News Releases

Canada Post celebrates Christmas with Winter Fun

Nov. 3, 2008

As the first snowflakes make their way to the ground they bring with them the joy of winter. Children radiate with excitement as they adorn hats, mittens and scarves to enjoy the long-awaited Canadian winter. To celebrate the joy of winter outdoor activities, Canada Post will issue three secular stamps entitled Christmas: Winter Fun, in addition to a traditionally-themed stamp entitled Christmas: The Nativity.

The simple childhood joys of the holiday season come together on the three fun and festive stamps. A child making snow angels is featured on the domestic PERMANENT^TM 52-cent stamp; an awkward youngster on skis snowploughes down the 96-cent U.S. rate stamp; and a rosie-cheeked tobogganer glides along the $1.60 international rate stamp.

To carry on the sacred celebration of the Christmas Story, Canada Post will also issue a domestic rate stamp featuring the Nativity scene. For centuries the Nativity scene, or crèche, has been reproduced by artists in a variety of media. This stamp celebrates that rich tradition of Nativity art.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Canadian Christmas Seal Campaign, Canada Post will issue a Commemorative Envelope. The Christmas Seal campaign has become the main source of funding for the groups under the umbrella of the Lung Association. As Christmas Seals are usually found on the back of envelopes, Canada Post Manager of Graphic Design, Céline Morisset, decided to reverse the back and the front of the commemorative envelope. This simple, yet creative, design approach gives the seal, which is identical as the one used in 1908, the prominence it deserves. Lowe-Martin printed 10,000 copies.

The Winter Fun stamps measure 30 mm x 36 mm (vertical) with simulated perforations. Lowe-Martin printed 30 million domestic rate stamps in booklets of 12 stamps, 6.6 million U.S. rate stamps and 6 million international rate stamps, both in booklets of six stamps. The self-adhesive stamps will be printed using lithography in eight colours on Tullis Russell paper and are general tagged on all sides. The Official First Day Cover will bear the cancel "SNOWFLAKE MB".

The Nativity stamp will measure 24.75 mm x 32.25 mm (vertical) with simulated perforations. Lowe-Martin printed 24 million domestic rate PERMANENT stamps sold in booklets of 12 stamps. The self-adhesive stamps will be printed using lithography in six colours on Tullis Russell paper and are general tagged on all sides. The Official First Day Cover will bear the cancel "SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BEAUPRÉ QC".

Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the News section of Canada Post's website, and photos of these new stamps are also available. Stamps, Gutter product, Commemorative Envelopes and Official First Day Covers will be available at participating post offices, or can be ordered online by following the links at Canada Post's website www.canadapost.ca, or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA, call toll-free: 1 800 565-4362, and from other countries, call: 902 863-6550.