Postal History Corner

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

1970 International Biological Programme

The International Biological Programme (IBP) involved large-scale ecological and environmental studies from 1964 to 1974. More than one hundred and fifty scientists, students, and assistants in different disciplines from Canadian university and government laboratories were engaged in detailed studies of functioning ecosystems. The main results of the IBP were five biome studies, the largest of which were the Grassland Biome project and the Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome project.

The Canadian IBP stamp , issued on February 18, 1970, shows a microscopic view of a leaf.

National Archives of Canada

First Day Covers

Canada Post Office Publicity First Day Cover

Schering Corporation

Canada Envelope Company

Jackson

Overseas Mailers

H & E

David Pritchard

Ayerst Laboratory

Rosecraft

Usages

Domestic Letter

Toronto, March 11, 1970
6 cents domestic letter rate

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

GO Transit
30th Anniversary 1997
Government of Ontario Transit (GO Transit) was created and funded by the Ontario government in 1967 to provide transit service for Toronto-bound suburban commuters.

On May 23, 1997, a post card celebrating the 30th anniversary of GO Transit was handed out to GO passengers.

The souvenir card was cancelled on May 23, 1997, at the Commerce Court, Toronto, postal outlet. Commerce Court is a complex of four buildings on King and Bay Streets in the financial heart of the city.

Toronto "PATH" Walkway

GO trains arrive at the Union Station railway terminal which is connected to the Toronto "PATH" underground walkway linking over 50 office buildings. The Commerce Court postal outlet was located in the PATH walkway.

PATH walkway

Monday, February 7, 2011

United Nations Force in Cyprus
Canadian Forces Mail

The United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established in March 1964 to prevent a Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1964 and to keep the peace between the Greek-Cypriot (78% of population) and Turkish-Cypriot (18% of population) factions. From March 1964 to September 1993, Canada was one of the major contributors of troops to the UNFICYP.

Free mail privileges for UNIFICYP were not approved by the United Nations. The Canadian Postal Corps opened a post office in March, 1964 to handle Canadian forces correspondence.

The main post office was CFPO 5001 (re-designated from CAPO 5001, January 1, 1965).

Forces Air Letter

CFPO 5001 to Picton, March 24, 1965
5 cents Forces Air Letter rate

CFPO 5001 to London, February 27, 1967
5 cents force air letter rate

Surface Letter : 9 ounces

Large circular CFPO 5001 handstamp, December 16, 1967
9 ounce surface letter containing "Photo"
29 cents paying the 9 ounce surface letter rate :

UNFICYP Stationery

CFPO 5001 to Oromocto, New Brunswick, January 27, 1968
15 cents air mail letter rate
Double weight 30 cents
Since only 50% of the air mail rate was prepaid (75% required), the letter was not sent by air mail
Handstamp : "SHORTPAID FOR AIR CONVEYANCE"

Postage Paid

CFPO 5001 to St. Hubert, August 15, 1968
Postage Paid envelope

"Certified Official"

Surface Letter

Surface letter to Calgary, May 17, 1970
6 cents surface letter rate to Canada

Registration

CFPO 5001 to Ottawa, August 10, 1971
7 cents surface letter rate + 50 cents registration fee
CFPO Registration handstamp

Christmas Card : Royal 22nd Regiment

To Buffalo, December 10, 1971
7 cents surface letter rate to the United States

Chaplain, Canadian Contingent

To CFS Val Cartier, Courcelette, July 23, 1974
8 cents surface letter rate to Canada

Re-Designed Forces Air Letter

To Port Elgin, January 21, 1975
8 cents Forces Air Letter rate

To Nairn Centre, October 10, 1976
10 cents Forces Air Letter rate

20th Anniversary Souvenir Cover and Cancellation

Friday, February 4, 2011

1947 Royal Wedding
British and Canadian Commemoration

Canada Post has announced that it will be issuing a stamp commemorating the upcoming wedding of Queen Elizabeth's grandson. In 1948, the Canada Post Office issued a commemorative stamp to celebrate Princess Elizabeth's wedding. This article was posted on my Great Britain Philately blog on January 28, 2011.

The wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten on November 20, 1947, was commemorated by both British and Canadian Post Offices. Since the wedding announcement was made on July 9, 1947, the British Post Office did not issue a commemorative stamp because there was insufficient time to prepare an issue. Instead, a slogan postmark was made for use from November 20 to the end of November. The Canadian Post Office issued a commemorative stamp for the wedding, but only after the event, in February, 1948.

British Commemoration

The British slogan postmark was designed by R.H. Higgins, draughtsman in the Power Branch office of the Engineering Department of the Post Office. The British Postal Museum and Archive website shows the drawings submitted by Mr. Higgins in August, 1947. The slogan cancellation featured wedding Bells with a lovers’ knot enclosing the letters ‘E’ and ‘P’:

Artcraft cachet

OHMS cover from Cardiff, November 20, 1947

A selection of "Lovers' Knot" covers

Canadian Commemoration

The stamp design was based on a photograph of Princess Elizabeth taken by Dorothy Wilding. The stamp was designed by Herman Schwartz, and the portrait was engraved by William Ford.

Photographic Essay