1970 Sir Donald Smith



Donald Smith (1820 – 1914) was a Scottish-born fur trader, railroad financier, politician, and diplomat. Smith was sent by the Canadian government to the Red River Settlement (Manitoba) to negotiate an agreement with Louis Riel, and was a major participant in the handing over of Hudson Bay Company territories to the Canadian government, resulting in the formation of the Northwest Territories in 1870. Smith was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 1870-74, and the House of Commons from 1871 -78 and 1887-96. Smith became extremely wealthy through his investments, and was involved in many Canadian and American corporations in the later part of the 19th century. Smith was an enthusiastic supporter of the Canadian Pacific Railway and his financial backing was essential to its progress. He was invited to drive the last spike when the railway was completed in 1885.



Donald Smith driving the last spike at Craigellachie, B.C., November 7, 1885 to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway.

In April 1896 Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell appointed Smith high commissioner for Canada in the UK, a post he held, along with the Hudson Bay Company governorship, until his death. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal in 1897.

Canada Post Office honoured the 150th anniversary of Donald Smith's birth with the release of a commemorative stamp on November 4, 1970.



National Archives of Canada




First Day Covers

Canada Post Office Publicity First Day Cover




Royal Trust







Schering Corporation






Canada Envelope Company






Jackson





Overseas Mailers




H and E




Cole




Rosecraft




David Pritchard




Artopages

Usage

Domestic Letter


Youbou, B.C., to Toronto, December 8, 1970
6 cents domestic letter rate

1970 Sir Oliver Mowat

Sir Oliver Mowatt (1820 - 1903), one of the Fathers of Confederation, was born in Kingston and studied law under Sir John A. Macdonld. After moving to Toronto in 1840, he was elected a Liberal member of the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1857 and served as provincial secretary in 1859 and postmaster general, 1863-64. He took part in the Quebec Conference of 1864, which led to Confederation in 1867.

In 1872, Mowat became Ontario's third prime minister and retained that post for almost 24 years. Resigning in 1894, he accepted a seat in the Senate, and became minister of Justice 1896-97 in the cabinet of Sir Wilfred Laurier. Mowat served as lieutenant-governor of Ontario from 1897 until his death.

A man who took pride in being regarded as a Christian statesman, Mowat's success in public life was widely attributed to a popularity and prestige gained through his tact and integrity.

Canada Post Office honoured Sir Oliver Mowat by issuing a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of his birth on August 12, 1970.



National Archives of Canada





First Day Covers

Canada Post Office Publicity First Day Cover




Schering Corporation






Canada Envelope Company



Enclosures :








Overseas Mailers




H and E




Cole Cover




Rosecraft







David Pritchard

Usages

International Air Mail Letter


Victoria to Tel Aviv, Israel, September 27, 1970
25 cents air mail letter rate to Israel ( 5 cents overpayment)


Returned by Israel Post Office

1970 Group of Seven




In 1920, seven Canadian landscape painters, Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Frank Johnston, Franklin Carmichael and A.Y. Jackson, exhibited as the "Group of Seven". The Group’s first exhibition opened at the Art Gallery of Toronto in May 1920.


Arthur Lismer Isles of Spruce 1922

As described by Canada's National Gallery in Ottawa: "... they brought to the Canadian landscape the buoyant post-impressionism of Van Gogh and they painted Canada as nobody had ever thought of painting it before. The wild colours of a Canadian autumn; the solitary lakes of northland; the monolithic islands of Lake Superior; the glacier-tortured landscape of the Laurentian Shield; the grim exhaustion of a hillside emerging from four months of winter snow - this was Canada as it is, a land like none other, and Canadians abruptly recognized it as their own."

Canada Post Office issued a stamp to honour the 50th anniversary of the formation of the "Group of Seven" on September 18, 1970. Arthur Lismer's painting Isles of Spruce was selected to represent the group.


National Archives of Canada








First Day Covers

Canada Post Office Replacement



Canada Post Office "Official" First Day Cover Pre-cursor

Prior to selling its first "official" first day covers in 1971, Canada Post Office produced sample first day covers for the Group of Seven stamp. These covers were never placed on sale but were distributed to philatelic organizations.




Schering Corporation







Unidentified




House of Commons




Overseas Mailers




H & E




Cole Cover




Rosecraft










David Pritchard




Usage

Domestic Letter


Coronation, Alberta, to Toronto, October 19, 1970
6 cents domestic letter rate