Canada Post issues new set of From Far and Wide definitives

By Scott Tiffney

On May 6, Canada Post raised postal rates and issued a new set of nine definitive stamps as the fourth part of its multiyear From Far and Wide series.

The series, titled with words from the Canadian national anthem, began with a set of nine stamps (Scott 3056a-3056i) issued Jan. 15, 2018.

The latest set features “a traveller’s view of some of the must-see places in our own backyard,” states Canada Post in the bottom right corner of the set’s souvenir sheet.

The nine stamps showcase “seven provinces and two territories, taking viewers on a cross-country journey that will stir a sense of adventure and appreciation,” Canada Post said.

Five of the new stamps are nondenominated, with a “P” for “permanent” inside a red maple leaf in the bottom right corner of the stamp. These stamps, which Canada Post calls permanent stamps, cover the first-class domestic rate.

As of May 6, for stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane the rate is 99¢, up from the previous rate of 92¢.

The five permanent-rate stamps are se-tenant (side-by-side) in booklets of 10 (two of each design), coils of 100 and 5,000, and strips of five and 10.

The further stamps in the series pay the United States, oversized and international rates and are available in booklets of six, coils of 50, and strips of four and 10.

The first stamp in the booklet of 10 of the five permanent rate stamps depicts a majestic landscape in the Torngat Mountains National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism says the park takes its name from the Inuktitut word “Tongait” meaning “place of spirits” and that its approximately 3,745 square miles of mountainous terrain is “one of the last untamed, unspoiled places on earth.”

The second stamp depicts canoeists on the South Nahanni River of the Naatsjhchoh National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. The reserve encompasses the Nahanni River watershed and is home to grizzly bear, Dall’s sheep, mountain goats and woodland caribou. Established on Dec. 18, 2014, the reserve is managed by Parks Canada.

Featured next is a field of sunflowers in Altona, Manitoba. Established in 1895, the town of Altona in southern Manitoba is known as the sunflower capital of Canada. Each year on the fourth weekend in July, the town holds its annual Manitoba Sunflower Festival, which dates back to 1964, according to the town’s website.

The fourth stamp depicts one of the many sandstone caves found on Galiano Island off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia. The island is approximately 17 miles long and 4 miles wide (at its widest point) with a population of approximately 1,000 people and boasts stunning scenic vistas, ancient forests, rocky heights, sand and pebble beaches, Canada Post said.

The fifth permanent-rate stamp depicts Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-Lac, an abbey on the shores of Lake Memphremagog in the province of Quebec. Founded in 1912 by monks exiled from Fontenelle Abbey of St. Wandrille, France, Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-Lac still cloisters 50 monks living under the rule of St. Benedict, according to its website.

Canada Post charges a different price for domestic-rate stamps if they are purchased individually. As of May 6, this rate increased from $1.07 to $1.15.

The stamp for the new single-purchase rate depicts Point Prim Lighthouse in Belfast, Prince Edward Island. Protecting mariners from the extensive reefs at the entrance to Charlottetown Harbor, the brick lighthouse opened in 1845 and stands at 61 feet from its base to the top of its weather vane, according to the Parks Canada website.

The $1.40 stamp for letters to the United States features the Thousand Islands National Park in the province of Ontario. Established in 1904 and formerly known as the St. Lawrence Islands, the park is a group of 21 islands along the Thousand Islands Parkway and a 9,421 square mile area of rich biodiversity and home to many species at risk, according to a visitor website.

The $2.09 stamp for the oversized mail rate depicts a bend in the Restigouche River in New Brunswick.

The new From Far and Wide stamps and related items are available online from Canada Post, by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from the United States or Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550.

To read more about the new From Far and Wide stamps, subscribe to Linn’s Stamp News.

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