Overview
This year’s flower stamp issue depicts Ranunculus asiaticus on 2 stamps. The annual flower issue is a bestseller, and often used to mail wedding stationery such as invitations. It’s also popular stamp issue among Canadian gardeners. Take home or gift this booklet of 10 PermanentTM domestic rate stamps.
About the Flower
Ranunculus asiaticus, also known as Persian buttercup, is native to southwestern Asia, southern Europe and northern Africa. The plant may have arrived in northern Europe during the Crusades but was not cultivated widely until the 17th century.
The name Ranunculus comes from the Latin words for “little frog” because many species grow near streams. However, Ranunculus asiaticus is partial to sunny hillsides and pastures.
Known for radiant, rose-like blossoms, Ranunculus may be single or double flowered. It has gossamer-thin petals and grows in a palette of colours. Florists and gardeners love them, and they are a popular choice for wedding bouquets and centerpieces.
Traditionally, offering these blooms is a way of saying, “I’m dazzled by your charms!”
Specifications
Stamp Designer: Stéphane Huot
Issue Date: March 1, 2023
Stamp Value: Permanent™ domestic rate
Quantity: Produced 1,000,000
Booklet of 10 Stamps
Miniature Sheet
Coil Rolls of 50 Stamps
First Day Cover
The OFDC design features a beautiful pale pink Ranunculus and a cancel mark shaped like the flower in bloom. Goderich, ON was chosen for the cancel location because it was once said to be described as “the prettiest town in Canada” due in part to its charming historic character, as well as its award-winning flower gardens.
Cancellation Location: Goderich, ON
Quantity Produced: 7,000
Overview
Eid Mubarak! Celebrate the Muslim festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha with this booklet of 6 stamps.
About the Issue
This stamp issue commemorates the festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by more than one million Muslims in Canada. These events can last several days and include communal prayers and feasts, visits with family, gift giving and acts of charity.
About the Stamp and Booklet Design
Crafted in medieval Iran during Ramadan, the hand-painted ceramic bowl on this year’s Eid stamp was likely used to serve dates, soups and other foods each night, to break the fast. Part of a collection held by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), it is inscribed on the inside with a Persian poem. The bowl has a special connection to the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which is also known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Written in calligraphy above the bowl are the words Eid Mubarak, a traditional Arabic greeting that means “have a blessed Eid.”
The front of the booklet shows photos of the inside of the bowl. The inside of the booklet features a translation of one of the lines from the poem inscribed on the inside of the bowl, “May you enjoy whatever you eat from this bowl.”
About Eid and Ramadan
Muslims in Canada and around the world fast (abstain from eating and drinking) from dawn to sunset during Ramadan – one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. This ritual fasting is both an act of worship and a form of self-purification and spiritual growth.
Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fasting, which is observed from sunrise to sunset, is one of the most distinctive practices in the Islamic religion.
Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage, in which millions of Muslims journey to one of the holiest sites in Islam – the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The festival also honors the prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), a revered figure within Judaism, Christianity and Islam, for his willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice Isma’il (known as Isaac in the Jewish and Christian traditions), God substituted a lamb. The festival is also called Eid al-Kabir, or the Greater of the two Eids.
Both festivals embody central Islamic practices and values, including empathy and sacrifice for those in need and appreciation for one’s community and greater humanity. These are expressed through communal prayers and feasts, gift giving and acts of charity.
Read more on Canada Post Perspectives.
Specifications
Stamp Designer: Subplot Design Inc.
Issue Date: April 3, 2023
Stamp Value: Permanent™ domestic rate
Quantity Produced: 55,000
Booklet of 6 Stamps
First Day Cover
The front of the OFDC shows photos of the inside of the bowl. The back includes a translation of the full poem inscribed on the inside of the bowl. The cancel location – Toronto, Ontario – was chosen because the bowl featured on the stamp is part of the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. The cancel is reminiscent of a crescent moon with a star between its points – a recognizable symbol of Islam.
Cancellation Location: Toronto, ON
Quantity Produced: 4,500
Overview
Celebrate the bond between animal mothers and their babies by taking home this beautiful booklet of 6 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps from the Animal Mothers and Babies stamp issue.
About the Issue
Parenting in the wild is a tough job. Some animal mothers and fathers are always on duty – feeding their babies and protecting them from predators. In their aquatic habitats, where threats can come from both above and below, the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) and the red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) serve as floating havens for their vulnerable offspring.
Canada Post has a longstanding tradition of showcasing Canadian wildlife and using stamps to raise awareness of the impacts of human activity on animal populations. These two species face many threats posed by humans.
About the Sea Otter
Mature female sea otters give birth to a single pup every year for life. The sole caregiver, mother otters float on their backs to feed, groom and cradle their young. The species, once hunted for its luxurious fur, was extirpated from British Columbia but has made a gradual comeback since being reintroduced. It is currently listed as being of special concern in Canada.
About the Red-Necked Grebe
Red-necked grebes take turns incubating their eggs and carrying the chicks, which climb onto their parents’ backs immediately after hatching. The monogamous pairs sometimes divide the brood to share feeding responsibilities. Found across most of Canada, these water birds winter off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Like sea otters, they face threats such as oil spills, as well as loss of their freshwater nesting habitat from other human disturbances.
About the Design
Designer Meredith MacKinlay, of Halifax-based Egg Design, chose embroidery as the basis for the design because of the association that fabrics have with feelings of homeyness and familial love – and because needlework lends texture to the animals’ fur and feathers. Temagami Anishinaabe artist Caroline Brown created the images on the stamps using a combination of traditional embroidery and beadwork.
Read more on Canada Post Perspectives.
Specifications
Stamp Designer: Meredith MacKinlay Egg Design
Issue Date: April 18, 2023
Stamp Value: Permanent™ domestic rate
Quantity Produced: 200,000
Booklet of 6 Stamps
Miniature Sheet
First Day Cover
The cancellation date of April 18 was chosen in advance of Earth Day (April 22), when Canadians are encouraged to take positive action on environmental issues, including the impacts of climate change and pollution on species such as those featured on these stamps. Because they celebrate the bond between animal mothers and their young, the stamps were also issued several weeks ahead of Mother’s Day. The cancellation location is Vancouver, since British Columbia is home to Canada’s only remaining sea otter population.
Cancellation Location: Vancouver, BC
Quantity Produced: 7,000
Overview
Take home this booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps from our 2023 Canada Post Community Foundation stamp issue to support organization that support Canadian children and youth.
About the Issue
Sharing stories enriches our lives in so many ways. Through the Canada Post Community Foundation, we contribute resources that inspire creativity and curiosity, and our annual semi-postal fundraising issue gives you a way to contribute.
About the Design
The theme of this stamp issue is the way in which stories and storytelling enhance the lives of children and youth. The illustration by John Belisle depicts a diverse group of animals reading a story together. It reminds us of the joy that stories and storytelling bring, as well as the creativity and curiosity they inspire.
About the Donation
When you purchase a booklet of 10 stamps, a donation of $1 will go directly to fund local and national non-profit groups that assist Canadian children and youth in writing the next chapter of their lives. Since 2012, the Canada Post Community Foundation has supported more than 1,100 community organizations that bring positive change to Canadian children.
Specifications
Stamp Designer: John Belisle Creative
Stamp Illustrator: John Belisle
Issue Date: May 1, 2023
Stamp Value: Permanent™ domestic rate plus the 10-cent surcharge on each stamp
Quantity Produced: 250,000
Booklet of 6 Stamps
First Day Cover
Cancellation Site: Ottawa, ON
Quantity Produced: 8,000
Overview
This booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps marks the first appearance of His Majesty King Charles III on Canadian postage.
About the Stamp
Take home the first Canadian definitive stamp depicting the image of His Majesty King Charles III, who ascended the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the passing of his mother, the long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II.
About the Design
This stamp design features a black and white portrait of King Charles III taken by photographer Alan Shawcross.
About King Charles III
Every time I come to Canada … a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream. And from there, straight to the heart.
— His Majesty King Charles III (then The Prince of Wales), speaking in Winnipeg, Manitoba, during the 1996 Royal Tour
His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada, was born at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948. He ascended the throne upon the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022. He is Sovereign of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms.
The King was formally invested as Prince of Wales by The Queen on July 1, 1969, and embarked on a naval career, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and two great-grandfathers. He is the president or patron of more than 400 organizations, including many in Canada. He was an early advocate for environmental issues and is also keenly interested in architecture, global sustainability, youth opportunity, education and faith.
Read more on Canada Post Perspectives.
Specifications
Stamp DesignerL Paprika
Issue Date: May 8, 2023
Stamp Value: Permanent™ domestic rate
Quantity Produced: Continuous print
Booklet of 10 Stamps
First Day Cover
Overview
Mark the 150th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with this booklet of 6 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps.
About the Issue
In 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) marks its 150th anniversary. Established as the North-West Mounted Police by an Act of Parliament on May 23, 1873, the RCMP has evolved into an internationally recognized police organization of more than 19,000 police officers, with the support of more than 11,000 civilian members and public servants. It operates from coast to coast to coast and beyond Canada’s borders through international policing and peacekeeping efforts. The RCMP is present from the community level up to the provincial, territorial and federal levels.
Leading up to this significant anniversary, the RCMP developed a Vision150 mandate.
About the Design
The design features a collage of imagery representing the modern RCMP organization.
Specifications
Stamp Designer: Réjean Myette
Issue Date: May 23, 2023
Stamp Value: Permanent™ domestic rate
Quantity Produced: 100,000
Booklet of 6 Stamps
First Day Cover
The design of the Official First Day Cover (OFDC) features a closeup of the officer on horseback featured in the stamp design for this issue. It also features the text “RCMP 150, 1873-2023” and a blue fingerprint.
Cancellation Location: Ottawa, ON
Quantity Produced: 5,000
Philatelic Pursuits 
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