May 15, 2014
Ottawa (Ont.) – Today, Canada Post issued five stamps celebrating Canadian UNESCO World Heritage sites. The five stamps feature Old Town Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; SGang Gwaay, British Columbia; the Rideau Canal in Ontario; the Landscape of Grand Pré, Nova Scotia; and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta.
“Canadians have expressed an overwhelming request for more stamps featuring Canadian landscapes that can be sent outside of Canada and we are happy to oblige,” says Jim Phillips, Director, Stamp Services at Canada Post. “These sites are deemed sufficiently valuable by international authorities to be protected. They are national treasures to be celebrated on stamps.”
There are 17 World Heritage sites located in Canada and another seven sites on Canada’s Tentative List of World Heritage sites. The 17 Canadian sites are a collection of national and provincial parks and historic settings considered by the World Heritage Committee to be of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.
The outstanding beauty and striking perspectives of these Canadian landscapes called for a minimalist design in which the saturated images come forth and brilliantly shine. The shape of the visual frame – with one corner rounded – adds a dynamic touch to the composition. A splash of red in the flag at the bottom fades behind the word CANADA and provides a vivid contrast of colour to the richness of the imagery.
- The Old Town Lunenburg stamp showcases distinctive 18th and 19th century European-influenced architecture. And of course it is the home of the famous ship, the Bluenose II;
- The Grand Pré landscape stamp demonstrates 17th century farming techniques. It is also a place of reflection and remembrance of the Acadian deportation;
- The Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump image illustrates hunting techniques of Plains People over thousands of years;
- The site of SGang Gwaay commemorates 10,000 years of connection between land, sea and Haida culture. It includes remains of 19th century houses and memorial and mortuary poles;
- The Rideau Canal stamp honours the oldest continuously operated canal in North America which opened in 1832. The Rideau Canal is one of the first canals designed specifically for steam-powered vessels.
The three U.S.-rate stamps, Old Town Lunenburg, The Landscape of Grand Pré and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, as well as the two International-rate stamps, SGang Gwaay and The Rideau Canal, are available in booklets of 6. The stamps are pressure sensitive. The Official First Day Cover will be cancelled in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The new stamps are available at post offices across the country, and at canadapost.ca. To download an image of the stamps or to purchase philatelic products, please visit canadapost.ca/shop.
