Issue Date 21 July

Day-of-Issue press release:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Fun and fanciful new stamps celebrate Canada’s vintage carousels
Five unique, historic carousels featured in whimsical stamp set

CALGARY – Today, Canada Post released an enchanting set of stamps to celebrate the wonder and playfulness of vintage carousels in Canada.

The vibrant stamps spotlight five historic carousels located across the country. The featured carousels are each known for their elaborately carved and beautifully painted animals. They also showcase the craftsmanship and mechanical ingenuity that were impressive for their era.

Dating back to the 12th century, carousels were originally used as a military training game. By the mid-19th century, they had evolved into the beloved fairground ride that remains a nostalgic staple of amusement parks to this day.

The stamp set features these five carousels:

Lakeside Park Carousel (Lakeside Park, St. Catharines, Ontario)
Built by Kremer’s Carousel Works circa 1903, this impressively large carousel boasts 68 animals and four chariots in four rows – and today still costs only a nickel to ride.

Bowness Carousel (Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary, Alberta)
Built by Herschell-Spillman Co. in 1904, this is a very rare three-row track machine, where the horses’ rocking motion comes from eccentric drive wheels under the platform.

C.W. Parker Carousel No. 119 (Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby, British Columbia)
Built in 1912 and now fully restored, this carousel features 36 jumping horses, four stationary horses, a chariot and music provided by a 1925 Wurlitzer band organ.

Roseneath Carousel (Roseneath Fairgrounds, Roseneath, Ontario)
Built by C.W. Parker in 1906, this was originally a portable carnival carousel. It is the only Canadian carousel to receive the National Carousel Association (U.S.) Historic Carousel Award – in 2010.

Le Galopant (La Ronde, Montréal, Quebec)
Built circa 1885 in Belgium, this was originally a travelling carousel powered by steam. It made its first Canadian appearance at Expo 67.

About the stamps
The stamps are designed by Paprika and feature illustrations by René Milot. Printed by Colour Innovations, each stamp depicts one animal from each of the featured carousels, with the location indicated at the bottom. The stamp issue is cancelled in Calgary, home of the Bowness Carousel at Heritage Park Historical Village. The cancellation is inspired by midway ride tickets. The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps (the booklet [left] is designed in the style of traditional circus, midway advertising posters), a souvenir sheet of five stamps, an Official First Day Cover and a set of five postcards.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
De nouveaux timbres amusants célèbrent des carrousels d’époque
Un jeu de cinq vignettes fantaisistes présente des carrousels uniques.

CALGARY – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a émis un jeu de timbres enchanteur pour célébrer la joie et l’émerveillement créés par les carrousels d’époque au Canada.

Les timbres hauts en couleur illustrent cinq carrousels historiques de différents endroits au pays. Les carrousels en vedette sont connus pour leurs magnifiques animaux sculptés et peints. Ils mettent également en valeur le savoir-faire et l’ingéniosité mécanique qui étaient impressionnants à l’époque.

Remontant au XIIe siècle, les carrousels servent à l’origine de jeux d’entraînement militaire. Au milieu du XIXe siècle, ils deviennent le manège bien-aimé des foires et demeurent aujourd’hui un élément nostalgique incontournable des parcs d’attractions.

Le jeu de timbres met en vedette cinq carrousels :

Carrousel Lakeside Park (Lakeside Park, St. Catharines, Ontario)
Construit par Kremer’s Carousel Works vers 1903, ce carrousel d’une taille impressionnante compte 68 animaux et 4 chars disposés en 4 rangées. Encore aujourd’hui, en faire un tour ne coûte que 5 cents.

Carrousel Bowness (Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary, Alberta)
Construit en 1904 par Herschell-Spillman Co., ce rare modèle est doté de trois rangées de rails, et les chevaux oscillent grâce à des roues motrices excentriques sous la plateforme.

Carrousel C.W. Parker no 119 (Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby, Colombie-Britannique)
Construit en 1912 et entièrement restauré depuis, il compte 36 chevaux sauteurs, 4 chevaux fixes et 1 char. Il tourne au son d’un orgue Wurlitzer de 1925.

Carrousel Roseneath (Roseneath Fairgrounds, Roseneath, Ontario)
Construit en 1906 par C.W. Parker, c’est à l’origine un carrousel de fête foraine. En 2010, la National Carousel Association (États-Unis) lui décerne un prix Historic Carousel Award, un honneur qu’il est le seul à obtenir au Canada.

Le Galopant (La Ronde, Montréal, Québec)
Fabriqué en Belgique vers 1885, ce carrousel, itinérant à l’époque, fonctionne à la vapeur. Il fait sa première apparition au Canada dans le cadre d’Expo 67.

À propos des timbres
Les timbres ont été conçus par la maison Paprika et illustrés par René Milot. Imprimé par Colour Innovations, chaque timbre est orné d’un animal du carrousel auquel il est consacré, et le lieu est indiqué au bas de la vignette. L’émission est oblitérée à Calgary, où se trouvent l’Heritage Park Historical Village et le carrousel Bowness. Le cachet est inspiré des coupons pour les manèges des parcs d’attractions. L’émission comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur (le carnet reprend le style des affiches publicitaires traditionnelles des cirques), un bloc-feuillet de cinq timbres, un pli Premier Jour officiel et un jeu de cinq cartes postales.

[from Canada Post’s Details philatelic catalogue] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]

Can you smell the cotton candy? Do you hear the barkers in the midway daring you to test your game skills? This five-stamp issue featuring vintage carousels from across Canada is designed to bring you back to the summer fun of your youth.

From their origins as a military training game in the 12th century, carousels had evolved by the mid-19th century to the mechanically powered fairground ride we still enjoy today. The five carousels featured, with their elaborately carved and painted animals and cheery band organ music, demonstrate both high artisan craftsmanship and impressive technological advances for their era.

The Lakeside Park Carousel, residing at Lakeside Park, in St. Catharines, Ontario, since 1921, still costs only a nickel to ride.

A rare three-row track machine, the Bowness Carousel arrived at the Heritage Park Historical Village, in Calgary, Alberta, in 1969.

Arriving in Canada in 1936, the C.W. Parker Carousel No. 119 has been a popular attraction at the Burnaby Village Museum, in Burnaby, British Columbia, since 1993.

The only Canadian carousel to receive the National Carousel Association Historic Carousel Award (in 2010), the Roseneath Carousel has been the pride of the Roseneath Fairgrounds, in Roseneath, Ontario, since 1932.

Le Galopant has been entertaining guests at La Ronde amusement park in Montréal, Quebec, since 2007. Originally powered by steam, the late 19th-century Belgian carousel first arrived in Canada to be part of Expo 67.

The issue was designed by Paprika and illustrated by René Milot in a whimsical style reminiscent of turn-of-the-century carnival and circus posters.

The souvenir sheet:The booklet pane:The Official First Day Cover: