March 5, 2007
Montreal - On March 12, Canada Post will issue the HEC Montréal commemorative stamp, the latest addition to the series on post-secondary schools launched in 2003. The domestic rate stamp commemorates the first 100 years of HEC Montréal, a school of international renown.
From the outset, HEC Montréal has been a pioneer. It espoused modern teaching methods, introduced an entrance exam as well as the forerunner to the case study method. It also launched the Canadian Economic Review, a first in Canada and in 1919; the director introduced evening courses, another first in Canada. Last October, HEC Montréal repeated its exploit and maintained its top 10 standing in BusinessWeek's ranking of international MBA-granting schools.
First based on Square Viger in downtown Montréal, the school soon outgrew and was forced to expand to meet the growing number of students drawn by the reputation of its teachers and the courses offered. Today, some 12,000 students, including 2,800 foreign and landed immigrant students, attend classes in the school's three pavilions. HEC Montréal now offers 33 programs in management ranging from the Bachelor of Arts in administration to the Doctorate, and its 57,000 or so alumni ensure the global reach of their school.
Denis L'Allier, the stamp's designer, and his colleague, photographer Guy Lavigueur, ingeniously captured the history and spirit of the school in a single vignette shot by dawn's early light in downtown Montreal. Among the challenges they faced was the restriction of working in a limited space cluttered with all kinds of urban paraphernalia. Once back in the studio, they used the computer to eliminate any and all clutter.
L'Allier also designed the stamps dedicated to the World Congress of Public Services International (2002), the Summit of the Americas (2001), Petro-Canada (2000) and Weather Observation (1990).
The HEC Montréal stamp features the same elements as earlier vignettes, notably the main building, coat of arms and a vertical band with the institution's colours, red and yellow in this instance.
The 36 mm by 45 mm (vertical) self-adhesive stamp will be printed using six-colour lithography on Tullis Russell Coatings paper. Lowe-Martin has printed 2.5 million stamps available in packs of eight; they are general tagged on all four sides. The Official First Day Cover will bear the cancel MONTRÉAL QC.
More information on the HEC Montréal stamp is available in the News Room section of the Canada Post Web site; a high-resolution photo of the commemorative stamp for HEC Montréal is available in the Photo Centre of the News Room. The stamp and Official First Day Cover will be available at participating post offices, online following the links on the Canada Post Web site (www.canadapost.ca) or by mail from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada or the United States, call toll-free 1 800 565-4362; from other countries call 902 863-6550.
