions des farmerettes et des soldats du sol pendant les deux guerres mondiales.

Le jeu de deux timbres rend hommage aux jeunes hommes et aux jeunes femmes qui ont prêté main-forte pour soutenir les efforts agricoles du Canada au moment où le pays et ses alliés en avaient le plus besoin.

Les deux guerres mondiales n’ont pas seulement été gagnées sur les champs de bataille. Des civils sur le front intérieur ont joué un rôle déterminant dans la production de nourriture, de munitions et d’autres fournitures pour soutenir l’effort de guerre.

Pendant les deux guerres, le Canada est au premier plan dans la production d’aliments pour la Grande-Bretagne et les troupes alliées. Il réalise cette mission grâce à différents programmes fédéraux et provinciaux qui recrutent des jeunes pour travailler dans les champs agricoles au pays après le départ de milliers d’hommes canadiens pour les champs de bataille en Europe.

Les timbres du jour du Souvenir de cette année saluent les personnes qui ont participé à ces programmes : les farmerettes et les soldats du sol.

Farmerettes
Pour fournir de la main-d’œuvre agricole pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, le gouvernement de l’Ontario crée le corps des services agricoles, employant des élèves du secondaire en 1917 et 1918. Ces travailleuses sont connues sous le nom de « farmerettes ». Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, plus de 20 000 filles participent à une initiative semblable, appelée la brigade des farmerettes des forces des services agricoles de l’Ontario.

Les farmerettes travaillent dans des fermes, des vergers et des conserveries jusqu’à 10 heures par jour pour produire de la nourriture pour la population canadienne et soutenir l’effort de guerre. Elles gagnent un salaire horaire, dont une partie sert à payer leur chambre et leur pension, et apportent leurs effets personnels, y compris leurs vêtements de travail.

Soldats du sol
Créée par le gouvernement fédéral en 1918, l’initiative des soldats du sol recrute des adolescents pour travailler dans les champs jusqu’à la fin de la Première Guerre mondiale. Plus de 22 000 jeunes Canadiens s’inscrivent au programme.

Les soldats du sol plantent, cultivent et récoltent des fruits et des légumes, font la fenaison et prennent soin du bétail. À la fin de leur mandat, ils reçoivent une épinglette en bronze au moment de leur « libération honorable », souvent lors d’une cérémonie communautaire pour souligner leur contribution à l’effort de guerre.

À propos des timbres
Les deux timbres présentent des photos d’archives de jeunes qui ont participé à l’initiative nationale des soldats du sol et à la brigade des farmerettes des forces des services agricoles de l’Ontario.

La photo des soldats du sol montre un groupe de jeunes garçons qui récoltent du lin dans un champ près de Willowdale, en Ontario, vers 1917. Sur la photo des farmerettes, quatre membres de la brigade prennent une pause du binage des céleris à Thedford, en Ontario, en 1945.

Imprimée par Lowe-Martin, l’émission comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur, deux plis Premier Jour officiels et un feuillet de six timbres.

Le timbre des soldats du sol est oblitéré à La Rivière, au Manitoba, une région agricole où certains participants sont allés. Le timbre des farmerettes est oblitéré à St. Catharines, en Ontario, où plusieurs farmerettes ont travaillé.Les timbres et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.Video (English subtitles):

Video (French subtitles):

ChicagoPEX 2024 Set for November 22-24

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CHICAGOPEX 2024 Stamp Show Marks 138 Years of Chicago Philatelic Society

CHICAGO, Oct. 27, 2024 – Chicago Philatelic Society (CPS) will present its annual philatelic exhibition, CHICAGOPEX, Nov. 22, 23 and 24, 2024, at the Westin Chicago Northwest, 400 Park Blvd., Itasca, Ill. 60413.

2024 is the 138th anniversary of the Chicago Philatelic Society, which was founded in 1886 and is chapter no. 1 of the American Philatelic Society. On Friday, Scott English, APS executive director, will host a town hall.

The show also features the AmeriStamp Expo in partnership with the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors. This event includes the Single Frame Champion of Champions competition, which highlights the best single-frame exhibits from World Series of Philately shows held during the prior year. AmeriStamp Expo also features the annual AAPE single-frame team competition.

Three specialty societies will convene at CHICAGOPEX: Rossica Society of Russian Philately, Scandinavian Collectors Club and Women Exhibitors. Also, the American Topical Association is offering several sessions.

WE Fest VIII begins on Wednesday night before the show and features educational presentations and discussions on how to create and refine competitive philatelic exhibits.

Each day at lunchtime, Edward Bergen will be signing his book Walt Disney’s 2nd Superstar Donald Duck. On Saturday, there will be a talk for Zeppelin mail enthusiasts and a hands-on workshop for Boy Scouts to earn a badge for stamp collecting. Advanced registration is required for the workshop.

Philatelic exhibit frames are full! CPS expects nearly 300 frames of competitive philatelic material to be on display, including rare and notable material.

2024 marks the 58th anniversary of the show’s philatelic literature competition, with books and other materials on display. One of two such annual U.S.-based competitions for print material, it also accepts digital entries.

The show bourse is expected to feature more than 60 dealers from the U.S. and Europe, offering a vast array of material for everyone from beginners to advanced collectors and exhibitors.

The show includes a youth / beginners’ booth and speakers and meetings for the Chicago Philatelic Society, Collectors Club of Chicago, Germany Philatelic Society Chapter #5, Illinois Postal History Society, North Shore Philatelic Society and the convening societies. Most meetings and talks are free and open to the public.

Saturday night will feature a catered awards banquet. Tickets must be purchased in advance; dress is business casual. Please see the CHICAGOPEX website for details.

Admission and parking are free. Show hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees are asked to contact the hotel (phone: 630-773-4000) to make reservations and to mention Chicago Philatelic Society for the special room rate.

AFDCS Moves to New Website, Data System

Most AFDCS members should have received an email message with this information and more. If not, it may have ended up in a spam folder or the member’s email address is not known by the AFDCS. You can click on the illustrations here for bigger versions of them.

For the many months, the AFDCS has been working on the transition to a new membership management database. This platform, comically named “Wild Apricot,” provides the society with a tool for managing all aspects of member records including renewals, donations and other aspects of membership. The platform also includes tools for building and maintaining a website.

ABOUT THE WEB ADDRESS – The new website is located at www.afdcs.net. This domain has been used during the development process of the new site. In a few weeks, the previous domain (afdcs.org) will be redirected to the new site. By the end of November, both domains (afdcs.net and afdcs.org) will both lead to the new website

IMPORTANT: You will need an email address to access the site beyond the surface areas and the AFDCS needs to know your email address. If you did not get this morning’s mass email about these updates, it may mean the AFDCS does not have an address for you.

The first time you log in to the new websiteeven if you were registered on the old site — you will need to register again. On the new website, click on the blue user icon in the upper right to open the login screen (see screenshot to the right). Then click on “Forgot Password” (even if you remember it).

The email you enter must match what we have on file for you. Please also verify the spelling of your email address before submitting the request. If you do not have an email on file with the AFDCS please send an email to the office (afdcs@afdcs.org) with your desired email address.

Diwali (Canada 2024)

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New stamp celebrates the arrival of Diwali
This year’s design is inspired by the occasion of Lakshmi Puja

Issue date: 14 October

MONCTON, N.B. – Canada Post has issued a new stamp to mark the arrival of Diwali, a major multi-day festival observed across the world by many communities including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. Also called the Festival of Lights, Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

This year’s stamp highlights Lakshmi Puja, which for many is the most important occasion of the celebration, often falling on the second or third day.

Traditions vary during this time, but many people light small clay lamps called diyas and perform rituals to invite Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, into their homes to bestow good fortune. Inspired by depictions of Lakshmi, the stamp design features three of her hands – one is showering coins, another holds a lotus flower and the third holds a diya.

Coinciding with the arrival of the new moon, Diwali is a multiple-day (often five-day) celebration that usually falls in October or November. This year, Diwali takes place on November 1.

 

About the Stamp
The stamp was designed by Rahul Bhogal of Nothing Design Studio and illustrated by Humble Raja. Printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue includes 360,000 Permanent™ stamps; 60,000 booklets of six Permanent stamps and 4,000 Official First Day Covers. The cancel site is Moncton, New Brunswick, which is home to a large community of Indian Canadians.Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.

WESTPEX Show Donates $10K to Boston 2026

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WESTPEX Donation to Boston 2026 World Expo

America’s premier west coast World Series of Philately exhibition, WESTPEX®, Inc, has pledged a donation of $10,000 in support of Boston 2026.

Their contribution continues the philanthropic mission of the San Francisco area organization. The group also presented grants to the past two U.S. internationals, WASHINGTON 2006 and World Stamp Show-NY 2016.

In writing to Boston 2026 officials, WESTPEX Chairman Behruz Nassre said, “During the last WESTPEX board meeting, the board members authorized a $10,000 donation to Boston 2026. As a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding and promoting philately in the United States, the board felt it was essential that we show our support and hopefully encourage other shows to do the same.”

Yamil Kouri, Boston 2026 President, welcomed the news by saying, “We appreciate the generous support of WESTPEX and echo the sentiments of Behruz and the board in all of our efforts in promoting this wonderful hobby.”

WESTPEX 2025 takes place at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront Hotel April 25-27, its anchor location for the past 18 years. Attending major societies include the American Helvetia Philatelic Society, Rossica Society of Russian Philately, Mexico-Elmhurst Philatelic Society International (MEPSI) and Rhodesian Study Circle. See the show’s web site at westpex.org for complete information.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

MuchMusic / MusiquePlus (Canada 2024)

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Canada Post to unveil stamps celebrating the cultural impact of MuchMusic and MusiquePlus

Canada Post invites you to celebrate our newest stamps honouring MuchMusic and MusiquePlus.

These groundbreaking, interactive television stations connected Canadians with their favourite anglophone and francophone musicians and established a platform for generations of Canadian artists.

Two celebrations will take place at the iconic buildings that housed MuchMusic in Toronto and MusiquePlus in Montréal. There will be opportunities to chat with prominent legacy and current VJs and see the newest Canada Post stamps wrapped on an iconic Canada Post delivery truck.

Toronto – MuchMusic stamp
When: Thursday, October 10 between 10 am and noon
Where: Bell Media Studios
299 Queen Street West, Toronto

Montréal – MusiquePlus stamp
When: Thursday, October 10 between 9 am and noon
Where: Former MusiquePlus studio
201 Sainte-Catherine Street East, at the corner of Hôtel-de-Ville Avenue in Montréal