Canadian history, culture, talent and tragedy mark Canada Post's 2014 stamp program

OTTAWA, Oct. 31, 2013 /CNW/ - From celebrating some of this nation's most prominent country music stars and female athletes to recognizing significant moments in our history, Canada Post's 2014 stamp program will demonstrate the diverse combination of achievement, progress, culture and tragedy that helps define Canada.

In a new series to be issued in July, country music stars Tommy Hunter, k.d. lang, Renée Martel, Hank Snow and Shania Twain will appear on stamps for the first time. Distinguished athletes - curler Sandra Schmirler, figure skater Barbara Ann Scott and freestyle-skiing pioneer Sarah Burke - will be featured in February in a set of stamps commemorating Canadian Women Winter Athletes.

The new stamp program will also tell the compelling stories of the Komagata Maru incident - a Japanese steamship carrying hundreds of passengers from India which was refused permission to land in Vancouver in May 1914, and - in the same month - Canada's deadliest peacetime maritime accident: the sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland.

"These stamp collections visually narrate some of our country's defining moments - from our darkest days to those of immense pride, the 2014 program offers us some incredible stories to remember," says the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport and responsible for Canada Post.

"Collectively we continue to capture moments that will long live through our stamp collection. And we encourage everyone to take note of these stories as they truly mark who we are as Canadians," says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post.

Other new topics in the stamp program include anniversaries of cultural icons such as the Royal Ontario Museum (100^th anniversary) and the National Film Board of Canada (75^th anniversary), Haunted Canada series, the return of the CFL to Ottawa and the UNESCO World Heritage Site series.

Overview of 2014 stamp program:

HISTORY/ANNIVERSARIES
Queen Elizabeth II: The annual tradition of honouring the Queen continues with a reprint of the 2013 stamp.

Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse: Each stamp in the 12-year series celebrating the Lunar New Year has been a popular issue. The series continues in 2014, with The Year of the Horse, featured on two stamps (domestic and international).

Black History - Africville and Hogan's Alley: Our Black History series has been very well received in previous years. For 2014, the series recognizes two Canadian neighbourhoods with significant links to black history - Africville in Halifax and Hogan's Alley in Vancouver.

Royal Ontario Museum, 100^th anniversary: This se-tenant two-stamp issue commemorates one of Canada's premier museums, which boasts a collection of more than six million objects and artifacts and over 30 galleries of world cultures and natural history.

The National Film Board of Canada, 75^th anniversary: A five-stamp set will recognize this world-renowned Canadian public organization, a leader in ground-breaking interactive works, social-issue documentaries, auteur animation and stereoscopic works. Over its 75-year history, the NFB has created more than 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies.

RMS Empress of Ireland, 100^th anniversary: Two stamps to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland, in the St. Lawrence River, near Rimouski, Quebec. The stamp recognizes the highest death toll for a peacetime Canadian Maritime accident. Some 1,012 people died when the ship collided with a Norwegian collier, the SS Storstad, on May 29, 1914.

Komagata Maru Incident, 100^th anniversary: In 1914, a Japanese steamship carrying 376 passengers from India was refused permission to land in Vancouver and forced to return to India. This stamp demonstrates how much Canada has progressed and recognizes the valuable contributions of Canadians from all parts of the world.

Christmas, Santa Claus and Religious: A three-stamp set, including domestic, U.S. and international postage, will feature Santa Claus. Another stamp has a religious theme and showcases classic nativity art.

CANADIAN IDENTITY
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ten UNESCO World Heritage sites of Canada will be featured on commemorative and definitive stamps. In 2014, we will feature: Newfoundland and Labrador's Gros Morne National Park; the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Old Town Lunenburg and the Landscape of Grand-Pré National Historic Site in Nova Scotia; Quebec's Miguasha National Park; Ontario's Rideau Canal National Historic Site; Alberta's Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump; SGang Gwaay in B.C.; Nahanni National Park in the Northwest Territories; and the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks in Alberta and B.C.

Baby Wildlife: The popular series continues with a focus on four indigenous Canadian animals. For 2014, the series features the beaver, mountain goat, Atlantic puffin and the young bull elk.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights: A stamp to mark the opening of Canada's new national museum, which will welcome its first visitors in 2014. Located in Winnipeg, it is the first national museum to be built outside the National Capital Region. The only museum in the world solely devoted to human rights awareness and education, it will stand as a beacon for visitors from around the globe.

MUSIC/ENTERTAINMENT
Country Legends: This issue honours some of Canada's most recognized country musicians: Thomas James "Tommy" Hunter, k.d. lang, Renée Martel, Hank Snow, and Shania Twain.

Haunted Canada: This new series that showcases supernatural tales from across the country begins with five new stamps featuring Prince Edward Island's Northumberland Strait; Quebec's Château Frontenac; Ontario's Fort George; the St. Louis Ghost Train in Saskatchewan; and Alberta's Ghost Bride.

ARTS AND CULTURE
Flowers - Roses: Our popular flower series continues in 2014 with the rose. This two-stamp issue will be a hit for wedding invitations and enjoyed by collectors and consumers - especially gardeners.

Canadian Photography: In its second year of issue, this multi-year series showcases the most celebrated work of Canadian photographers from the last 150 years, including Fred Herzog, Lynne Cohen, Michel Lambeth, C.D. Hoy and Louis Prudent Vallée on the domestic issues, plus the work of William Notman on the U.S. denomination and Edward Burtynsky on the International rate stamp.

Children's Literature - Caillou, 25^th anniversary: The Caillou book series, which marks its 25^th anniversary, is recognized in the third issue dedicated to Canadian children's literature.

"Wait for me, Daddy!" This classic Canadian wartime photograph will be featured on a stamp to coincide with Remembrance Day. The photo shows a young boy reaching for his father's hand in a marching line of hundreds of Canadian soldiers. Photojournalist Claude Dettloff took the photograph on October 1, 1940, in New Westminster, B.C.

SPORTS
Female athletes: A set of stamps will recognize three celebrated female winter athletes: curler Sandra Schmirler, figure skater Barbara Ann Scott and freestyle-skiing pioneer Sarah Burke.

Return of the CFL to Ottawa: Two stamps - one definitive coil and one commemorative - will be issued as the nation's capital prepares to welcome the return of the Canadian Football League. The Ottawa REDBLACKS are scheduled to enter the league for the 2014 season.

NHL teams: A set of NHL-themed stamps are part of a continuing series to celebrate this country's favourite sport. This edition will focus on defensemen of the Original Six.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Canada Post Community Foundation: This fundraising stamp celebrates Canadian youth. Funds raised through its sale support organizations that deliver children's services. The Foundation has raised more than $8.5 million for a variety of organizations.

COMMEMORATIVE ENVELOPES
Six commemorative envelopes will also be released in 2014: Charlottetown and Québec Conferences, 150^th anniversary; Art Gallery of Hamilton 100^th anniversary; Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 100^th anniversary; Royal Montreal Regiment, 100^th anniversary; and Régiment de Hull, 100^th  anniversary.

The Stamp Advisory Committee recommends the themes and designs included in the annual stamp program. The committee is comprised of individuals from across the country with expertise in history, philately, design and other topics. It reflects English-speaking and French-speaking populations, as well as the changing ethnic diversity of the country. Canada Post's Board of Directors reviews the committee's recommendations to establish the final selections each year.

SOURCE: Canada Post

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