Scots at Government House 1893 - 1898

A Scottish influence on the Canadian political and social scene was felt in the 1890s when John Campbell Gordon, Lord Aberdeen, served as Canada's 7th Governor-General from 1893 until 1898.

Lord Aberdeen

Lord and Lady Aberdeen in Canada

Lord Aberdeen had visited Canada twice before becoming Governor- General. In 1891, he bought the Coldstream Ranch in the northern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia and launched the first commercial orchard operations in that region. During his vice-regal tenure, he and his wife Ishbel devoted much of their vice-regal time to good works. Aberdeen traveled extensively throughout the country and is described on the Canadian Govenor-General's website as having "transformed the role of Governor General from that of the aristocrat representing the King or Queen in Canada to a symbol representing the interests of all citizens".

Lady Aberdeen (1857-1939) was president of the International Council of Women for thirty-six years (1893–1936) and the National Council of Women of Canada for six years (1893–1899). In 1897, she founded the Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada and became the first President of the organisation. She also established the May Court Club, the first women's only service club in North America.

Invitations to state dinners were greatly prized during the Aberdeen govenor-generalship. Lady Aberdeen became famous for her tableaux, dramatizing incidents in Canadian history, conscripting household staff, guests and family members to play roles. In honour of the Queen's Jubilee in 1897,Lord and Lady Aberdeen,  staged a huge pageant in Toronto celebrating Canada's progress in industry, arts, sciences and sports.









Aberdeen-Tupper Constitutional Dispute 1896

Aberdeen's tenure was not without controversy as he became embroiled in a precedent-setting Constitutional battle with then Conservative Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper, pictured at left.

Following the election of 1896 in which Sir Wilfred Laurier won 55% of the seats in the House of Commons, Tupper, who had won 51% of the popular vote, initially refused to cede power, insisting that Laurier would be unable to form a government.

When Tupper attempted to make appointments as prime minister, Lord Aberdeen refused to make some appointments to the bench and to the Senate. Tupper then chose to resign and Aberdeen invited Laurier to form a government.


John Sinclair (Baron Pentland)



Serving Aberdeen as comptroller of the Governor-General`s household was fellow Scot John Sinclair who had served as an elected member of the British Parliament from 1892 to 1895. Sinclair would later become the Secretary of Scotland and the Governor of Madras from 1912 to 1919.


Ottawa to Barrie, January 13, 1897
Government House correspondence
John Sinclair franking

Aberdeen Household

The Aberdeens had four surviving children, the youngest of whom, Archie and Marjorie, are seen in the photograph below with their parents and John Sinclair.


L. to R.: Capt. John Sinclair, Lady Aberdeen, Lord
Aberdeen, Archie Gordon, and Marjorie Gordon.

Marjorie Gordon`s piano playing is admired by John Sinclair in this 1896 photograph:

Marjorie Gordon married John Sinclair eight years later in 1904. They had two children.

Free U.S. Military Mail from Vietnam to Canada

During the Vietnam war, letters and cards mailed by U.S. servicemen to Canadian addresses were mailable free of postage. Free Mail to Canada was introduced by the U.S. Post Office on March 1, 1966 but not all postal employees were aware of the privilege and some free mail was incorrectly rated for collection of postage due from the Canadian addressees. Postal employees were advised of the situation in the August 18, 1966 issue of the Postal Bulletin:




The cover shown below is an example of free U.S. military mail from Vietnam to Canada. The letter was mailed in 1968 from the 65th Engineering Battalion, 25th Infantry Division (U.S. Army) base camp at Cu Chi, to Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Waterloo, Ont.



APO number 96225 was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division


Army and Air Force Postal Service 96225 machine cancellation
February 24, 1968



The "Castle Club" was an enlisted men's club for the
65th Engr. Bn. at Cu Chi


25th Infantry Division

The Cu Chi base, about 40 miles northwest of Saigon, was one of the six most important American military establishments in Vietnam. It was the headquarters for the whole area to the north-west of Saigon towards Cambodia.


25th Infantry Division Base Camp
Cu Chi

From 1966 to 1970, the 25th Division fought the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong north and west of Saigon.

65th Engineering Battalion

In 1965, the Battalion deployed to Vietnam and during its deployment participated in twelve Vietnam campaigns, receiving a Meritorious Unit Commendation, two awards of the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and the Civil Action Honor Medal. The Battalion departed Vietnam in December 1970.

Canada and the Cold War:
Emergency Stationery

Today's global fears are trivial compared to the threat of nuclear mutual assured destruction (M.A.D.) faced by Canadians during the cold war years. The possibility of nuclear attack from the U.S.S.R. was a threat taken seriously by the Canadian government. For example, on November 13, 1961, an emergency preparedness drill called Exercise Tocsin was held by the Canadian Government that simulated a nuclear attack on Canada. Every law enforcement agency, provincial, and municipal government took part in the exercise. Part of the exercise was a 13 minute radio programme that was broadcast by every radio transmitter in the country. The broadcast told citizens of Canada what to do in the event of nuclear war. Now that is scary!

What does this have to do with postal history? Well, it turns out that the Canada Post Office (CPO) wasn't going to let a nuclear attack prevent it from delivering letter mail. In 1960, the CPO printed Emergency Change of Address and Safety Notification Post Cards to be used "in time of war" by citizens who survived an attack.

The Emergency Change of Address Post Card was to be used by survivors to advise the post office of their "post-emergency" address so that their letter mail could be forwarded.



Address side


Enlargement of instructions on address side
 



The Safety Notification Postcard was to be used to advise friends and relatives that the addressee had survived the attack.


Address side


Enlargement of instructions on address side




How reassuring it must have been to know that the CPO would deliver mail in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.

Fur Trade
Centennial Period

Postal history collecting presents interesting challenges from time to time. The Northwest Territories envelope tag which is the subject of today's posting is one such item.



The Government of the Northwest Territories envelope tag is labelled "FUR EXPORT TAX PERMIT ENCLOSED" and was likely attached to a shipment of furs. The stamps paying for the parcel post were affixed to the envelope tag rather than the address label (which I do not have).

Postage and Cancellation

The postage affixed to the label was $1.35. The use of the 1969 Christmas stamps establishes that the furs were shipped after October 8, 1969.



The stamps were cancelled at Fort Nelson, B.C., with an undated roller.


Analysis

The furs may have been shipped from Fort Nelson to the Vancouver fur auction. The rate for a 10lb. parcel within the province was $1.35 in the 1969 period.

The furs could have been shipped by trappers or hunters.



Trappers

Trappers from Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, also trapped in Northern B.C. They could have flown to Fort Nelson (no roads at the time) or travelled overland by snowmobile or dog team to mail their furs to Vancouver.


Hunters

In the late 1960s, access to some outfitting areas in the Northwest Territories was through Fort Nelson. Hunters would have required export permits for wolverine pelts which they may have shipped from Fort Nelson.


This is one of those postal history questions for which a definitive answer is not possible. Nevertheless the envelope tag reminds us of our fur trading heritage, triggering images of trappers, dog teams, and very cold weather.

Canadian Postmasters Association
1965 Ontario Branch Conference Kingston





In May 1965, the Ontario Branch of the Canadian Postmasters Association (now the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association held its conference in Kingston. The Kingston Post Office had slogan cancellations made to celebrate the event. Until recently, I thought that only one slogan had been produced but that wasn't the case. At least two different slogans exist for this event.

Souvenir covers produced for the event show both slogans:


ONT. POSTMASTERS
MEET AT THE
GATEWAY CITY
TO THE SEAWAY


Kingston, May 16, 1965





THE LIMESTONE
CITY WELCOME
THE ONTARIO
POSTMASTERS

Kingston, May 19, 1965






Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association




In 1902, postmasters in rural Manitoba formed a local organization to improve their working conditions. The organization grew to become the national Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association.  To commemorate the Association's 100th anniversary in 2002, Canada Post issued a domestic rate stamp featuring the 2 cent Victoria Numeral issue definitive which was the letter rate stamp when the Association was formed.


1934 Convention

The Canadian Postmasters held their 1934 convention in Windsor from June 25 to June 28.

Winsdor, June 28, 1934

Esmond Butler
Secretary to the Governor-General


Esmond Unwin Butler (1922 - 1989), one of the key developers of the Order of Canada, served six Canadian governors general over 31 years.

Born in Wawanesa, Manitoba, Butler served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the 1939 -45 war and saw service on the Murmansk run. After the war and studies, he worked as a journalist for United Press in Switzerland.

Assistant-Secretary to Vincent Massey

In 1955, he joined Governor-General Vincent Massey's staff. Butler was hired to deal with the press which had been critical of Massey's personality ("as prim as a glass of sherry") and his appointment (the London Times objected to the appointment of a Canadian to the govenor general's post). Butler spent two years with Massey.

Northern Tour 1956

In March, 1956, Butler accompanied Governor-General Massey on his "Northern Tour". The photograph shown below was taken at Resolute Bay, N.W.T.

Butler posing with Inuit child

Assistant Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth (1958 -1959)

Queen Elizabeth, who was facing criticism from the Commonwealth that all her staff were British, asked Massey if Butler could join her staff as assistant press secretary. In 1958, Butler became the first Empire representative at the Palace serving Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace for 16 months. Butler spent holidays with the Royal family and while at the Palace met Georgiana North, niece of the Earl of Guilford, whom he married in 1960.


Secretary to Governors-General Vanier to Sauve (1959 - 1985)

Butler returned to Canada in 1959 as secretary to Georges Vanier. Butler's appointment was not without controversy. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker wanted to appoint his press secretary Jim Nelson, but Vanier did not want Diefenbaker's man in the position. The Queen's private secretary recommended Butler and the Queen herself may have recommended Butler to Diefenbaker. Butler was retained as Secretary by succeeding Governors-General Roland Michener, Jules Leger, Edward Shreyer and Jeanne Sauve. Madame Sauve replaced the tradition-bound Butler in 1985. Butler was subsequently appointed Ambassador to Morocco.

Order of Canada

In 1967, Butler was instrumental in the establishing of the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour which recognizes citizens for outstanding achievements or for exceptional contributions to the culture of the country.

Butler is shown coordinating the Order of Canada investitures in the photographs below.


Jules Leger receiving the Companion of the Order of Canada
August 2, 1973


Joyce Bryant and Governor General Jules VanierOctober 24, 1973



Lorraine Monk with Governor-General Roland Michener
October 24, 1973


Canada Post Official First Day Cover: Roland Michener Stamp

On October 21, 1992, Canada Post issued a pair of stamps commemorating the accomplishments of Governor-General Roland Michener.

 
The official first day cover cachet features a photograph of former Ontario Premier John Robarts receiving the Order of Canada from Roland Michener. Celarly seen in the background is Esmond Butler.



Esmond Butler Franking
Free mail privileges were granted to all letters sent from the Secretary to the Governor-General.

October 11, 1965
Governor -General Georges Vanier


Esmond Butler 1


October 25, 1967
Governor-General Roland Michener



Esmond Butler 3