Ottawa - (July 5, 2005) - There's a subject that's sure to please every Canadian in the 2006 postage stamp program that was announced today by Canada Post. With stamps honouring a wide range of Canadian events, people, organizations, sports and accomplishments - this is a program that is incredibly, well, Canadian!
Canada's 2006 postage stamp program:
January
Lunar New Year: Year of the Dog
This stamp, the 10th in the Lunar New Year series, is expected to be a great addition for those loyal to the series. It will be issued as one domestic-rate commemorative and one international-rate souvenir sheet.
Queen Elizabeth
This commemorative is a royal tribute to the Queen who will turn 80 on April 21, 2006. Similar to the stamp issued celebrating the Queen's Jubilee in 2002, this special commemorative will be reprinted as needed.
February Winter Olympics
As a show of support to our winter athletes as they compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, Canada Post will issue two commemoratives emphasizing Skeleton (considered the world's first sliding sport) and team pursuit Speed Skating events which take place on the long track.
March
Gardens
Canada Post offers gardeners and garden-lovers four commemoratives that celebrate the best
of Canadian gardens, issued on the occasion of the Ontario Horticultural Association's
100th Anniversary.
Birthdays
Everyone has one! Celebrating the second largest sending occasion each year, a new stamp will be the perfect addition to Canadian's birthday greetings.
Art Canada: Dorothy Knowles
One of Canada's most prominent landscape painters, Dorothy Knowles, will be honoured in this year's Art Canada series, with a domestic-rate stamp and a souvenir sheet.
McClelland & Stewart 1906-2006
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of McClelland & Stewart, this single issue commemorative stamp pays homage to the publishing house.
Canadian Labour Congress
This domestic-rate stamp will honour the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Canadian Labour Congress.
May
Canadian Museum of Civilization 1856-2006
This single domestic-rate commemorative celebrates 150 years of this national treasure's work seeking out, archiving, protecting and exhibiting the artifacts of Canadian history and culture.
June
Vancouver Aquarium 1956-2006
One domestic-rate commemorative stamp will be issued to mark the golden anniversary of the Vancouver Aquarium.
Atlas of Canada
Celebrating 100 years since the publication of the first Atlas of Canada, this single domestic-rate stamp honours the best of Canadian cartography.
July
Mountaineering
The Alpine Club of Canada's first meeting was in March 1906, in Winnipeg. Today, the group is headquartered at the Canmore Summer Mountaineering Camps. A single domestic-rate commemorative pays homage to this group and their contributions to the sport of mountain climbing.
World Lacrosse Championship
Honouring Canada's official summer sport, this single domestic-rate commemorative will be issued during the World Lacrosse Championships held in London, Ontario.
August
Duck Decoys
Canada Post will issue four commemorative stamps, each at the domestic rate, to call attention to the art and sport of duck decoys.
Wine and Cheese
Canadians have been making (and tasting!) wine and cheese for hundreds of years and our products do very well in competitions against the world's finest. Celebrating these important contributors to the Canadian economy, Canada Post will issue four domestic-rate commemorative stamps featuring Canadian wines and cheeses.
September Opera
Great Canadian opera singers will take centre stage on new domestic-rate stamps that will hit all the right notes with collectors and music-lovers.
McDonald College
Celebrating 100 years of giving students a world-class education in the fields of natural sciences, environment, agriculture, food, applied economics, and engineering, Canada Post will issue a single stamp for the College's centennial.
October
Stamp Month: Endangered Species
This special Stamp Month issue includes four domestic-rate stamps, each featuring an endangered Canadian species. This rare and precious group of animals includes the Swift Fox, Blue Racer Snake, Tiger Salamander and Newfoundland Marten.
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada 1956-2006
This single domestic rate issue observes 50 years since the founding of the "GDC", a national professional association that supports excellence in the field of graphic design.
Canada Post Corporation 1981-2006
This commemorative envelope salutes the silver anniversary of Canada Post's transition from a government entity to a Crown corporation.
November
Christmas
The holidays are letter-perfect with the Christmas card set, issued in domestic, U.S. and international-rates. An additional domestic-rate stamp will also be issued, featuring Madonna and Child.
In response to the popularity of 2005's flower and flag definitives, the 2006 definitive issues will focus on wild nature with floral tributes to the Blue Poppy, the Lady Slipper and the Monarda Didyma. The 2006 flag definitives will offer mailers even more variety with five unique scenic views from across Canada, all at the domestic rate. Canada Post's continuing Wildlife series of high-value
definitives will add two new issues to replace the current Polar Bear stamp. These new stamps will feature the Sable Island Horse and the Peregrine Falcon. Both stamps will be issued at the $2 rate.
Canada Post receives hundreds of stamp suggestions every year. The Stamp Advisory Committee, consisting of people from across Canada with an expertise in Canadian culture and/or philately, examine all suggestions and then decide on the annual stamp program. The program is then approved by Canada Post's Board of Directors.
Further details of the 2006 Stamp Program, along with any changes or additions to the program, will be available in separate announcements for each issue. Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the Newsroom section of Canada Post's website.
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For further information, contact:
Cindy Daoust, Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 734-4258
