First Look: 2018 U.S. Stamps

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Updated December 26th: We now have individual pages for each issue. Click on the name of the issue to go to that specific page.

Updated December 19th: * indicates a first-day ceremony for this issue

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Provides a Sneak Peek at Select 2018 Stamps

WASHINGTON — With a new year just around the corner, the U.S. Postal Service is raising the curtain to provide a sneak peek at a portion of its 2018 stamp program.

Icons such as Lena Horne, John Lennon and Sally Ride and will be immortalized on Forever stamps next year. Stunning photographs of America’s dramatic landscapes will commemorate the song “America the Beautiful.”

Other diverse and educational stamps on deck for 2018 will:

  • Shine light on bioluminescent creatures that glow in the dark;
  • Showcase the art of magic through five classic magic tricks;
  • Celebrate mythological fire-eating dragons; and,
  • Offer “tasty” frozen treats for those with a sweet tooth.

Detailed information and issuance dates on these stamps and others will be revealed later. All stamp designs are preliminary and are subject to change until issuance dates.

Details on individual issues:

Love Flourishes (Love series)
Love Flourishes is the latest stamp in the Love series. The stamp art features a fanciful garden of colorful flowers surrounding the word “Love.”

Year of the Dog (Celebrating Lunar New Year series)
The Year of the Dog stamp is the 11th of 12 stamps in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Dog begins Feb. 16, 2018, and ends Feb. 4, 2019.

Lena Horne (Black Heritage series)
The 41st issuance in the Black Heritage series honors the achievements of legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne (1917–2010). Remembered as one of America’s great interpreters of popular songs, Horne also was a trailblazer in Hollywood for women of color. She used her personal elegance, charisma and fame to become an important spokesperson for civil rights.

U.S. Flag
For more than half a century, U.S. stamps have depicted the American flag in vivid red, white and blue. This eye-catching new issuance continues that tradition with a striking graphic design of a flag with two crisp folds.

Bioluminescent Life
This issuance celebrates the phenomenon of bioluminescence — the ability of some species to glow — with a pane of 20 stamps featuring 10 life-forms that create their own light.

llinois Statehood (Statehood series)
This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood. Known as the Prairie State, Illinois became the 21st state of the union on Dec. 3, 1818.

Mister Rogers
Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity and honesty.

STEM Education
These Forever stamps celebrate the role of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in keeping our nation a global leader in innovation. Designed to pique the curiosity of the viewer, each of these four stamps features a collage of faces, symbols, drawings and numbers that represent the complexity and interconnectedness of the STEM disciplines.

Sally Ride
America’s first woman in space, Sally Ride (1951–2012), inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist and dedicated educator.

Flag Act of 1818
With this stamp, the Postal Service marks the 200th anniversary of the Flag Act of 1818, which gave us the basic design of the current American flag: 13 stripes symbolizing the original 13 colonies and one star for each state in the union.

Frozen Treats
Frozen Treats features frosty, colorful icy pops on a stick. The tasty, sweet confections come in a variety of shapes and flavors.

O Beautiful
With the release of O Beautiful, the Postal Service commemorates the beauty and majesty of the United States through images that correspond with one of the nation’s most beloved songs, “America the Beautiful.” World War I: Turning the Tide
With this stamp, the Postal Service pays tribute to the sacrifice of American soldiers and millions of supporters on the home front who experienced World War I. Entering World War I (1914–1918) in its later stages, the United States helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Allies.

Dragons
The Postal Service celebrates dragons, the high-flying, fire-breathing mythological creatures that have roamed our imaginations for millennia. Birds in Winter
Birds in Winter celebrates four of winter’s winged beauties: the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), the blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), and the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).

John Lennon (Music Icons series)
The newest stamp in the Music Icons series honors singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940–1980), a rock ’n’ roll hero successful both as a founding member of the Beatles and as a solo artist.

The Art of Magic
The Postal Service celebrates the art of magic with this pane of 20 stamps featuring digital illustrations of five classic tricks magicians use to amaze and delight audiences: a rabbit in a hat (production), a fortune teller using a crystal ball (prediction), a woman floating in the air (levitation), an empty bird cage (vanishing), and a bird emerging from a flower (transformation).

Byodo-In Temple (Priority Mail)
This Priority Mail stamp features a colorful illustration of the Byodo-In Temple, a popular tourist attraction in Hawai‘i.

Sleeping Bear Dunes (Priority Mail Express)
With this Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a national park in Michigan that takes its name from a Native American legend.

Meyer Lemons
Meyer Lemons is a 2-cent definitive stamp. The stamp art features a whole Meyer lemon next to two wedges of the cut fruit.

NYC Santa Mail Program Adds Hurricane Victims

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[press releases]
Caribbean Letters To Santa Head to NYC

San Juan – Like so many of our neighbors here in the Caribbean, even Santa Claus needs a little help this year after the hurricanes.

The New York City-based OPERATION SANTA program is in its 105th year of operation. Operation Santa is an annual letter-writing program for individuals, businesses and charitable organizations to respond to children’s letters addressed to Santa Claus, the North Pole and other seasonal characters. While there are no promises that all letters will receive a response, many New Yorkers return to read letters and to respond to wishes.

The process is strictly monitored. No names are shared. Those who write letters, and those who respond, remain strictly anonymous. All items for shipping must be deposited with the Main Post Office in Manhattan, the only location which will have that mailing address.

All letters to Santa from Caribbean addresses collected through December 13 are being added to the New York program for consideration. Letters may be presented at local post offices or addressed to OPERATION SANTA, Postmaster, San Juan PR 00936 for consideration.

Also from the USPS:

Operation Santa

Background
As much as history reveals, the Postal Service began receiving letters to Santa Claus more than 100 years ago. However, its involvement was made official when in 1912 Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local Postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to the ever growing number of letters received every holiday season.

In the 1940s, mail volume for Santa increased so much so that the Postal Service extended the same invitation to charitable organizations, community groups and corporations to help respond to children who wrote letters to Santa.

105th Anniversary
This year, 2017, the Postal Service is celebrating the 105th anniversary of the Operation Santa program as it continues to fulfill the dreams of children nationwide. More than one hundred years later, postal employees, volunteers and organizations remain committed to making children’s Christmas wishes come true.
What We Do

The Postal Service has Operation Santa sites in action around the country. In the vast number of locations postal employees respond to the letters by providing a written response signed by Santa, while other Post Offices may work with local schools, municipalities and community groups who volunteer for the joyous task.

Each year, however, in select Post Offices the general public is invited to “adopt” Santa letters. In all locations where the public may adopt letters written to Santa, strict privacy guidelines are in place. Any member of the public choosing to adopt a letter may simply respond in writing or if they choose grant the wish, a decision that is left to the individual.

New York City’s Operation Santa serves as the largest public adoption Post Office in the country. A “Big Apple” tradition that has changed very little since the 1940s and one which continues to thrive in the heart of the Manhattan, much to the delight of those who visit the iconic James A. Farley building.

How to adopt a letter

Privacy guidelines
In 2006, national policy guidelines were created regarding the handling and adoption of letters addressed to Santa. These guidelines were designed to protect the children who wrote to Santa and mandated that individuals wishing to adopt letters must do so in person, present valid photo identification and fill out a form that includes the list of letters being adopted.

In 2009, the Postal Service changed the letter adoption process by redacting or blacking out all reference to the child’s address and assigning the letter a number. Individuals interested in adopting letters go to the post office, select the letter(s) and sign an official form. When the individual has fulfilled the child’s wishes, they return to the same post office with the letter and/or gift for mailing. A postal employee weighs the package and the individual pays for the postage, or a Priority Mail Flat Rate box could be used. Then a postal employee matches the number on the letter with the child’s address, prints and applies a label to the package and readies it for delivery. The individual never has access to the mailing address.
Local Programs

Children of all ages send letters to “Santa Claus, North Pole, Alaska” every year. Unless these letters contain a complete Alaska address, the letters will remain in the area they were mailed. Where available, these letters are routed to the nearest post office that coordinates responses, often in postal administrative sites like District Offices.

As time and resources permit, these offices help provide a written response to letters bearing a complete return address. While responses are not promised, the Postal Service understands that a letter to Santa is often a child’s first written correspondence. Through this seasonal outreach, the Postal Service helps to promote literacy and letter writing.

2017 Operation Santa Locations

People-Community-Social Responsibility
The Postal Service and its employees play important roles in communities around the nation. Postal employees live in the communities in which they work. Their children attend school there. They actively participate in community business, shop in its stores and patronize local restaurants. It makes perfect sense for postal employees to want to help their fellow citizens, especially during the holiday season.

How To Adopt A Letter From Santa (USPS)

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Individual customers and representatives of organizations wanting to adopt a letter must come to a participating Operation Santa Post Office in person. Both individual customers and organizational representatives must fill out the proper PS Forms 6012 (organization), 6012-A (organization record of letter), or 6012-I (individual) and show identification before viewing any letters.

  • For organizations wanting to adopt a letter, please send a representative with correspondence on letterhead from your company/organization authorizing the representative to view the letters on behalf of your company/organization. Your representative must present his or her employee ID and a valid state driver’s license or state-issued ID card.
  • For individuals wanting to adopt a letter, please bring a valid state driver’s license or state-issued ID card.

After completing the forms, you may then read and choose a letter(s). To protect the anonymity of the letter writers, all personal information will be blacked out in the letters you view — no last names, addresses or contact information of any kind will be visible.

Bring your selections to a postal clerk so the clerk can notate which letter(s) you will adopt.

Here is the fun part — you get to be Santa’s helper by fulfilling the wishes of the letter writer.

Once you have fulfilled the wish, you simply bring your wrapped gift(s) back to the same Operation Santa location to mail.

Individuals and organizations will be responsible for paying the postage to mail the gifts to the recipient.

Once you pay the postage, the postal clerks will match your box with the letter writer by using an internal numbering system.

The return address on the box will read “Operation Santa, North Pole.”

Space Weather Handbook DVD Released by ATA

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Solar storms that cause bright auroras can also affect people and technology in space and on Earth. The development of the scientific understanding of that Sun-Earth relationship is examined in Space Weather—A Philatelic Journey, a new philatelic handbook published in DVD format by the American Topical Association.

Written by meteorologists Garry Toth and Don Hillger, it contains descriptive text, stamp and cover images, and an extensive and up-to-date checklist. More than 200 pages of detailed information are in .pdf format. The checklist appendices in Excel format are also included.

The handbook will be of interest to collectors of numerous space and weather-related topics.

Garry Toth, MSc, was an operational meteorologist with the Meteorological Service of Canada. His topical interests are weather, climate, space weather and planetary weather.

Don Hillger, PhD, is a satellite meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and holds a cooperative position at Colorado State University. His topical interests include unmanned scientific satellites, weather and climate.

The DVD is $35, or $30 for ATA members, plus $1.50 postage in the U.S. and Canada, or $3 elsewhere. Order from American Topical Association, PO Box 8, Carterville, IL 62918-0008, americantopical@msn.com. Preorders will be taken for a printed book version until Mar. 31, 2018.

U.S. Scott Catalogue Number Update (December 2017)

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5251 (49¢) National Museum of African American History and Culture

5252 (49¢) History of Ice Hockey – Player Wearing Helmet and Protective Gear
a. As No. 5252, matte-finish paper
5253 (49¢) History of Ice Hockey – Player Wearing Hat and Scarf
a. As No. 5253, matte-finish paper
b. Vert. pair, #5252-5253
c. Souvenir sheet of 2, #5252a-5253a

CVP101 Computer-vended stamps with Christmas Cookies

USPS Aids Letters From Santa

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[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Letters FROM Santa Program Provides Santa’s Personalized Response to Your Child’s Letter
NORTH POLE — Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus — and the U.S. Postal Service can help you prove it when Santa replies to your child’s letter — complete with a North Pole postmark.

Here are the steps for your child to get a letter back from Santa:

  • Have your child write a letter to Santa and place it in an envelope addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole.
  • Later, when alone, open the envelope and write a personalized response.
  • Insert the response letter into an envelope and address it to the child.
  • Add the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE, to the envelope.
  • Affix a First-Class Mail stamp, such as a new Christmas Carols Forever stamp to the envelope.
  • Place the complete envelope into a larger envelope — preferably a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope — with appropriate postage and address it to:

 

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

“Letters from Santa” must be received by the Anchorage, AK, postmaster no later than Dec. 15. Santa’s helpers at the Postal Service will take care of the rest.

Be sure to share the experience on social media using #LettersFromSanta.

Tips

 

  • To save paper, write Santa’s response on the back of your child’s letter. If you keep them together, your child will also be able to recall what he or she wrote.
  • When responding as Santa, make the response as personal as possible by highlighting your child’s accomplishments over the past year, for example, helping around the house, receiving good grades in a particular subject at school or participating in community service activities.

 

The Letters from Santa program adds to the excitement of Christmas and is ideal for interesting youngsters in letter writing, stamps and penmanship.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Canada Post’s 2018 Stamp Programme

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Updated October 25, 2018 (click on links to go to details/discussion pages):

[press release – November 10, 2017]
Lincoln Alexander, Emergency Responders, and Women in Winter Sports among new stamps to be issued in 2018
HM The Queen’s coronation and Memorial Cup anniversaries also celebrated

OTTAWA – The 2018 Stamp Program once again sets out to inform, enlighten and entertain Canadians with stamps that tell the stories of the people, places and events that make this country so amazing.

“Our stamps reflect the interesting, often beautiful, and sometimes heroic things that make us who we are as a nation,” says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post. “In this huge, culturally diverse country, there’s something in the program to interest everyone.”

Look for these exciting new stamps in 2018:
• From Far and Wide tours some of Canada’s most picturesque locations through nine breathtaking stamps, including “Jellybean Row” in St. John’s (N.L.), Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park (B.C.), Arctic Bay (Nunavut) and Point Pelee National Park (Ont.).
• Five of Canada’s most accomplished athletes share the podium in Women in Winter Sports.
• Black History Month celebrates trailblazers Lincoln Alexander, the first Black Member of Parliament, federal cabinet minister and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and activist and humanitarian Kay Livingstone.
• Two exquisite varieties of lotus emerge for our annual flower stamps.
• The work of five talented Canadian Illustrators is featured on new stamps
• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II graces a new commemorative, 65 years after her coronation.
• Native Bees of Canada will cause a buzz with two striking stamps.
• The Memorial Cup scores big with a special issue marking its 100th anniversary.
• Astronomy stamps light up the night sky, on the occasion of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
• Sharks in Canadian Waters depict five denizens of the deep.
• Everyday heroes from five life-saving lines of work receive a salute in Emergency Responders.
• A majestic Bighorn Sheep scales a new $3 stamp.

Back for a repeat performance are the following issues:
• Lunar New Year celebrates the loyal and likeable folks born in the Year of the Dog.
• An encore of the popular Weather Wonders series is in the forecast.
• Birds of Canada takes its third and final flight.
• A new Canada Post Community Foundation stamp is poised to help raise funds for youth in need.

Next year’s Christmas issues will feature original illustrations of both the Nativity and the warm, woolly items that keep us cozy in winter.

In addition, Canada Post will issue two commemorative envelopes in 2018, to mark the 100th anniversaries of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and The War Amps.

Many stamp topics are the result of suggestions from the Canadian public or organizations that wish to honour a significant person, milestone or event. Canada Post welcomes suggestions for the 2019 program and beyond.

-30-

Les timbres de 2018 honoreront Lincoln Alexander, les intervenants d’urgence et des championnes de sports d’hiver, entre autres
Les anniversaires du couronnement de S.M. la Reine et de la Coupe Memorial seront aussi célébrés

OTTAWA – Le programme des timbres-poste de 2018 entreprend encore une fois d’informer, d’inspirer et de divertir les Canadiens avec des timbres qui racontent l’histoire de gens, de lieux et d’événements qui font du Canada un pays extraordinaire.

« Nos timbres illustrent quelques-unes des qualités fascinantes, souvent admirables et parfois héroïques qui nous définissent en tant que pays, dit Deepak Chopra, président-directeur général de Postes Canada. Dans un pays aussi grand et aussi culturellement diversifié que le nôtre, le programme aura de quoi plaire à tout le monde. »

Surveillez l’arrivée de ces nouveaux timbres en 2018 :

• L’émission Terre de nos aïeux nous fait découvrir quelques-uns des endroits les plus pittoresques au Canada sur neuf timbres, comme maisons de bonbons haricots (Jellybean Row) à St. John’s (T.-N.-L.), Cathedral Grove du MacMillan Provincial Park (C.-B.), Arctic Bay (Nunavut) et le parc national de la Pointe-Pelée (Ontario).
• Cinq des athlètes les plus accomplies du Canada se partagent le podium dans Championnes des sports d’hiver.
• Le Mois de l’histoire des Noirs rend hommage à de célèbres pionniers, dont Lincoln Alexander, premier Noir à avoir été élu à la Chambre des communes et au poste de ministre fédéral du Travail, et 24e lieutenant-gouverneur de l’Ontario, ainsi que l’activiste et l’humaniste Kay Livingstone.
• Deux espèces exquises de fleurs de lotus voient le jour sur nos timbres annuels consacrés aux fleurs.
• L’œuvre de cinq illustrateurs canadiens de talent est dévoilée sur de nouveaux timbres.
• Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II paraît pleine de grâce sur un nouveau timbre commémoratif, 65 ans après son couronnement.
• Deux timbres sur les abeilles indigènes du Canada vont piquer l’intérêt de plus d’un.
• La Coupe Memorial voit grand avec une émission spéciale qui marque son 100e anniversaire.
• L’émission sur l’astronomie illumine le ciel nocturne à l’occasion du 150e anniversaire de la Société royale d’astronomie du Canada.
• L’émission sur les requins du Canada illustre cinq chasseurs des mers.
• Des héros de la vie ordinaire, représentés par cinq métiers qui sauvent des vies, sont salués dans l’émission sur les intervenants d’urgence.
• Un mouflon d’Amérique grimpe sur un nouveau timbre de 3 $.

Nous retrouvons aussi les séries suivantes :
• La nouvelle Année lunaire fête toutes les bonnes âmes fidèles qui sont nées sous le signe de l’année du Chien.
• Un deuxième volet de la fameuse série Phénomènes météorologiques voit le jour.
• Les oiseaux du Canada prennent leur troisième et dernier envol.
• Nous préparons une nouvelle vignette de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada pour lever des fonds destinés aux jeunes dans le besoin.

Des illustrations originales de la Nativité et de ces articles en laine douillets qui nous tiennent bien au chaud l’hiver vont orner les timbres de Noël de l’année prochaine.

En 2018, Postes Canada compte émettre aussi deux enveloppes commémoratives, une pour le 100e anniversaire de l’Institut national canadien pour les aveugles (INCA) et l’autre pour le centenaire des Amputés de guerre.

Nombreux sont les motifs de nos timbres, d’après les suggestions du public ou d’organismes canadiens qui veulent rendre hommage à des personnalités et souligner des moments ou des exploits importants. Postes Canada accueille les suggestions en vue du programme de 2019 et au-delà.

Hanukkah (Canada 2017)

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Updated November 29th:

What was the design change that caused the delay in sale of the stamp, as announced in the press release immediately below?

“The cover design was changed from the lone image of the lit shamash to the partial menorah to better reflect the celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights which is the subject of the stamp,” Canada Post spokesman Phil Legault told The Virtual Stamp Club. The “shamash” is the middle, or ninth, candle on a menorah that is used to light the other eight candles.

“The booklet and the first day cover were reprinted,” Legault said. The booklets are on-sale now; the Official First Day Covers will be available by mid-December but “the cancel date of November 14, 2017 on the first day covers did not change.”

Updated November 13th:

The stamp has been delayed by six days, to November 20th.

[press release]
Canada Post to release Hanukkah stamp recognizing eight-day Festival of Lights

TORONTO – Canada Post will introduce a stamp recognizing Hanukkah, the Jewish faith’s eight-day celebration also known as the Festival of Lights on November 20, 2017.

The stamp’s geometric design represents the different types of menorahs, along with a strong contrast between light and dark, which creates the appearance of flickering flames. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. This year, the festival takes place from sunset on December 12 to nightfall on December 20.

The planned release date has been moved forward by a week to resolve a design issue with the stamp booklet. The stamp will be available for sale online on November 20, 2017 and in post offices later that week. This is an important stamp and we apologize for the delay.

The stamp was unveiled at the Starry Nights event held at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library and hosted by Ve’ahavta, a Jewish charitable organization delivering programs that alleviate poverty.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest site, in the second century BCE, after the Maccabees regained religious freedom. The Temple menorah (a seven-branched candelabra) was supposed to stay lit at all times. However, there was only enough oil to last one day, and it would take eight days to harvest and press the olives, and transport the oil to replenish the supply. Miraculously, that small amount burned for the next eight days, which is why the kindling of a menorah, adding a light each day, is central to the eight-day Hanukkah celebrations.

Background: Stamps for other major celebrations
In May, Canada Post issued an Eid stamp to recognize two important festivals celebrated by Muslims in Canada and worldwide. In September, Canada Post and India Post partnered on a historic joint stamp issue featuring two stamps marking Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The Hanukkah, Eid and Diwali stamps, as well as our Christmas stamps, depict our pride in Canada being a land of enormous diversity.

The shopping section of the Canada Post website indicates this stamp will be issued Tuesday, November 14th.

Media Advisory
Canada Post to unveil a stamp celebrating Hanukkah

Canada Post invites you to join its President and CEO Deepak Chopra at the unveiling of a stamp that recognizes Hanukkah, the Jewish faith’s eight-day celebration also known as the Festival of Lights. The stamp will be unveiled  on Sunday, November 12 at Ve’ahavta’s annual Starry Nights Gala.

WHAT: Starry Nights Gala

WHERE:
Bram & Bluma Appel Salon
Toronto Reference Library
2nd Floor
789 Yonge Street, Toronto

WHEN: Sunday, November 12
7:15 p.m. Program begins

7:20 p.m. Hanukkah commemorative stamp unveiling

7:30 p.m. Ve’ahavta’s Starry Nights Gala continues

From Canada Post’s website:

ISSUE DATE: November 20, 2017
STAMP DESIGNER: Angela Carter, Entro Communications
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 300,000
DIMENSIONS: 28 mm x 35 mm
STAMP VALUE: 1 X PermanentTM (domestic rate)

U.S. Scott Catalogue Numbers Update (November 2017)

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The Snowy Day
Sc. 5243-46
5243 Peter Making Snowball
5244 Peter Sliding Down Mountain of Snow
5245 Peter Making Snow Angel
5246 Peter Leaving Footprints in Snow
5246a block of 4
5246b booklet pane of 20

Christmas Carols
Sc. 5247-5250
5247 “Deck the Halls”
5248 “Silent Night”
5249 “Jingle Bells”
5250 “Jolly Old St. Nicholas”
5250a block of 4
5250b booklet pane of 20

Halifax Explosion (Canada 2017)

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[press release]
Canada Post marks the Halifax Explosion with new stamp
Illustration, front-page story capture moments before and after

HALIFAX – Canada Post issued a stamp November 6, 2017, commemorating the devastating explosion that rocked Halifax on the morning of December 6, 1917, when two ships – one loaded with explosives – collided in the narrows leading to its harbour. Released one month before the 100th anniversary of that fateful day, the issue also salutes the resilience of the Haligonians who rebuilt their city from the ashes.

“With this stamp, Canada Post remembers those whose lives were lost or forever changed in this terrible incident,” says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post. “We also pay tribute to the residents of Halifax, other Canadians and people from around the world who helped those affected and contributed to the recovery effort.”

The stamp captures the moments before and after the disaster through elements from the past and present. Since few photos exist of the doomed ships just before the accident, local illustrator Mike Little recreated the scene based on historic accounts and materials. An image of the front page of The Halifax Herald the day after the explosion shows the heartbreaking aftermath. The stamp was designed by Larry Burke and Anna Stredulinsky of Burke & Burke in Halifax. Halifax was a bustling port supplying Canada’s efforts in the First World War in 1917. The blast occurred when a fire detonated munitions aboard the French ship Mont-Blanc after it struck the Imo, a Norwegian cargo ship. The largest human-made explosion in history, prior to the detonation of the first atomic bomb. It claimed the lives of nearly 2,000 people, injured 9,000 more, and damaged property worth millions of dollars.

Postes Canada commémore l’Explosion d’Halifax en émettant un nouveau timbre
Une photo et la une d’un journal illustrent l’avant et l’après de cette catastrophe

HALIFAX – Postes Canada lance aujourd’hui un timbre commémoratif de l’explosion qui a secoué la ville d’Halifax le matin du 6 décembre 1917, lorsque deux navires, dont l’un transportait des matières explosives, sont entrés en collision dans les détroits du port de la ville. Émise un mois avant le centenaire de cette journée fatidique, la figurine rend également hommage à la résistance des Haligoniens, qui ont rebâti leur ville sur ses cendres.

« Avec ce timbre, Postes Canada se souvient des personnes qui ont péri ou dont la vie a été à jamais changée en conséquence de ce terrible accident », déclare Deepak Chopra, président-directeur général de Postes Canada. « Nous saluons aussi les habitants d’Halifax, du Canada et du monde entier qui ont aidé les sinistrés et contribué aux opérations de relèvement. »

La vignette illustre l’avant et l’après de ce désastre au moyen de représentations du passé et du présent. Comme il existe peu de photos des navires tels qu’ils étaient juste avant l’accident, Mike Little, un artiste de la région, a su recréer la scène à partir de récits historiques et d’images de l’époque. Une photo de la première page du quotidien The Halifax Herald prise le lendemain de l’explosion révèle toute l’horreur de la catastrophe. Le timbre a été conçu par Larry Burke et Anna Stredulinsky de la maison Burke & Burke d’Halifax. En 1917, le monde est en guerre et Halifax est une ville portuaire particulièrement active. La détonation se produit lorsque le vaisseau cargo norvégien Imo éperonne le Mont-Blanc, un navire français chargé d’explosifs, causant un incendie. La force de la déflagration tue près de 2 000 personnes, en blesse 9 000 autres et entraîne des millions de dollars de dommages matériels. Il s’agit de la plus grosse explosion d’origine humaine du monde avant celle de la première bombe atomique.