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Canada Post and Swedish Post issue joint pair of stamps showcasing marine life

May 13, 2010

Canada Post and the Swedish Post are today jointly issuing a pair of stamps that showcase two creatures that live and play in our coastal waters: the sea otter and harbour porpoise. This is the first joint issue between the two countries.

“We need to protect these fascinating creatures and the environment in which they live,” says Jim Phillips, Director of Stamps Services at Canada Post. “These stamps can play an educational and environmental role in both our countries.”

Nicknamed the “old men of the sea” because of their trademark long whiskers, Canada’s sea otters live mainly on the Western Coast of Vancouver Island and are renowned for their aquatic acrobatics and playful behaviour. The timid harbour porpoise, which is one of the smallest whales, is found primarily over continental shelves in the Pacific and Northwest Atlantic. It is also known to spend time in bays and harbours during the summer, including the lower Bay of Fundy.

Designed by Swedish freelance designer Martin Mörck, the joint issue stamps feature images that were engraved by Swedish master engraver Lars Sjööblom based on photographs of the animals. Elliptical perforations were introduced for this new issue, a first in Canada, while Swedish Post has recreated the maple leaf perforation on the souvenir sheet using new high air pressure techniques instead of a traditional perforating machine. This is also the first gummed booklet pane Canada Post has produced since 2004.

About the Stamps
Each stamp measures 32 mm x 26 mm (horizontal) and has 13+ perforations. The stamps, which are printed by Sweden Post on Tullis Russel paper using lithography in three colours and intaglio, are P.V.A gummed and general tagged on four sides. The Official First Day Cover, which is cancelled in Victoria British Columbia, is printed by Lowe-Martin. The stamps are available in booklets of eight stamps or as a souvenir sheet of two stamps.

Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the news section of Canada Post's website, as well as the new Stamp tab on its Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/canadapost. 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.