[press release]
Third Annual CSN Cover Contest now accepting submissions

Canadian Stamp News has officially launched its Third Annual Cover Contest, pitting clubs and collectors from around the world against one another in a fun competition focused on philately, design and postal history.

All philatelic organizations – at the local, regional and national levels – are invited to submit a cover promoting National Stamp Collecting Month, which takes place this October in Canada. For the second year in a row, an “individual” category is also open to collectors, who can submit a cover to vie for top bragging rights among individuals.

“The competition continues to grow year over year, and CSN is eager to see even more covers come in the mail before this October,” said CSN Publisher and Editor Mike Walsh.

“This year, we’re putting out a call to clubs across the country plus some in the U.S. and overseas. The more the merrier—but with the contest going worldwide, get ready for some competition.”

Altogether, there are six prizes (three for both categories), and both clubs and collectors are permitted to submit more than one design.

September 25 Deadline
All covers must be mailed to and received by CSN by Sept. 25, complete with a postmark to prove the deadline date was met. The CSN address is

PO Box 25009, Rose City RO,
Welland, ON L3B 5V0.

Designs can promote their club, their individual hobby or the month-long philatelic celebration of National Stamp Collecting Month, which has fallen to the wayside since its inception about 40 years ago.

All submitted entries will be posted on canadianstampnews.com on Oct. 1. People around the world will then be invited to vote for their three favourite submissions from clubs and collectors throughout October.

On Nov. 1, CSN will announce the three club covers and three individual covers that received the most votes. The top three covers in each category will win $100, $50 and $25, respectively.

Two Years Running
In last year’s cover contest – the first to feature collectors’ covers – Toronto’s Harvey Shuter [right] won the first-place prize in the individual category. The club category was topped by the Calgary Philatelic Society [below], which was followed by the Waterloo Region Stamp Club in second place and the Kelowna and District Stamp Club in third. To see the full results from last year’s contest, visit canadianstampnews.com/2019covercontest. For more information about this year’s contest, visit canadianstampnews.com/2020covercontest or contact CSN reporter Jesse Robitaille at reporter@trajan.ca or 1-905-646-7744 (ext. 236).

How To Participate — In Three Easy Steps!
Design a cover!

Mail the cover to CSN (it can be mailed inside another cover/package/parcel for
protection—as long as there’s a postmark on or before Sept. 25, 2020)!

Watch the votes pour in through October, and wait for the results on Nov. 1!

In response to questions from The Virtual Stamp Club:

• • The contest is open to anyone, Canadian, or not;
  • The covers do not have to use Canadian stamps;
  • The stamps on the cover must be postmarked September 25, 2020, or earlier;
  • Cachetmakers — those who produce covers for sale — are welcome to enter.