OTTAWA - A design of a postage stamp commemorating
100 years of service for The Atlas of Canada was revealed today by
Canada Post. Pierre Lemieux, M.P. for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, unveiled
the special stamp at the GeoTec Conference, which takes place June 19 to 21. He
attended the conference on behalf of the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of
Natural Resources. The stamp will be available starting June 30.
"The 100th anniversary of The Atlas of Canada marks an
important event in the history of our country and Canada's evolution in the last
century into one of the world's leading nations," said Mr. Lemieux. "This
commemorative stamp provides a unique way of recognizing the important role that
the Atlas, produced by Natural Resources Canada, has played in this
country's growth."
The first edition of the Atlas was published in 1906 by James White,
Chief Geographer at the former Department of the Interior. It was sent to Europe
to spur immigration by providing information such as the number of rail lines,
wells and telephones in the Canadian provinces.
After the publication of subsequent printed editions in 1915, 1958, 1974 and
1993, Canada became one of the first countries in the world to publish an
entirely on-line Atlas in 1999.
Today, the Atlas is an electronic treasure trove of information
about Canada presented through 1,400 maps. It features the map showing Samuel de
Champlain's first voyage to Canada, maps showing the nation's territorial
evolution, and pre-1867 maps of Aboriginal treaty lands and the locations of
tribes. There are also modern maps showing population density, quality-of-life
indicators, female and male participation in the workforce, education levels and
much more.
The Atlas provides authoritative, current and accessible geographic
information products to Canadians. It also permits the integration and analysis
of this information in order to increase Canadians' overall knowledge of their
country. It can be viewed at atlas.gc.ca.
FOR BROADCAST USE:
A new stamp will soon be in circulation to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of The Atlas of Canada. Member of Parliament
Pierre Lemieux unveiled Canada Post's new design in Ottawa today on behalf
of Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn. The stamp marks the Atlas's
important contribution as the authority on geographic information products about
Canada. It will be available June 30.
For more information, media may contact:
Ghyslain CharronMedia RelationsNatural
Resources CanadaOttawa613-992-4447
Emma WelfordDirector of
CommunicationsOffice of the MinisterNatural Resources
CanadaOttawa613-996-2007
NRCan's news
releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.
