Canada Post has created a commemorative stamp to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the community of Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador. – the first English settlement in what is now Canada.
The stamp will be unveiled by Canada Post and community representatives on August 17, 2010 at the Cupids Legacy Centre in Cupids, Newfoundland.
In August, 1610, English colonists led by Bristol merchant John Guy arrived at Cupids on the north side of Conception Bay on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula and established an English settlement.
In 1995, evidence of their colony was uncovered by a team from Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation led by archaeologist William Gilbert. Since then, the remains of six early 17th-century structures and more than 147,000 artefacts have been unearthed.
“The colonists of Cupids helped write Canada’s story,” said Jim Phillips, Canada Post’s director of stamp services. “So did the archaeologists who discovered and preserved their artefacts. Our stamp celebrates the story of this historic community—and shares it with all Canadians.”
The Cupids 1610-2010 stamp features a portion of a 17th-century map of the Avalon Peninsula—the first map to show Cupids’ location. The coins, glass and rare amber beads on the stamp are images of the uncovered artefacts and highlight the commercial rationale for the settlement.
The stamp’s designer, Steven Slipp of the firm Semaphor Design, will attend the unveiling. The ceremony is one of many special occasions hosted this year by Cupids 400 Inc., a community-based group, to mark the anniversary.
Canada Post is printing 1.75 million Cupids stamps with a value of 57 cents, the domestic letter rate. Each has a dimension of 40 mm x 32 mm (horizontal). The official first day cover cancellation will read Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the news section of Canada Post's website, as well as the new Stamp tab on the company’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/canadapost. Stamps and other products will be available at participating post offices, or can be ordered online by following the links at canadapost.ca/collection, or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA, call toll-free: 1-800 565-4362, and from other countries, call: 902-863-6550.
