Issue date: June 17, 2019
From Canada Post’s Details magazine:
At the end of the 19th century, there were more than 1,400 covered bridges in rural communities across Canada. Today, only an estimated 140 remain.
Opened in 1901 and covered in 1922, New Brunswick’s Hartland Bridge is the longest of its kind in the world, spanning 391 metres. An engineering marvel, it boasts seven heavy-timber Howe trusses supported by six piers.
Also known as the Percy Bridge, Quebec’s Powerscourt Bridge, built in 1861, is one of Canada’s oldest covered bridges and the only known example of the McCallum inflexible arched-truss design that is still in existence.
The Félix-Gabriel-Marchand Bridge, extending 152 metres from end to end, is Quebec’s longest covered bridge and one of its oldest. Built in 1898, it is unique in the province for its combination of Queen Post and Town lattice trusses.
Ontario’s last remaining historic covered bridge, the 60-metre West Montrose Bridge – opened in 1881 over the Grand River – features Howe trusses and louvered window openings.
The Ashnola No. 1 railroad bridge measuring 135 metres across 
British Columbia’s Similkameen River, was completed in 1907 and rebuilt in 1926 with its Howe trusses sheathed in wood panelling and cross-bracing exposed overhead. It was converted for automobile use in 1961. 
Canada Post’s press release on the day the stamps were released:
[press release]
Quaint but no longer common, covered bridges still dot our countryside – and five historic ones now adorn stamps
OTTAWA, June 17, 2019 /CNW/ – Built in a bygone era as vital transportation links spanning rivers, covered bridges are now also portals that invite the imagination back to the age of steam locomotives and horse-drawn buggies.
Canada Post today issued five stamps that depict five historic covered bridges across the country. The issue pays tribute to their engineering and design and their role in transportation, but it also recognizes them as important symbols of community life in rural Canada.
At the end of the 19th century, the country had more than 1,400 covered bridges; today, an estimated 140 or so remain. Of the more than 400 covered bridges that once existed in New Brunswick, about 60 still stand – including the longest in the world. Quebec once boasted more than 1,000 but now has about 80. Ontario has only one historic covered bridge, as does British Columbia. Bridges were covered to protect their load-bearing structure from the elements and extend their useful life. These bridges are featured on the stamps:
- Hartland Covered Bridge (New Brunswick)
With a 391-metre span, this bridge across the Saint John River is the longest covered bridge in the world. It was an engineering wonder when it was built at the turn of the 20th century. The original bridge was open; the cover was added in 1922. - Powerscourt (Percy) Bridge (Quebec)
This bridge across the Châteauguay River was built in 1861 and is considered Canada’s oldest covered bridge. With a span of 50 metres, it was built with strong and rigid McCallum inflexible arched trusses. It is the only known bridge left in the world of that McCallum design. - Félix-Gabriel-Marchand Bridge (Quebec)
Known locally as the Marchand Bridge or simply the Red Bridge, this is the longest covered bridge in Quebec, at 152 metres. It crosses the Coulonge River near the village of Fort-Coulonge. Built in 1898, it is one of the oldest surviving covered bridges in Quebec. - West Montrose Covered Bridge (Ontario)
This is Ontario’s last remaining historic covered bridge. It crosses the Grand River in the Waterloo region. It opened in 1881. Often referred to as “the kissing bridge,” the 60-metre bridge is true to its original design, but the concrete and steel parts added later increased its lifespan. Scenes in the 2017 horror movie It, based on a Stephen King novel, were filmed around the bridge. - Ashnola No. 1 Bridge (British Columbia)
Built as a railway bridge over the Similkameen River in 1907, it was first used during the region’s gold mining era. Known locally as the Red Bridge, the 135-metre bridge had its railway tracks removed in 1954 and was opened to vehicles in 1961. It is British Columbia’s only remaining historic covered bridge.
The Official First Day Cover souvenir sheet is cancelled in Hartland, New Brunswick.
With spring in full swing – and camping, canoeing and cottage life just around the corner – you might soon encounter one of Canada’s eight freshwater turtle species. These stamps showcase two species that have been assessed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
In Canada, 
Canadian populations of the 
Our country’s traditional desserts offer more than just a scrumptious way to end a meal – their origins are a tasty part of our history. These stamps give you a chance to discover the sweet stories behind some of our favourite treats.
a recipe card-inspired design that shows a truly satisfying slice of creativity.
antioxidants. Their name is derived from the Cree word misâskwatômina, which also inspired the name of the city of Saskatoon, meaning “at the Saskatoon berry.”
A staple of Quebec patisseries, sugar pie (4) (tarte au sucre) traces its origins to France. Colonists brought the recipe for the pie along with them – but since brown sugar was a rare commodity in New France, early French-Canadian versions used maple syrup as a sweetener.
Australia Post is commemorating Anzac Day this year by focusing on the theme of peace in 1919 – the year in which official World War I peace treaties were signed and celebrations, such as Peace Day, occurred throughout the British Empire.
Anzac Memorial Day 1919 souvenir program ($1) published by the Victorian Branch of the Returned Soldiers and Sailors League for Anzac Memorial Day, 1919. The cover artwork by Melbourne firm Goldsworthy and Davey features a figure based on the Roman Goddess of Peace and incorporates both the dark skies of war and the sunny skies of peace.
The handbook deals with every postal and philatelic aspect representing the three sides of the war and includes abundant related history pertinent to the context of this conflict.
American Philatelist editor Mark Kellner is leaving that post at the end of April, The Virtual Stamp Club has learned. He became AP editor at the beginning of 2019 when Martin Miller left.
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This very large eagle catches fish or sea birds with a low, slow approach, dropping its feet into the water to snatch the prey and then taking it to shore. These eagles were persecuted to extinction by 1918, but in 1975 a release programme was started on R˘m in Scotland. The population in Scotland is now around 60 breeding pairs, with over 200 adult birds. Since eagles readily feed on carrion, they get blamed for killing animals they are unlikely to kill. The financial benefit to Scotland from tourists coming to photograph these stunning birds is approximately £5 million a year.
The merlin, which belongs to the falcon family, is the smallest UK raptor and can be found during the spring and summer on the uplands, nesting on the ground underneath heather. A specialist bird-catcher, it feeds its young on larks and meadow pipits in the summer. Females are brown, as are juveniles, while adult males have a blue-grey back. Once the autumn arrives, these birds move to lowlands, in a partial migration, for the winter. Since merlins are fast, agile and small, they are not commonly seen, but energetic young make a spectacular ringing flight after larks.
Larger than the merlin, this little falcon migrates to the UK from Africa in the spring to breed. With its long, sickle-shaped wings, it resembles a giant swift and is incredibly nimble in flight. Feeding on dragonflies and other insects, the hobby is often seen near large bodies of water. It nests using abandoned crowsí nests, and during the breeding season it hunts for swallows and swifts to feed its young. Once the young are able to fly and can hunt for themselves, hobbies migrate with the swallows back to Africa.
By the 1970s, the common (or Eurasian) buzzard was rare in the UK other than in the far west. Since then, however, there has been a huge increase thanks to more nesting areas and to rabbits surviving myxomatosis, and buzzards are now breeding in every county. Buzzards are usually seen on fi ne days soaring and calling, with a mewing cry, or sitting on poles, on fences by roads or on the ground, particularly when ploughed in the winter. They scavenge roadkill, which can cause them traffic injuries, or feed on insects on the ground. There is enormous colour variation in this species, from almost all cream to very dark brown.
The golden eagle prefers remote moorlands and mountains in Scotland, usually nesting on cliff ledges. It soars over the Highlands, catching rabbits, hares and birds with its very powerful feet. It also consumes carrion, in some areas being reliant on dead animals during the winter. Golden eagles pair for life. Of the two eggs that the female lays, one chick rarely survives, the other fl edging at about three-and-a-half months. Juveniles have a mottled white and brown tail with a black band, which turns brown over the years. The golden feathers that give this eagle its name are on the head and the neck.
Once the UKís most common raptor, observed hovering by roads and motorways, this falcon has seen a decrease of 40 per cent over the past two decades. A key reason for the decline is the lack of sufficient nest sites and suitable grasslands for hunting. Kestrels are characterised by a beautiful chestnut-red colour over their bodies. The female has a red tail with bars, while the adult male has a grey head and grey tail with a black band at its tip. These birds are best known for hunting mice and voles by hovering, often descending in stages to drop on their prey.
This aggressive, forest-dwelling hunter was probably extinct as a breeder until the middle of the 20th century. Its wing shape allows it to twist and turn through trees, and its long legs and powerful feet are well suited to hunting birds and mammals up to the size of a hare, with a short, often surprise attack. Adults are grey and white, with fi ne horizontal bars on the breast, while juveniles are brown, with vertical brown stripes. Goshawks build large stick nests and lay up to four eggs. The parents are vocal in the spring, when they can sometimes be seen soaring high in good weather.
This little hawk is most commonly seen in gardens catching small birds. Its defining features are very long, thin legs and yellow eyes. Males are tiny in comparison to females. Both hunt birds, but females can take birds up to the size of a pigeon. The sparrowhawk is often blamed, wrongly, for the demise of small birds, while in fact it is cats, cars, windows and pesticides that are responsible. Sparrowhawks build a stick nest and rear up to five young. The young grow swiftly and become independent by the age of 14 weeks, although onlyabout a third survive their first year.
By 1903, red kites had been persecuted close to extinction, with the last few remaining in the mountains of Wales, when a farmer started to feed them. Now, with four feeding stations, there are 900 pairs in Wales. There have been very successful translocation programmes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so kites are now seen soaring together in many places. Long wings, a long, forked tail and red colour make the red kite easy to identify. These birds are mainly scavengers, feeding on roadkill and animal remains. They have small feet for their body size, which limits the prey they can catch.
Brought to low numbers by pesticides in the middle of the 20th century, the peregrine has recovered dramatically. Many peregrines are now urban birds, nesting on cathedrals, other tall buildings and bridges. Probably the fastest living creature, the peregrine hunts birds up to the size of large gulls, almost always on the wing. It has a short tail and long, pointed wings. The juveniles are brown, while the adults have a grey-blue back. In the UK, these birds are sedentary, but peregrines in other areas can be migratory, and they are the most widely spread raptors worldwide.
The American Topical Association is recruiting for an executive director, as Vera Felts (below right) is planning to retire after 10 years of service to ATA. Applications are now being accepted.
shows. The position requires strong organization skills and accurate record-keeping. Member communication is frequent, by mass mailings, email and phone. Experience in the philatelic arena is required. Experience in graphic design and website management is a plus.
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