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Canada Post on a Cross-Country Roadtrip from the Prairies to Quebec
Roadside Attraction Stamps Feature Coffee Pot, Happy Rock, Wawa Goose and Puffin

July 5, 2010

Canada Post is again celebrating summer with the second issue in a three-year series of stamps that highlight roadside attractions from across the country. This year’s issue focuses on the central part of the country.

As Canadian families load up their vehicles and embark on summer road trips, Canada Post is issuing four new stamps featuring iconic small town landmarks, including the Coffee Pot in Davidson, Saskatchewan; the Happy Rock that greets visitors to Gladstone, Manitoba; the Wawa Goose that is poised for flight outside Wawa, Ontario; and the Atlantic Puffin that towers over Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec.

The 2010 Canadian Roadside Attractions once again feature oil paintings by Nova Scotia artist Bonnie Ross.

“These attractions symbolize the vibrant spirit of small town Canada,” says Jim Phillips, Director of Stamp Services at Canada Post. “Each landmark captures the imagination and spirit of traveling across this vast country. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate summer.”

• The Coffee Pot in Davidson, Saskatchewan is a tribute to the town’s hospitality. It is 7.3 metres tall and has the capacity to fill nearly 150,000 cups of coffee.
• The Gladstone, Manitoba town mascot, the Happy Rock, is mounted on top of a tourist booth. The over 7-metre high attraction is a recognizable landmark along the Yellowhead Highway and weighs more than 700 kilograms.
• The giant steel Wawa Goose that is perched outside Wawa, Ontario, has been around since the 1960s. The current goose is the third steel tribute to the wild geese of Northern Ontario. The 8.5-meter high, two-tonne monument is located along the junction of highways 17 and 101.
• The Atlantic Puffin in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec is a tribute to the charismatic seabirds. The 1.8-meter high fibreglass monument was built in 1995 and is located by the seaside where the birds live.

In addition to being featured on a stamp, each roadside attraction will also adorn a postage-paid postcard and official first day cover issue. Each landmark was chosen because of its colourful, quirky appearance and its power to evoke the friendliness of small towns.

About the Stamps
Each stamp measures 35.25 mm x 41.50 mm (vertical) and has simulated perforations. The stamps, printed by Lowe-Martin, are pressure sensitive and printed on Tullis Russell paper using lithography in eight colours plus spot varnish. They are general tagged on four sides. The official first day cover will be cancelled in Davidson, Saskatchewan. The stamps are available in booklets of eight stamps or as a souvenir sheet of four stamps.

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 and other products will be available at participating post offices, or can be ordered online by following the links at canadapost.ca/collection, 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.