Canada Post Strike - Waiting for a Christmas Miracle

We are now into the fourth week of a postal workers strike in Canada. The union wants higher wages, better benefits and job security. And Canada Post wants to compete with all the gig-worker driven delivery services that have sprung up over the last few years which means they need more output from a cheaper labour force. Canada Post is a crown corporation which means its direction is overseen by the government but it operates on its own. And for the last 6 years it has been losing money. Last year it lost almost $750 million (CDN).

 
This strike has gone on without any clear sign of a pending resolution. Unlike previous postal strikes, this one doesn't seem to be getting the same public attention. Small businesses and rural customers are feeling it the most. But the outcry over the lack of mail delivery just doesn't seem to be there this time around. So maybe this is the tipping point for Canada Post. The two sides are so far apart in their negotiations that it will likely take government intervention to get the mail moving again.

I really miss checking my mailbox everyday. Even if the strike ends tomorrow, it would take several weeks... months perhaps, to clear the backlog. No circuits coming in or going out. No stamp exchanges. Not even junk mail. It sucks.

Argentina National Parks

A cover from Buenos Aires with 7500 pesos of postage on it. That's a lot. It's slightly more than the international letter rate for Denmark. Here's a postcrossing thread I came across with a discussion about postage rates in Argentina. Looking back over covers I've received from Argentina in the past, I can see the increases getting larger and larger as the years go by. Inflation is so high in Argentina. The postal rate increase so fast that multiple older stamps are always needed to make the current postage rate.

The stamp on the left is a 2023 stamp that recognizes the National Plan for Telecommunications Networks. It was originally a 2014 stamp that has been overprinted with a new value, going from 50c to $500, The others are all national park definitives from 2023, except the last stamp on the right which is from 2024: Laguna Blanca National Park, Jaramillo Petrified Forest National Park, Federal Campo San Juan Park, and Baritú National Park.

Sendt til udlandet fra Danmark

Not much happening on this cover from Taastrup, Denmark (there is a large Postnord terminal there) but the stamp caught my attention. It's the first cover I've received from Denmark with an "Udland" stamp on it. Earlier this year Postnord declared that all stamps produced prior to Jan 1 were no longer valid for domestic mail because they were purchased before a 25% VAT for postage stamps was introduced. Apparently the same will apply to international bound mail at the end of the year. New stamps now bear the word "Innland" on domestic rate stamps and "Udland" on international rate stamps.

This stamp is from a 2024 sheet of two (with two sheets in the issue) that feature portrait engravings. On this stamp is an image of Danish poet and author Tove Ditlevsen, based on a photograph by Erik Petersen, engraved by Martin Mörck

It's surprising to see how postage rates have increased in Denmark this year. The international letter rate was increased to 50 DKK. It covers letters up to 100g but that rate also applies to postcards! By comparison, 50 DKK is currently more than enough for three international 20g letters from Canada, or four from the US.

Colourful Flowers, Japan FDC

Another floral FDC from Osaka. This time it's a pair of recently issued rose stamps.

Birds from Suzhou, China

Lots of bird stamps on this cover from Suzhou. The pair on the upper left are peafoul stamps from 2004. And the group on the right from 2005 are birds at the Xianghai National Nature Reserve in north-eastern China. The stamp in the lower left corner is from a 2022 set showing images of pigeons.

Living Legends of the Philippines

I can almost make out parts of the text in the postmark that would tell me where this came from. But not enough. The stamp on the right commemorates former basketball player Ramon Fernandez. It is from a 2021 souvenir sheet called "Living Legends of the Philippines". And the stamps on the left are definitives that feature phrases in different languages spoken in various regions of the country. It was not immediately obvious to me that this was from the Philippines. I think the Canadian air mail sticker caught me off guard. 

Florianopolis, Brazil

This cover from the Brazilian coastal city of Florianopolis comes to me with three stamps from a sheet of nine from 2020 that feature celestial bodies from our solar system. From left to right, the Sun, Earth and Mars. It's hard to see but the dark lines in the stamps that trace the paths of the planets around the sun are highlighted with a varnish. 

UPU 150th Anniversary, Algeria FDC

The 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) was October 9, 2024. 

Montserrat

Postmarked at the main post office in the town of Brades, which has been the capital of Montserrat since 1995 when the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted and buried the original capital of Plymouth under mud and ash. Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory. It is a Caribbean island of 100 square kilometers in the northern end of the Lesser Antilles chain. Half of the island is uninhabitable because of the volcanic exclusion zone so the island's 5000 residents reside on the north half of the island.

 

The stamps from 2009 feature fruit-bearing trees that can be found on the island. From right to left: tamarind, dwarf coconut, breadfruit, calabash and geiger. 

80th Anniversary of the Battle of Normandy, France

Postmarked at the philatelic bureau in Mende in southern France. The 2024 souvenir sheet commemorates the 80th anniversary of the allies landing on the beaches of Normandy. D-day. June 6. 1944. It was the largest amphibious military landing in history. 

Traditional Weapons of the Philippines

On this cover from Taguig is a set of four stamps from 2024 that feature traditional weapons of the Philippines. From left to right: a sinawit ax, a gunong knife, a kris knife and a falfeg javelin. 

World Post Day, Singapore

The stamps are from a 2020 set commemorating the end of the Second World War and the end of Japanese occupation. The well applied spray-on sorting center postmark commemorates World Post Day which marks the anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union on 9 Oct 1874.

Apia, Samoa

There are hawksbill sea turtles on these 2016 WWF stamps from Samoa. The postmark says it was sent from Apia, the capital of Samoa, but it also says Fagamalo which is a village... on a different island. So I'm not really sure exactly where it was postmarked other than somewhere in Samoa.

Porto Cristo, Spain

The postmark from Porto Cristo on the east coast of Majorca depicts Hams' Caves (Cuevas dels Hams): a system of caves that is a popular tourist destination in Majorca. The stamps from 2007 showcase Spanish fashions held by the Spanish Garment Museum in Madrid.

Onești, Romania

Sent from the Romanian city of Onești. The stamp on the left is from a 2007 set that commemorates Sibiu being designated the 2007 European Capital of Culture. On this particular stamp is the Sibiu evangelical cathedral. On the right are a pair of hunting dog stamps from 2005. And lower left is a 1992 stamp from a set featuring Romanian porcelain. 

Freddie Mercury, FDC Germany

This stamp is the second in Deutsch Post's "Legends of Rock" stamp series. I don't think Freddie Mercury needs any kind of introduction from me. There was a limited edition version of this stamp made of gold selling for €99.90. It has a postage value of €0.85 so it could be used to mail a 20g letter from Germany. Provided you could figure out a way to attach it to an envelope. 

Flowers in Daily Life, FDC Japan

First-day postmarked in Osaka. These are fall greeting stamps from two sheets of ten. The stamp on the left is titled "Around the summer solstice" and the stamp on the right is a dandelion.

 

200 Years of German Immigration in Brazil

Postmarked at the Berlin mail processing center 10. The stamp commemorates 200 years of German emigration to Brazil. Just a standard postmark but I like the little graphic with the outline of the city of Berlin. Just because it's an everyday postmark, doesn't mean it has to be boring. 

Turin, Italy

I just can't read enough of the postmark to pinpoint the post office but the 10148 postal code is a neighbourhood in Turin so that's good enough for me. From left to right, a 2020 stamp featuring the Isola del Tino lighthouse, a 2021 stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Fréjus rail tunnel, and a 2022 stamp from the "Italian artistic and cultural heritage" series featuring "The Passion of Sordevolo". Every five years the citizens of Sordevolo participate in a huge open-air re-enactment of the passion of Christ. Forty performances of 100 days. 

 

Marion Dufresne OP2 2024, Tromelin Island

From the French research and supply ship Marion Dufresne via Tromelin Island in the Scattered Islands of the French Southern and Antarctic Territory. Sent during it's second rotation of 2024 through the islands of Amsterdam, Kerguelen, Crozet and Tromelin. On the front and back are the handstamps of captain Ganor Ginat, information agent Vanessa Larose, chief mechanic Armel Derrien, telecommunication manager Florent Payet and Crozet island chef Anne-Adelaïde Lasbareilles.

Sécurité Civile Canadair FDC

Canadair was an airplane manufacturer in Canada that operated from the 1940's until it's assets were acquired by Bombardier in 1986. The CL-215 scooper, and later the the CL-415 super scooper, is an amphibious aircraft used for aerial firefighting, aka waterbombing. They are able to land on large lakes, glide along the surface and suck up water, and then pick up speed and take off again. The water collected is then dumped to suppress a burning fire or prevent it from spreading.

France's civil defense agency: the Direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la gestion des crises or just sécurité civile, operates 12 of these planes. The first was a CL-215 purchased in 1969. Their current fleet are all CL-415s. LaPost issued a stamp commemorating this fleet in July of 2024.

This card is a little too glossy and was slipped back into the return envelope before the postmark ink was completely dry. So some of it was left in the envelope. I suppose I was really lucky it didn't smear all over the place.

Burundian Parrots

A nice crisp cover from the East African nation of Burundi. I have no idea what city this was sent from as the perfectly applied postmarks are just general post office postmarks. But the stamps are from a 2023 souvenir sheet featuring parrots. On the right is a Psittacus erithacus or grey parrot and on the left is a Poicephalus robustus, or Cape parrot. Although I wonder if it's supposed to be a brown-necked parrot (Poicephalus fuscicollis) which can be found in Burundi. The cape parrot is endemic to South Africa.

Fruit from India

The strip of stamps is from a sheet of 12 that showcases fruits grown in different regions of India. From left to right, Mahabaleshwar Strawberries, Allahabadi Surkha Guava, Shahi Litchi and Naga Tree Tomatoes aka Tamarillo, which is a member the nightshade family.

German Reptiles for the Youth

First-day postmarked in Berlin, the stamps on this cover are surcharged in support of youth services. The reptiles featured are all native to Germany. On the right is an Eastern green lizzard, a grass snake top left and a European pond turtle bottom left. All three are considered endangered in Germany. 

Pratovecchio, Italy

Three stamps from 2023 on this cover from the Tuscan commune of Pratovecchio. At the bottom are  stamps commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Italian film director, producer and politician Franco Zeffirelli, and the 120th birth anniversary of Italian economist Pasquale Saraceno. And the top stamp is an International Women's Day stamp commemorating women entrepreneurs. 

Polch, Germany

From the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Polch. The stamp top right features the Hulk on a 2024 Marvel "Superheros" stamp. I've seen Ironman and Spiderman on stamps from prior years. I assume this one is part of an annual series. The sticker on the bottom left: "Gemeinsam für den Frieden" (together for peace), refers to an initiative by the Volksbund, the German war graves commission, to collect funds to support their work.

Shaker Design, USA FDC

A nice FDC from the States. Three stamps from a set of 12 issued on 20 June 2024 to coincide with the arrival of the first Shakers in the Americas. Shakers, aka United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, were a Christian sect founded in the mid 18th century. The stamps in the set depict iconic examples of Shaker design: minimalist with high quality craftsmanship. 

Toa Payoh, Singapore

From the residential area of Toa Payoh in central Singapore. An interesting spray-on postmark. The stamp in the right corner is a 2024 Olympic stamp from a set of 10. This stamp represents sailing.

Riga, Latvia

From Riga, the Latvian capital. On the left is a 2017 stamp commemorating the 500th anniversary of the reformation of the church. And on the right are a pair of Europa "think green" stamps from 2015.

ASEAN 2024, Thailand

From Bankgkok. It's current 2567 on the Thai solar calendar, hence the "67" year in the postmark. The stamps, which show an image of the Bangkok general post office, commemorate the 2024 ASEAN summit to be held in Laos in October. This is a joint stamp issue with other ASEAN members issuing similar stamps with images of post offices. ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Juan de Nova, TAAF

Another TAAF Scattered Islands cover, thanks for Roland. This one is from the island of Juan de Nova. The stamp features the French navy corvette Dauphine. It was during a voyage in 1776 that the crew of the Dauphine rescued the eight remaining survivors of a ship wreck on what is now Tromelin island, 15 years after they were marooned there.

Îles Glorieuses, TAAF

From the Glorieuses: a small group of islands that are part of the French Scattered Islands. Part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territory of TAAF.

Letter Writing Day, FDC Japan

Since I'm heading to Osaka tomorrow I should post this Osaka cover I received last week. The stamps are from this year's letter writing day issue, first-day postmarked with the Osaka postmark.

International Polar Year, Finland

In 2007 the postal administrations a few countries with Arctic interests participated in a joint issue of stamps that recognized the International Polar Year. This souvenir sheet from Finland features a foil snowflake that shimmers. The stamps on the left are from a 2007 set called "Memories of Finland".

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

From the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. This was sent from the largest and and most populated island of Rarotonga. The stamps are a 2016 WWF issue featuring manta rays and they actually say "Raotonga" on them as well as "Cook Islands". Stamps are issued for all three of the main islands : Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Penrhyn, but there are also Cook Island stamps. As I understand it they are all produced by the same entity (I could easily be wrong about that) and I imagine this is done to sell more stamps to collectors. Why else would a county of 20,000 need so many postage stamps.

Native Irish Bees

From the County Clare town of Lios Dúin Bhearna. The honeycomb cell shaped stamps are from a 2024 set featuring native Irish bees. On the left is a honey bee and on the right is a patchwork leafcutter bee.

Hay River, Northwest Territories. Canada

From the town of Hay River. There are three post offices in the Northwest Territories that currently use this polar bear postmark: Yellowknife, Inuvik and Hay River. But you won't see actual polar bears in Hay River. Just black bears. The stamp is from a recent set that recognizes Canadian graphic novelists. On this stamp it's Mariko and Jillian Tamaki and their novel "This One Summer" published in 2014. It's a teen coming-of-age story that was banned by the American Library Association for its mature subject matter.

Liberation Army Caravans, Algeria FDC

The souvenir sheet on this first-day cover from Algeria depicts a caravan of camels carrying weapons for the National Liberation Army across the Sahara desert.

Bern, Switzerland

On this cover from Bern is a 2023 Christmas stamp on the right. And on the left is a 1978 stamp featuring the paddle steamer "Il Verbano" issued as part of a sheet for a stamp exhibition.

The National Flower of Suriname

It's pretty obvious from the postmark where this came from. The stamp from 2021 features the national flower of Suriname: Ixora coccinea or the jungle geranium, also know as "faja lobi" in Sranan Tongo (creole language spoken in Suriname). Fiery Love. Perfectly postmarked at the main post office in Paramaribo. 

Bhubaneswar, India

Stamps on the front and back of this cover from the city of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. The 2023 stamp on the left commemorates the first Tuluvan Queen of Ullal and first female freedom fighter of India, Rani Abbakka Devi, who fought off a Portuguese occupation during the 16th century. And the 2024 stamp on the right commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Bombay Sappers War Memorial in the city of Pune in Maharashtra.

And on the back is a 2008 souvenir sheet. A joint issue with China with stamps showing the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya and the White Horse temple in Luoyang, China.

Rabits from Parepare, Indonesia

The Indonesian city of Parepare is on the south west coast of the island of Sulawesi. The souviner sheet on the right with the European bunnies is from a 1999 stamp set featuring domesticated animals. And the pair of stamps on the left are year of the rabbit stamps from 2011.

500th Birth Anniversary of Luís de Camões, Portugal FDC

Portugal's greatest poet was Luís de Camões. His death on 10 June 1580 is commemorated every year with a national holiday known a Portugal Day. That's how famous he was. He led an adventurous life and spent many years in Africa and Asia before being taken by the plague. I'm sure some of what I've been reading about his life has been heavily romanticized over the centuries but I still find it very fascinating. Thank you Pedro.

Kölner Dom by AI, Germany FDC

The stamp on this First-Day cover is part of a crypto stamp issue. The stamp features an interpretation of the Cologne Cathedral by the DALL-E AI system. I was confused by the out of place grey box sticking out of the upper left side of the structure but I understand now that it is scaffolding for restoration work. Would have been nice if the AI could have provided an image of what it would look like without the scaffolding.

Japan's Updated Currency, FDC

On July 3rd the Bank of Japan issued three new banknotes with new designs to replace previous designs  that were first issued 20 years ago. The new notes are 1000, 5000 and 10000 yen. Japan post issued a sheet of stamps to commemorate this with stamps that feature design elements from the new notes. The stamp on the right features a portrait of Japanese bacteriologist and Nobel prize winner Kitasato Shibasaburō. He is featured on the front of the 1000 yen note with "The Great Wave of Kanagawa" on the reverse. The pattern in the postmark represents one of the anti-theft elements that appears on the notes.

Hugo Simon, Germany

On the commemorative postmark is German Jewish banker and politician Hugo Simon who escaped Nazi persecution and resettled in Brazil in 1941. He was also an art collector with a rather large collection that at one time included Edvard Munch's "The Scream". His collection was dispersed after being plundered by the Nazis. Hugo Simon died in Sao Paolo in 1950. The stamp in the souvenir sheet commemorates the earliest example of a letter mailed in the Americas containing a complete set of stamps: the first Brazilian postage stamps known as "bullseye" stamps.

Shizuoka, Japan

"Baba" referring to Baban-cho: a neighbourhood in the Aoi ward in the city of Shizuoka on the south coast of Japan between Tokyo and Nagoya. The stamps are 2021 Year of the Ox lottery stamps.

The Birth of Copernicus

A commemorative envelope issued in Germany in 2023 to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The stamp at top-right that is pre-printed on the envelope is the 2009 Europa stamp for which the theme was astronomy. The €0.30 label below it is also pre-printed on the envelope (because €0.55 was not enough for domestic postage in 2023).