Canada 150: Olympics and Paralympics (Canada 2017)

[press release]
Spirit of the Games: Canada’s Paralympic and Olympic achievements honoured in final two Canada 150 stamps
Canadian athletes, our country’s success in hosting Paralympics and Olympics celebrated as all 10 Canada 150 stamps go on sale

RICHMOND, B.C. – Canadian Paralympic and Olympic greats unveiled the final two Canada 150 stamps June 1 at a special ceremony honouring Canada’s athletes and the country’s success in hosting the Paralympic and Olympic Games.

All 10 Canada 150 stamps and associated stamp products are now on sale online at canadapost.ca and in postal outlets across the country. The Canada 150 stamps being issued by Canada Post mark unforgettable moments and achievements in Canada since our country’s centennial in 1967.

Paralympic glory
Canadian Paralympic legends Arnold Boldt and Lauren Woolstencroft unveiled a stamp celebrating Canada’s achievements in the Paralympic movement and our country’s role as host of two Paralympic Games – in Toronto in 1976 and Vancouver in 2010. Boldt is a six-time Paralympian who won eight medals in high jump and long jump, including seven gold. Woolstencroft, a former para-alpine skier and the first Canadian winter Paralympian to win five gold medals at a single Games, is featured on the Paralympic stamp.

Olympic greatness
Canadian high-jump legend and Olympic silver medallist Greg Joy, along with Joannie Rochette, Olympic bronze medallist in figure skating, unveiled a separate stamp commemorating Canada’s success as a three-time host of the Olympic Games: the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Olympic stamp features a triumphant Alexandre Bilodeau after winning the men’s moguls event in Vancouver and capturing Canada’s first Olympic gold medal on Canadian soil.

Both the Paralympic and Olympic stamps were unveiled at a ceremony held at Canada Post’s Pacific Processing Centre in Richmond, B.C. Left to right, Canadian Paralympic legends Arnold Boldt and Lauren Woolstencroft unveiled a stamp celebrating Canada’s achievements in the Paralympic movement and Joannie Rochette, Olympic bronze medallist in figure skating, and Canadian high-jump legend and Olympic silver medallist Greg Joy unveiled a separate stamp commemorating Canada’s success as a three-time host of the Olympic Games. Photo by Flora Gordon/Canada Post.

Lasting legacies and memories
The Olympic and Paralympic Games held in Canada inspired a nation, left an indelible mark on our country, and showcased Canada to the world. They produced iconic Canadian moments and influenced generations of current, former and up-and-coming Olympians. Thousands of Canadians participated in the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays that toured through communities across Canada, allowing people of all ages and athletic abilities to have their own special Games moment.

All 10 Canada 150 stamps now on sale
Each stamp in the set has been unveiled by a distinguished Canadian individual or group related to the moment being celebrated. The location of each stamp launch also directly related to the moment being commemorated. The first stamp, celebrating Expo 67, was unveiled in Montréal by Habitat 67 architect Moshe Safdie on April 27, while the stamp honouring the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was unveiled on Parliament Hill on May 3 with the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of Canada. The third stamp, which pays tribute to the Canadarm and Canadian innovation, was unveiled by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen during a recorded event at a Toronto school and released online May 4.

The fourth stamp, commemorating the 2005 passage of the Civil Marriage Act – which made marriage equality the law in Canada – was unveiled in Toronto on May 9 in partnership with The 519, an organization that supports the LGBTQ community. The fifth stamp, celebrating the Trans-Canada Highway, was unveiled in Regina on May 16 by Canadian country music star Dean Brody. The sixth stamp, honouring Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope, was unveiled in St. John’s, N.L. on May 25 by Judith Fox, Terry’s sister. The seventh stamp, commemorating Nunavut becoming a territory, was unveiled May 30 at the legislative assembly in Iqaluit by Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna, Commissioner of Nunavut Nellie Kusugak, and George Qulaut, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. The eighth stamp, celebrating Canada’s victory in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, was unveiled May 31 at CFB Winnipeg by Canadian hockey legends who played on the team.

About the stamps
Each of the 10 maple-leaf shaped die-cut PermanentTM domestic-rate stamps measures 40 mm x 40 mm and is printed in 6 colours plus tagging. The self-adhesive stamps are available in a booklet of 10 (4 million stamps). A gummed pane of 10 stamps, with circle perforations 4.5 cm in diameter, is also available (80,000 panes). Official First Day Covers, one for each stamp design and each cancelled in OTTAWA ON, are available in a pack of 10 (10,000 packs). The stamp issue was designed by Roy White and Liz Wurzinger of Subplot Design Inc. in Vancouver, B.C., and printed by the Lowe-Martin Group.