[press release]
Flower series blooms again with set of hydrangea stamps
Endless Summer and Annabelle latest in stamp series that has featured a garden of philatelic delights
OTTAWA, March 1, 2016 /CNW/ – With spring just around the corner, Canada Post continues its perennially popular flower series with two new stamps featuring the billowy and showy hydrangea cultivars beloved by Canadian gardeners. A celebration of beauty to come, these beautiful blossoms continue a long tradition of flower stamps often sought after by gardeners, plant enthusiasts and brides.
Endless Summer, a cultivar of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), is shown on the stamp with pink blossoms, while Annabelle, a cultivar of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), sports large, snow-white flower heads.
With approximately 23 species and hundreds of named cultivars – and new ones being introduced – the genus Hydrangea boasts widespread appeal. The name merges the Greek word hydro, meaning water, and angeion, meaning vessel or jug, to evoke the spherical shape of the open flower head. Mostly native to southern and eastern Asia – with other species calling North and South America home – many cultivars draw the eyes of Canadian gardeners. Part of the growing interest in hydrangeas lies in the plant’s relatively few needs to thrive: it requires adequate moisture and grows best with some shade.
The stamps illustrate yet another attractive quality of hydrangeas. While white is a common colour, some species develop flowers of different colours, depending on the pH of the soil. Acidic soil creates blue flowers, neutral soil creates cream-coloured blossoms, and alkaline soil produces purple or pink, as exemplified by the stamp image of Endless Summer.
Inspired by traditional botanical drawings, the stamps feature high-contrast tones, sumptuous colours, and realistic details. The coil of 50, ideal for mailing large volumes, alternates between the two flowers, while the Official First Day Cover offers a unique perspective on the blossoms with a pattern that is reminiscent of traditional 1940s wallpaper.
About the Stamps
The stamps measure 26 mm x 32 mm and are available together in booklets of 10 stamps and coils of 50 stamps. They were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company and use lithography in six colours. The souvenir sheet of both stamps measures 120 mm x 84 mm. The Official First Day Cover bears the cancellation site of Sunny Corner, NB. Designed by Benny Corrigan, with art directed by Karen Satok and David Sacha of Toronto’s Sputnik Design Partners Inc., the stamps were illustrated by Montréal artist Marie-Élaine Cusson.
One postcard is illustrated with a close-up image of two species of hydrangea. The white flower featured on the stamp is the cultivar Annabelle, a selection of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea aborescens). Native to the United States, Annabelle is one of the most cold hardy hydrangeas. The pink flower on the second stamp is Endless Summer, a cultivar of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Native to eastern Asia, this species will also produce blue or lavender flowers, depending on soil acidity or alkalinity.
The other postcard features two selections of hydrangea, aligned in an alternating pattern of diagonal lines. The pink flower featured on the stamp is Endless Summer, a cultivar of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Native to eastern Asia, this species will also produce blue or lavender flowers, depending on soil acidity or alkalinity. Endless Summer is unique among hydrangeas in that it flowers on both old and new growth. On the second stamp is the snow-white flower of Annabelle, a cultivar of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea aborescens). Annabelle, native to the United States, is one of the most cold hardy hydrangeas.
To purchase philatelic products or for more information, please visit canadapost.ca/shop.
OTTAWA, March 8, 2016 /CNW/ – Canada Post today issued a new stamp that pays tribute to the women who fought and won the right to vote 100 years ago in this country. While the suffrage movement began to form nearly four decades earlier, the struggle to secure the vote did not significantly advance until the First World War, when women worked in hospitals, factories and offices, and often raised families alone, spurring demands for equality. In 1916, women in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta became the first in Canada to win the right to cast provincial ballots.
The Official First Day Cover features one of the most important figures of the women’s suffrage movement, Nellie McClung. Her portrait is set over an image of the 1915 petition to the Government of Manitoba that helped secure full political rights for women in that province. At the bottom is a black and gold banner reading “Votes for Women,” one of several artifacts currently on display in a women’s suffrage exhibit atWinnipeg’s Manitoba Museum.
After Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, women gained their voting rights in British Columbia and Ontario in 1917, Nova Scotia in 1918, New Brunswick and Yukon in 1919, Prince Edward Island in 1922, Newfoundland in 1925 (before it became a Canadian province), Quebec in 1940 and the Northwest Territories in 1951. However, it wasn’t until 1960 when all Canadians, including Inuit and First Nations, were eligible to vote regardless of race or ethnicity.
5036 (49¢) Quilled Paper Heart
The cost of mailing a letter in the U.S. went up three cents two years ago, but it was a temporary measure because the U.S. Postal Service was in serious financial trouble. The deal was the rate hike would last two years.
Not surprisingly, the USPS is crying the blues (and how appropriate the Sarah Vaughan stamp will be issued three days before the reduction). Here’s the USPS press release:
A February 28th press release from the U.S. international stamp show says, “Four of the seven USPS first day of issue releases scheduled to take place are depicted” in the 
No postal stationery for 2016 has been announced (other than the Priority Mail envelope which, actually, was never announced but just issued). According to 
which is headquartered in New York City. However, this would be a stretch, because the stamp is part of the Legends of Hollywood series, all of which have been issued in Los Angeles.
PRODUCT RANGE AT A GLANCE
across the globe. These have been the favoured forms of mail transport for much of the past five centuries.In the 19th century, inviting contractors to tender for mail routes proved very effective, and they provided the transport and drivers that operated to strict demands of time. The availability of fairly reliable second-hand vehicles following the First World War pushed forward the creation of state-owned fleets, while advances in air travel meant that letters and parcels could be delivered even faster. Today, mail continues to be carried throughout the day and night by land, sea and air.
As overprinted by Post & Go machine: Falmouth packet ship, 1820s. The earliest packet ships were designed for speed rather than security and were subject to many hazards, including poor seas and the possibility of being attacked by pirates. Falmouth became an important port for ships sailing to the West Indies and the Mediterranean.
As overprinted by Post & Go machine: Travelling Post Office, 1890s . The first purpose-built Travelling Post Office (TPO), in which mail was sorted en route, ran on 20 January 1838. Many of the trains exchanged mail pouches without stopping via trackside bag exchange apparatus. The last exchange took place in 1971. Today, mail still travels in sealed train carriages.
As overprinted by Post & Go machine: Airmail, 1930s. The world’s first scheduled airmail service began on 9 September 1911. The use of airplanes for long-distance transport of mail increased significantly during the 1920s and 1930s. Originally intended for Imperial Airways’ European mail routes, HP 45 G-AAXE Hengist first flew on 8 December 1931.
As overprinted by Post & Go machine: Royal Mail Minivan, 1970s. Minivans were purchased in large numbers in the 1970s following the demise of the Morris Minor. They were ideal for smaller collection and delivery duties in towns, but low height and limited ground clearance made them less suitable for rural deliveries.
Preparations for World Stamp Show – New York 2016 are very advanced. This includes the recruitment of volunteers for the show. In total, about 500 volunteers will be required.
Stamps (3*1st & 3*1.52) separate sheets £6.45
1st Class Packetship: ‘Mail Packet off Eastbourne’ Oil on canvas by Capt Victor Howes, RN. Image courtesy of the BPMA
Price: £3.92 Code: MZ114
The alternative handstamp features a quote from Brian Tuke (who was appointed to the role of Master of the Posts in 1516) and London WC1 has been chosen as it is the location of the British Postal Museum & Archive/The Postal Museum
My mother, Sally de Vries, passed away on February 9, 2016, after a battle with cancer. She was two weeks short of her 89th birthday.
