December 11, 2007
Ottawa - On December 27th, Canada Post will get an early start to the New Year with a brand new set of definitive stamps. The domestic rate remains unchanged for 2008, and these vibrant new designs are sure to be appreciated by collectors and non-collectors alike. The new designs feature a new image of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, the Canadian flag over lighthouses coast-to-coast and the flower stamp series highlighting orchids.
The beautiful picture of The Queen was taken May 19, 2005 in Saskatoon during her nine-day Royal Visit to Canada. On that day, a class of students from Bjorkdale School traveled to see The Queen and brought a quilt bearing the Royal Cypher which they had used to raise funds for their journey. This quilt is pictured on the Official First Day Cover. Doreen Colonello of Gottschalk+Ash International worked with the photo taken by Ottawa's Headlight Inc. and shows the Queen in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere, as she enjoys her face-to-face meetings with Canadians.
In 2008 the Flag stamps will be featured alongside lighthouses in a variety of distinct Canadian landscapes. These stamps pay homage to the historical lighthouses across the country that serve as treasured reminders of Canada's nautical heritage.
Ontario's Point Clark was originally referred to as "Pine Point". This lighthouse stands 110-feet tall and was built between 1855 and 1859 to warn of the dangers posed by the reefs about two miles off Lake Huron's shoreline. Pachena Point is a headland located just south of Bamfield on Vancouver Island's west coast. The lighthouse's perilous reputation stems from its location, which is considered to be among the most dangerous stretches of Western coastline. Among Canada's most remote and least-often-seen lighthouses, is the lightouse found in the village of Warren Landing on the west bank of the Nelson just below Lake Winnipeg. Quebec's Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse was completed in 1858 and at 34-metres high, is the tallest lighthouse in Canada and was named a National Historic Site in 1977. The Sambro Island lighthouse in Nova Scotia was built in 1758. This 44-foot interior granite tower holds the title of the oldest working lighthouse in North America. For immigrants and refugees arriving from the east, this lighthouse was often their first glimpse of Canada.
Danielle Trottier, Stamp Project Manager for the flower series Definitive says "the challenge we face every year is finding flowers native to Canada in the required colour scheme". When stamps have a white background, colour is a crucial element and because we aim to have the domestic rate stamp in the red tones, the U.S. rate stamp in the yellow tones and the International rate stamp in the blue/mauve tone, colour is an issue. This year's series will highlight Canadian Orchid Hybrids, with the Odontioda Island Red flower on the domestic rate stamp (52-cents). The U.S. rate stamp (96-cents) features the Potinara Fire Dancer, the oversize rate ($1.15) the Laeliocattleya Memoria Evelyn Light and the International rate ($1.60) the Masdevallia Kaleidoscope 'Conni'.
More information on these new definitive stamps is available in the Newsroom section of the Canada Post Web site; and photos of the stamps are available in the Photo Centre of the Newsroom. The stamps and Official First Day Cover will be available at participating post offices, online following the links on the Canada Post Web site 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.
