Canada Post continues its annual tradition of holiday issues with this Holiday Winter Scenes: Souvenir Sheet Official First Day Cover.
In the multilayered illustration technique of Tim Zeltner, this issue captures the frosty splendor of our Canadian winters.
As one of Canada's storytellers, Canada Post features stamp topics in its national stamp program that are important to Canadians – like the festive season. Since 1964, Canada Post has been issuing Christmas and holiday stamps. In 2005, it began issuing both sacred and secular-themed holiday stamps each year to give holiday mailers and collectors a choice. These popular stamps are issued in advance of the holiday season so that they can be used on holiday mail.
There is something enchanting and intrinsically Canadian about a snow-covered landscape. Whether it brings back childhood memories of playing in freshly fallen snow or reminds us of the joy of past holiday celebrations, the icy beauty around us evokes a sense of wonder.
Illustrator Tim Zeltner's multilayered illustration technique skillfully captures the frosty splendor of our Canadian winters, employing cool tones and layered images to provide a vivid sense of depth and perspective.
The three stamps collectively offer a diverse cross-section of winter landscapes from across the country.
The front of the cover depicts a snowy day and a landscape with snow-capped trees. The three Holiday issue stamps are in the center of the cover. Two cancel marks are shown overlapping the stamps.
Designed by Jocelyne Saulnier of Joce Creative and illustrated by Tim Zeltner, the three stamps feature charming and evocative illustrations of Canadian winter scenes: a mountain village (Permanent™ domestic rate), a frozen pond perfect for skating in a snow-covered valley (U.S. rate) and a rugged coastal landscape (international rate).
The snow areas were overprinted with a clear pearl ink to enhance to snow and give it dimension.
Domestic rate stamp
The Permanent™ stamp showcases a whimsical snowy mountain landscape, complete with a charming village, snow-clad trees, and folks immersed in various winter activities alongside a glacial lake and meandering stream, all set against a deep blue sky.
U.S. rate stamp
The U.S. rate stamp transports us to a magical outdoor winter ice-skating rink with a quaint village, a comforting outdoor fire, and a blend of snow-draped and leafless trees. Skaters glide on the ice while others engage in sledding, illuminated by a teal-coloured sky.
International rate stamp
Meanwhile, the international rate stamp unfolds a coastal winter panorama, featuring a cliffside lighthouse, a picturesque village, and sledding enthusiasts descending a seaside hill, all under the hues of a blue-green sky.
The back of the cover features a snow-inspired background with a festive snowman and two people, and features excerpts of two winter-themed poems by two poets, Archibald Lampman and Clara Lanctôt.
Born in Morpeth, Canada West (now Ontario), Archibald Lampman (1861-99) is widely considered the finest English-Canadian nature poet of his time. He contributed to various literary magazines and published three collections, while also working for a number of years as a clerk in the Post Office Department. These verses from “Snow” were published in Lyrics of the Earth in 1895.
White are the far-off plains, and white
The fading forests grow;
The wind dies out along the height,
And denser still the snow,
A gathering weight on roof and tree,
Falls down scarce audibly.
The meadows and far-sheeted streams
Lie still without a sound;
Like some soft minister of dreams
The snow-fall hoods me round;
In wood and water, earth and air,
A silence everywhere.
The cancel location is St. John’s Newfoundland, one of Canada’s snowiest cities. The cancel mark is a line drawing depiction of a sparkly and snowy gust of wind.