[press release]
Black History Month stamp celebrates little-known hockey history
The Colored Hockey Championship stamp tells the story of overcoming adversity
HALIFAX, N.S. – Canada Post today unveiled a stamp honouring the Colored Hockey Championship and the all-Black hockey teams in the Maritimes that competed for it between 1895 and the early 1930s.
In this little-known chapter in Canadian hockey history, determined organizers and players arranged their own challenge matches, dispelling hurtful misconceptions and changing the game in small but important ways.
In the late 19th century, Baptist Church leaders believed all-Black hockey would be a great way to attract young Black men to the Church to strengthen their religious path. Games became community events that brought mixed audiences together in the stands; and post-game meals united Black players from different communities.
There was no predetermined game schedule. Rather, teams challenged each other to matches by telegraph or by placing ads in local newspapers. Organizers, players and newspapers of the day called the ultimate prize the Colored Hockey Championship, a term not in use today, but which the stamp issue retains because it is historically accurate.
The stamp acknowledges some of the game’s early developments, including some of the earliest recorded uses of down-to-the-ice goaltending, which was later adopted by players in “white-only” leagues, including professional leagues. At that time, hockey goalies in other leagues stood upright. [Booklet cover shown on left.]
The first record of an all-Black hockey game in the Halifax area dates back to March 1895 and involved the Dartmouth Jubilees and the Halifax Stanleys. Six more teams would soon form, including one from Prince Edward Island. There were the Halifax Eurekas, Africville Sea-Sides, Truro Victorias, Hammonds Plains Moss Backs, Amherst Royals and Charlottetown West End Rangers.
The golden era of all-Black hockey was between 1900 and 1905, when games often outdrew those of “white-only” leagues, but teams continued to play for the Colored Hockey Championship until the 1930s.
Designed by Lara Minja of Lime Design, the stamp features an illustration of the Halifax Eurekas, the Colored Hockey Champions in 1904. The illustration by Ron Dollekamp is based on a historical photograph. The stamp is available in booklets of 10; the Official First Day Cover [below] is cancelled in Halifax. 
Canada Post is proud to honour the courage of those who organized and played all-Black hockey and helped to make this little-known story part of Canada’s national discussion. 
Le timbre du Mois de l’histoire des Noirs met en lumière un pan méconnu de l’histoire du hockey
La vignette consacrée au Colored Hockey Championship raconte une histoire de courage dans l’adversité
HALIFAX, N.-É. – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a dévoilé un timbre célébrant le Colored Hockey Championship et les équipes de hockey sur glace uniquement composées de joueurs noirs qui se sont disputé le titre dans les Maritimes entre 1895 et le début des années 1930.
Durant cette époque peu connue de l’histoire du hockey canadien, des organisateurs et des joueurs déterminés ont mis sur pied leurs propres matchs, dissipé des idées fausses blessantes et contribué à changer le jeu de manière modeste, mais non négligeable.
À la fin du XIXe siècle, les dirigeants de l’Église baptiste croyaient que le hockey noir serait un excellent moyen d’attirer davantage de jeunes hommes à l’église et de fortifier leur foi. Les parties sont devenues des événements communautaires qui ont rassemblé des publics mixtes dans les gradins et les repas d’après-match ont uni les joueurs noirs de différentes communautés.
Il n’y avait pas de calendrier de jeu préétabli. Les matchs étaient organisés de manière ponctuelle lorsqu’une équipe en défiait une autre par télégraphe ou dans un journal local. Les organisateurs, les joueurs et les journaux de l’époque ont appelé le prix tant convoité le Colored Hockey Championship, un nom qui n’est plus utilisé aujourd’hui, mais qui figure sur le timbre puisqu’il est exact d’un point de vue historique.
Le timbre souligne certains des premiers développements de l’histoire du hockey, notamment la pratique autorisant le gardien à se mettre à genoux pour arrêter la rondelle, qui a plus tard été adoptée par les joueurs des ligues blanches, y compris les ligues professionnelles.
Les premières traces d’équipes de hockey uniquement composées de joueurs noirs dans la région de Halifax remontent à mars 1895, alors qu’un match a opposé les Jubilees de Dartmouth et les Stanleys de Halifax. Peu de temps après, six autres équipes se sont formées, dont une à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard : les Eurekas de Halifax, les Sea-Sides d’Africville, les Victorias de Truro, les Moss Backs de Hammonds Plains, les Royals d’Amherst et les West End Rangers de Charlottetown.
L’âge d’or du hockey noir se situe entre 1900 et 1905, alors que ces matchs attiraient souvent un public plus nombreux que ceux des ligues réservées aux joueurs blancs, mais les équipes composées uniquement de hockeyeurs noirs ont continué de se lancer le défi du Colored Hockey Championship jusqu’aux années 1930.
Conçue par Lara Minja de Lime Design, la vignette présente une illustration des Eurekas de Halifax, l’équipe qui a remporté le championnat en 1904. L’illustration, réalisée par Ron Dollekamp, est basée sur une photo historique. Le timbre est offert en carnet de 10 et le pli Premier Jour officiel est orné d’un cachet d’oblitération portant la mention « Halifax NS».
Postes Canada est fière d’honorer le courage de ceux qui ont organisé des matchs de hockey noir et qui y ont joué, et qui ont contribué intégrer cette histoire méconnue dans la trame narrative du pays. [Canada Post press release January 20th]
Black History Month stamp celebrates the Colored Hockey Championship
OTTAWA, Jan. 20, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Post invites you to celebrate Black History Month by attending the unveiling of a stamp honoring the Colored Hockey Championship, a little-known chapter in Canadian hockey history. The stamp tells the story of all-Black hockey in the Maritimes between 1895 and the early 1930s.
WHAT: Unveiling of the Colored Hockey Championship commemorative stamp
and the all-Black hockey teams that played in the Maritimes in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
WHERE: Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
10 Cherry Brook Road
Cherry Brook, Nova Scotia
WHEN: Thursday, January 23
10:30 am – 11:30 am
“You dirty rat!*”
Abraham Lake, Alta. [right]
The Permanent domestic-rate stamps are available in booklets of 10 (two of each image) and coils of 100, while the U.S.-, Oversized- and International-rate denominations come in booklets of six and coils of 50. The issue also includes a collectible souvenir sheet featuring all nine stamps. The Official First Day Cover [above] is cancelled in Radium Hot Springs, B.C., in honour of the 100th anniversary of Kootenay National Park, the location featured on the U.S.-rate stamp. The issue was designed by Stéphane Huot of Montréal.
Abraham Lake, Alberta
Les timbres Permanents au tarif du régime intérieur sont offerts en carnets de dix (deux pour chaque image) et en rouleaux de cent, alors que les timbres aux tarifs des envois à destination des États-Unis, des envois surdimensionnés et des envois du régime international sont offerts en carnets de six et en rouleaux de cinquante. Cette émission comprend aussi un bloc-feuillet de collection qui contient les neuf timbres. Le pli Premier Jour officiel est oblitéré à Radium Hot Springs, en Colombie-Britannique, en l’honneur du 100e anniversaire du parc national Kootenay qui est illustré sur le timbre au tarif des envois à destination des États-Unis. Cette émission a été conçue par Stéphane Huot, de Montréal. 
TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Post has issued two stamps celebrating the Year of the Rat – representing the first year in the Lunar New Year cycle and the final issue in a second 12-year series honouring the annual festival.
known as Chinese farmer painting. The Permanent™ domestic-rate stamp depicts the bride on route to her nuptials, while the International-rate stamp reveals the happily married couple.
The domestic-rate booklet pane 
The domestic-rate OFDC 
The international-rate booklet pane 
The international-rate souvenir sheet. 
The international-rate souvenir sheet OFDC. 
The 2019/2020 souvenir sheet
Under the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2013, the sale of Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamps (Item 576600) and related products have been reauthorized pursuant to Public Law 113-165.
Elite (1984)
Codemasters. It went on to become one of the most successful British game franchises of the era. Originally created for the Amstrad CPC, it quickly converted to ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and other computers and consoles. The game’s main character is an adventuring egg that runs and tumbles around a fantasy world solving puzzles by collecting interesting objects.
Populous (1989)
Lemmings (1991) 
Micro Machines (1991)
Sensible Soccer (1992)
WipeOut (1995)
Worms (1995)
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.95″ x 1.49″ 
The pictorial postmark measures 2.73″ x 0.88″
Chrysanthemum Global Forever® international rate stamp in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 stamps (Item 572600). The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 24, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 750500) and coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 760600). The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 3, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
His delivery truck had broken down while making the rounds midday on Christmas Eve and he was waiting for a tow when it burst into flames.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper reports the USPS will send a letter to all customers along the delivery route. Those who were expecting a package that might have been destroyed should contact the local USPS consumers affairs office at 858-674-2670.
This letter carrier was able to save all the packages in his truck. The volunteer fire department posted on Facebook, “the mailman saved Christmas!”
The description said “1976,” but upon closer examination, the postmark dates are 1978. When I brought it to work, coworkers pointed out that that was the year ABC’s evening television newscast was reformatted and named “World News Tonight,” which is its present name, in July 1978.
The (upside-down) reverse of the envelope has a London “backstamp” as well. There is no clue who produced the cover or whether more than one was produced.
