[This was confirmed 19 October, the day of issue. The press release is below, along with illustrations of the stamps and products.]

According to VSC contributor Danforth Guy, the clues are “‘DS’, along with a first day city of St. John, New Brunswick,” he said. “St. John, NB, is his birthplace. The issue date is October 19 for a domestic-rate (92¢) booklet of 10 self-adhesives.” The issue has not been confirmed by Canada Post.

Sutherland was born July 17, 1935, making him 88 years old now. (The photo on the left is from 2013.) His awards include an Emmy, a Golden Globe and an

Honorary Academy Award. Among his many films are “The Dirty Dozen,” “M*A*S*H” (shown on the right), “Ordinary People,” “Kelly’s Heroes” and the “Hunger Games” series. (Wikipedia’s filmography is here.)

We will provide more details as we get them, although it may not be until the day of issue.

Updated 19 December:

“I kept saying: ‘I’m a Canadian and now I’m a Canadian stamp. God damn. This is really something,” Sutherland told Canadian Broadcasting. Its main story is here. He also gave an interview to CBC Radio’s “Q” program, a summary of which is here.

Updated 19 October:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp honours internationally acclaimed Canadian actor Donald Sutherland
The prolific performer has appeared in nearly 200 feature films and television programs over seven decades

SAINT JOHN – Canada Post issued a new stamp today commemorating the career of one of Canada’s most respected and versatile actors, Donald Sutherland.

Born on July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Sutherland studied engineering and drama at the University of Toronto before moving to England to pursue his passion for acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

He appeared in stage productions and television shows, making his feature film debut in 1963 as “Tall Man in Nightclub” in The World Ten Times Over. In 1967, Sutherland starred in his breakthrough role as killer Vernon Pinkley in the classic Second World War film, The Dirty Dozen.

On the left, Sutherland is shown with Canada Post’s President and CEO Doug Ettinger and a framed stamp enlargement. Photo by Rossif Sutherland and courtesy Canada Post.

His first lead role in a major motion picture came in 1970 when he played Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the bitingly dark comedy, M*A*S*H. The role transformed him into a Hollywood A-lister and one of the biggest movie stars in the world. It also earned him his first of nine Golden Globe nominations.

Sutherland’s incredible talents and eclectic tastes led him to take on a broad range of roles over the course of his seven-decade career. He is known for memorable performances in a variety of films, including Klute (1971), Ordinary People (1980), Backdraft (1991), Disclosure (1994), A Time to Kill (1996), Fallen (1998), Pride & Prejudice (2005), and The Hunger Games franchise (2012-2015).

With his international success, Sutherland has remained a proud Canadian and starred in many Canadian productions, including the TV movie Bethune (1977) and the 1990 feature film Bethune: The Making of a Hero, playing legendary Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune in both.

His work in nearly 200 films and television productions has garnered him many awards, including a Genie (1983), an Emmy (1995), two Golden Globes (1995 and 2002), the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2000), and an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017).

He has also received stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame (2000) and the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2011) and been named a Companion of the Order of Canada (2019) and a Commandeur of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2012).

About the stamp
The movie-poster-inspired stamp, designed by Paprika and printed by Colour Innovations, features an image of the actor’s profile, with several of his movie titles in English and French. Cancelled in Sutherland’s birthplace of Saint John, the issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover with an image of Sutherland as the character Sgt. Oddball in Kelly’s Heroes (1970).

The stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and post offices across Canada.

Added 21 October:
Technical Details:

Booklet of 10 stamps
Product number: 414239111
Denominations: 10 x Permanent™ (domestic rate)
Designer: Paprika
Dimensions:
Flat: 136 mm (W) X 154 mm (H)
Folded: 68 mm (W) X 154 (H)
Printer: Colour Innovations
Printing process:
Stamps side: 4 COLOUR PROCESS + 2 PMS – FIRST PASS
1 PMS + TAGGING – 2ND PASS
Cover side: 4 COLOUR PROCESS + 1 PANTONE + VARNISH
Quantity: 200,000

Official First Day Cover:
Product number: 414239131
Denominations: 1 x Permanent™ (domestic rate)
Dimensions: 190 mm (W) x 112 mm (H)
Quantity: 7,000
OFDC cancellation location: Saint John, New Brunswick