2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup

In 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) , the world football governing body was founded. The first FIFA World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930.  The FIFA U-20 World Cup, formerly known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of soccer for male players under the age of 20. The first FIFA U-20 World Cup was hosted by Tunisia in 1977.This post deals with the 2007 Under-20 World Cup competition held in various Canadian cities from June 30 to July 22. Over that period, 52 games were played  in six cities: Victoria, Burnaby, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal. Several players who competed in the 2007 tournament will be representing their nations at the 2014 World Cup. 

 

Canadian Postal Archives Database

Commemorative Stamp

On June 26, Canada Post Corporation issued a domestic rate (52¢) stamp to mark  the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007.

 "I wanted to create a stamp that captured all the elements of the game," explains stamp designer Debbie Adams of Adams and Associates, in Toronto. "And that also communicated the speed, action and excitement of soccer at its best. The Canadian players featured on the stamp give an incredible sense of movement to the design, while the ball is the epicentre of the game.

 Canada Post Corporation. Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2007, p. 18-19.

 First Day Covers

I prepared a few non-commercial first day covers for this issue.

Usage to Germany

2007 U-20 World Cup Results

The FIFA website provides an exciting summary of the competition HERE. 

Competitors

Congo, Nigeria, Gambia, Zambia, Japan, Korea DPR, Jordan, Korea Republic, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, USA, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay .

Finishers

1. Argentina
2. Czech Republic
3. Chile
4. Austria 

Attendance

The tournament broke an attendance record that stood since Mexico 1983. Almost 1.2 million fans turned up  to make Canada 2007 the largest single-sport event in the country's history.

 Best Player : Sergio "Kun"  Aguero

Argentinian Sergio Aguero won both official player awards, picking up the Adidas Golden Ball for best player and Golden shoe for top scorer with six goals.

Argentina's number 10 was very much the star of the tournament in Canada. The captain of the Albiceleste impressed not only with his goals and his overall technique but also with his work rate, catching the eye of both the fans and the media representatives who traditionally elect the tournament's best player. Though relatively small at a mere 1.70m, Agüero stood tall for the South Americans, with his impressive performances and above all his goals setting him apart from the rest.

FIFA news release

Aguero who now plays spectacular football for Manchester City in the English Premier League was on the Argentine 2010 World Cup squad, and will be on the 2014 World Cup team. Perhaps Argentina can go beyond the quarter-final stage this year in Brazil.

Historic Land Vehicles : The Labatt's Streamliner

 1947 White Model WA 122 tractor-trailer

On June 8, 1996, Canada Post Corporation issued a 90 cent stamp featuring the Labatt's Brewery 1947 White Model WA tractor-trailer (the "Streamliner"). The Strreamliner was one of 25 different "Historic Land Vehicles" shown on stamps from 1993 to 1996. The 90 cents Streamliner stamp, created by Tiit Telmet, Cameron Wykes and Joseph Gault , captured Streamliner's curved corners and horizontal lines.

Commercial usage

Vancouver LPP to Petersfield, England, July 19, 1996

90 cents international letter rate

 

The Historic Land Vehicle stamps were issued in souvenir sheet format:

Historic Land Vehicles Souvenir Sheet 4

Streamliner History

The Labatt Streamliner history was provided in the June 11, 1949 issue of the London Free Press :

In 1936 the first of four streamliners designed by internationally famous Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky made its appearance. Four of these sleek giants were built. In 1938 the second series, a more advanced design, appeared and 12 streamliners were built along this pattern. The 1939 streamliner with forward-sloping lines appeared but only two were built before the war began. Last year ten new streamliners were built at a cost of $16,500 each – unpainted. All paint and gold-leaf lettering is applied in LaBatt's own garage paint shop.

It is interesting to note that all four streamline designs were drawn at the same time 12 years ago by Count Sakhnoffsky. In spite of the intervening years the streamliners are the most modern design of transport to be seen anywhere on the highways. Another interesting fact is that Labatt streamlined trucks had fenders sweeping back to the rear wheels and full windows in the back of the cab before these modern designs were ever used on passenger cars!

 

In 1955,  Labatt's sold off its Streamliner fleet. It was the end of an era, but in 1977, Joe Scott of London with the financial support ot Labatt's began the challenging task of restoring a 1947 Streamliner. In 1983, a restored Streamliner finally hit the road.

The restored 1947 Streamliner

Usage to Pakistan

 Stoney Creek LPP to Pakistan, August 22, 1996

90 cents international letter rate

 

 Video Endoding System (VES) identification code : AU23O

 Pakistan receiver, August 28, 1996

Gaylord Products First Day Covers

You never know what you will learn when you come across a first day cover, even those that are seemingly uninteresting. The two covers shown in today's post are historical artifacts that really bring the past to life.

The  Rosecraft first day cover of the 1967 Royal Visit stamp was addressed to Mr. David Miller, Ottawa, and marked "Personal". There was no return address, but the enclosure reveals that it was an advertizing first day cover from Gaylord Products of Canada, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. Gaylord was one of several businesses which used first day covers to promote their companies. What is unusual about the Gaylord letter is the reproduction of the stamp and the fact that there is no mention of the products or services provided by Gaylord, just a briefing on the Royal Visit stamp.

 Gaylord Products of Canada Limited first day cover

June 27, 1967

Gaylord Products and Gayla

An easy internet search reveals that Gaylord sold hair pins under its "Gayla" mark.

For those who are not users of bobby pins, this Wikepedia description explains the device nicely:

A bobbing pin  is a type of hairpin usually of metal or plastic, used in coiffure to hold hair in place. It is a small double-pronged hair pin or clip that slides into hair with the prongs open and then the flexible prongs close over the hair to hold it in place. They are typically plain and unobtrusively colored, but some are elaborately decorated or jeweled. Bobbing pins became popular in the 1920s to hold the new bobbed hairstyles.

Wikepedia

1966 Christmas Issue

The next Gaylord first day cover  is a knock-out. The enclosed letter, again addressed to Mr. Miller, conveyed the company's early Christmas message.

 Canada Post Office Replacement First Day Cover

Gaylord's first day cover envelope was damaged by the Ottawa Post Office in servicing, and the Gaylord letter was sent in a Canada Post Office (CPO) replacement first day cover.  CPO replacement covers are not common and a commercial usage is particularly unusual.

 CPO replacement first day cover

October 12, 1966

Postmaster, Ottawa memorandum

I always marvel at the interesting discoveries one can make collecting first day covers.

2012 Wlidlife Domestic Lettermail Stationery

In 2012, Canada Post Corporation (CPC) issued a little publicized set of  nine "Permanent", non-denominated size 10 envelopes featuring Canadian wildlife. The designs of the colourful high value 1998-2010 wildlife stamp series  were reproduced on the envelopes. The results are stunning. Unfortunately I don't think many collectors have seen them in their mail or even in dealer stocks. I was taken by surprise recently when I was shown this group of used covers at a local stamp show. 

Stamp Images from Canadian Postal Archives.

Loon 

 This design was used for the $1.00 definitive issued in 1998.

The addresses on all covers have been redacted

Polar Bear

The polar bear was featured on the 1998 $2.00 definitive.

White-Tailed Deer

 

 The $1.00 White-Tailed Deer stamp was issued in 2005

Atlantic Walrus

 $1.00 Atlantic Walrus definitive issued 2005

Peregrine Falcon

 Image from www.delcampe.net


Sable Island Horse

 The $2.00 Sable Island Horse definitive was issued in 2005

Moose

The $5.00 Moose definitive was issued in 2003

 Grizzly Bear

The Grizzly Bear was featured on the $8.00 definitive issued in  1997

Blue Whale

The $10..00 Blue Whale stamp was issued in 2010

The 1997 - 2010 wildlife definitives are among the prettiest stamps ever issued by CPC. Their reproduction on the 2012 postal stationery was top notch. If only more of us could have enjoyed receiving them in the mail.