Another Canada Post Strike

It hasn't even been a year since the last one. Technically, postal workers here have been on strike for several months but their actions were not having an impact on letter mail. But that changed yesterday after the Canadian government recommended changes to the way Canada Post operates in order to remain solvent. One of the changes is to permit Canada Post to phase out door-to-door delivery. Doing that would mean reducing the workforce and that's a non-starter for the union. So... back to the picket line they go.

The last strike in 2024 was never really resolved. The employees have been working without a collective agreement for nearly two years now. It's hard to imagine when this current strike action will end. The last work stoppage was closer to Christmas and they only returned to work after the government intervened. 

Since it doesn't seem right to post something without including an image or two, here are stamps from the most recent issue featuring mushrooms found in Canada. I like these and I wish Canada Post would put out more flora and fauna stamps. I had a chance to use them on a batch of circuits that I sent out last week which hopefully made it out of the country before the strike action started.

A big one from Brazil

From the Brazilian city of Caxias do Sul. The block at the top from 2001 is a WWF issue showcasing Brazil's endemic parrots. And the block below that also from 2001 features old Brazilian automobiles. The little 2005 definitive on the left depicts a showshiner.

Wacken Open Air 2025

From Germany with a nice "Wacken" postmark. Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) is a large annual heavy metal music festival held in the town of Wacken in northern Germany. It typically averages around 85,000 attendees and 2025 was another sold-out year featuring (I believe) 180 bands. The stamp from 2022 features a fire salamander. It's a semi-postal with the added value going to children's benefits.

More stamps from Israel

This time there are postmarks but I can't quite make them out. The three stamps along the top are from 1999 and show sites along the pilgrimage to Jerusalem: Mary's Well, the River Jordan and the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Below those are a 1996 stamp commemorating the Jewish holiday Sukkot and a 1997 stamp featuring the traditional costume of Jewish women in Ethiopia. And on the right is a 1999 stamp commemorating 17th century rabbi and poet Shalem Shabazi.

The Beautiful Biodiversity of the Scattered Islands, Île Europa

This is from Europa Island: the largest of the TAAF Scattered Islands. It is a 28 sqkm atoll that sits in the Mozambique channel between Madagascar and the African coast. The stamps from 2025 showcase the beautiful biodiversity of the Scattered Islands.

The Serbian Spruce

This is from the municipality of Bačka Topola in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. The stamp on the right from 2025 commemorates 150 years since the discovery of the Serbian spruce by Serbian botanist Josif Pančić. This specific tree grows only in a very small region in the Balkins and every single tree is protected. The pair of stamps on the left are definitives with raspberries from 2022 on the left and grapes from 2024 on the right.

More Freshwater Fish from Guyana

These are the other two stamps from a 2005 set showing freshwater fish that I used on a cover from Guyana last year. On the left is a red belly piranha and on the right is a velvet cichlid or oscar.

Australia's Sustainable Future

This is from the Canberra suburb of Hawker. The three stamps on the left are a 2023 set that present "three aspects of environmental sustainability that are key to a sustainable future": renewable energy, biodiversity and Indigenous land management. And the stamp on the right is a rose coneflower from a 2015 set the showcases Australian wildflowers.

Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Japan

In the red postmark is the 45m radio telescope at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory in Minamimaki in Nagano prefecture. The site is open to the public for self-guided tours around the grounds and there is a small museum and interpretive center there also. The stamps are from the 2024 letter writing day issue showing a typewritter on the right and a Gower Bell telephone on the left.

Tribute to the Real Plan, Rio de Janeiro

From left to right on this cover from Rio are a 2003 stamp depicting the Marcantonio Vilaça Cultural Space in Brasília which is the headquarters of Brazil's Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU): their federal audit office, a 2021 Christmas stamp, and a 2024 souvenir sheet commemorating the monetary reforms of 1994 which stabilized Brazil's economy.

Montreal, Canada

On this postmark is the new REM train (Réseau Express Métropolitain): an automated light rail system covering the greater Montreal area. In the background is the city of Montreal. Only one line is currently operational and it passes through Montreal's central train station which is also the location of the Montreal B Post Office that applied this postmark. The stamp commemorates the 1977 raid on Montreal's gay bar Truxx. The resulting public outrage and support led to the first laws in Canada aimed at preventing  discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Small collection of stamps from Israel

No postmark on this one. From left to right is a 2017 stamp commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the occupation of Jerusalem, a 1991 stamp commemorating the 14th Hapoei games with karate on the top and table tennis underneath, and a 1990 Memorial Day stamp depicting the artillery corps monument in Zikhron Yaaqov. And then there's the triangle shaped stamp in the bottom corner. That is one quarter of a sheet that was issued in 1957 for TABIL: an international stamp exhibition held in Tel Aviv in September of that year.

Wheat Varieties of Algeria, FDC

This pair of stamps from Algeria was issued on the 27th of July, 2025. On the left is Massinissa Durum Wheat, well suited to growing in Eastern Algeria's interior plains. And on the right is Mawuna Soft Wheat, developed in the Algerian province of Guelma to be resist to extreme environmental conditions and diseases.

Luminous Nature from Antwerp, Belgium

The stamp on this cover from Antwerp is from a 2024 sheet of 5 stamps that feature things in nature that glow in the dark. On this stamp it's a firefly. The stamp has spots of glow in the dark ink applied to the back-end of the firefly, the denomination (2) and a blob in the bottom right corner which is part of the wing of an insect in the background image on the stamp sheet.

National Archaeological Discoveries of Latvia, Europa 2025

On this cover from the Latvian capital of Riga is a 2025 EUROPA stamp showing the Razbuki neck ring. It is an incredibly well preserved example of Roman Iron Age jewelry from the 3rd century.

Celestial Bodies in Our Solar System from Florianópolis, Brazil

I've received a few covers from Brazil now with solar system stamps on them and with this one I have now received a complete set. The stamps were issued in 2020 as a sheet of nine. On this cover are the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury (the one I was missing) and Uranus.
 

Iqaluit, Canada

From Iqaluit: the capital city of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Situated at the head of Frobisher Bay in the south part of Baffin Island, it is Canada's northern most city. The image in the postmark is an inunnguaq which is a stone marker constructed to resemble a human with legs, arms and a head. These structures have spiritual meaning and are not quite the same as inuksuk which are stone markers without specific human form. Inuksuk are used to mark places or directions.

Sea Life in Japan, FDC

First-day postmarked in Osaka. The two stamps on this cover are from a sheet of 10 issued on 7 July and it is the 9th issue in this annual series that features sea life from the waters around Japan. This year the stamps depict spotted seals.

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, Italy

On this cover from Turin is a 2025 stamp depicting the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. It is the oldest basilica in the Western world, founded in the year 324. This stamp is one from a set of four that feature the four papal basilicas in the city of Rome.

A small collection of stamps from Sweden

On this cover from Sweden from from bottom left to right:

• A 1980 stamp commemorating Princess Victoria as the new heir to the Swedish throne.
• A 2006 stamp commemorating the 60th birthday day of Sweden's King Charles XVI Gustave.
• A pair of 1995 tourism themed Norden joint issue stamps.
• And a 2002 stamp from a pair commemorating Swedish gastronomy. On this stamp are Charles Emil Hagdahl and Cajsa Warg: each authors of classic Swedish cookbooks.

Beneficial Insects of Brazil

A cover from Porto Alegre, Brazil: the capital of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul. This block of stamps is from a set of six from 2021 with the artwork in each stamp representing a group of beneficial insects. On these stamps are dung beetles, praying mantis and parasitic wasps.

The Fishing and Leisure Port of El Aouana, Algeria

The stamp on this first-day postmarked cover depicts the multipurpose port of El Aouana in the Algerian coastal province of Jijel. It was designed to diversify the local economy by supporting the local fishing industry and boosting tourism in the region. The port can accommodate 106 fishing vessels of various sizes and 176 leisure craft.

International Day of Play, Germany FDC

The stamp on this cover, that was first-day postmarked in Berlin, commemorates the UN's International Day of Play. The characters in the stamp are Lego minifigures representing children. Playing. 

Karupeluv Valley Ecological Field Project, Greenland

Sent from the southeastern Greenland town of Tasiilaq by Dr. Benoît Sittler (thanks to Roland Montagne) who was project leader for the GREA (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique) Karupelv Expedition of 2025. The expedition takes place every year in the Karupelv valley in East Greenland to study and monitor the ecology of the area.

Morrisville PA

A little cover from Pennsylvania with a pair of 2019 moon landing anniversary stamps and four of the five 2024 low-value flower stamps. The number of flowers in each stamp is equal to the stamps value.

Algerian Flora and Fauna

The stamp on the left is a red gazelle, last seen in Algeria in 1894 and declared extinct in 1996. The stamp on the right is a sunflower. The cultivation of sunflowers in Algeria for producing vegetable oil has been gaining interest in recent years as Algeria works towards achieving food self-sufficiency.

 

Åland Architecture

On the 2025 SEPAC stamp from Åland Post is the Åland Lyceum: the senior high school in Mariehamn. Built in 1903, the Swedish manor house style stone building was one of the first of this size in Mariehamn. Pictured in the postmark from Eckerö is the Russian era Eckerö Mail and Customs House built in 1828, now used as a postal museum and art gallery.

Battlefields of the American Revolution, FDC

First-day postmarked in Concord, Massachusetts: home of the Old North Bridge in Minute Man National Historical Park, where a key battle took place between the British and American militia. It is shown on the stamp on the right. The stamp on the left shows the Bunker Hill monument in Boston. These stamps come from a sheet of 15 containing paintings of historical events and photographs of modern-day places and monuments that commemorate the American Revolution. 

Nieuwegein, Netherlands

Some random Dutch stamps on this cover from Nieuwegein, just south of Utrecht. From left to right, a (rotated) stamp featuring an untitled 1994 piece by Koen Vermeule from the 2004 stamp series "Art in Corporate Collections", a 2008 stamp commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Amsterdam Exchange Index, and a 2021 stamp from a set showcasing innovation in the Netherlands.

Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura, Germany Europa 2025 FDC

FDC postmarked on this cover is the recent Europa issue from Germany. This year the theme is National Archaeological Discoveries and depicted on this souvenir sheet from Germany is ice age figurative artwork discovered in caves in the Achtal and Lonetal valleys of the Swabian Jura mountain range. The caves and surrounding area where these artifacts have been found were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2017.

Switzerland Pro Patria 2025

From the municipality of Gossau in north-eastern Switzerland. The theme for this year's Pro Patria stamps is bissies of Valais. These are historic irrigation channels built by farmers and are mainly found in the Valais canton. Many are still in use. Hiking the trails along the channels is a popular passtime in the region.

Venus Slipper Orchids from China

A set of 2001 Orchid stamps from Suzhou, China. These are Paphiopedilum or Venus slipper orchids. Clockwise from top left: Paphiopedilum dianthum, Paphiopedilum markianum, Paphiopedilum appletonianum and Paphiopedilum malipoense. These plants are highly desired by orchid collectors. 

 

Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan

A pair of covers with Japan Post's Expo 2025 postmarks on them. They have two temporary post offices in operation at the Expo site with one designated East and the other West. The 2025 World Expo is being held between the 13th of April and 13th of October on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, a short distance from Universal Studios Japan.

Rabbits as Pets in Germany, FDC

Apparently there are laws in Germany that regulate the keeping of rabbits as pets. It's a very pro-bunny country from what I've been reading. Anyhow, I like the postmark with the little bunnies. Very cute. At first I thought this was an Easter stamp but I was wrong.

Once again, postal employees in Canada are on strike to demand better working conditions and wages and job security and stuff like that from a company that has lost $3 billion dollars since 2018. I don't see a way in which this ends well for either side. The strike is currently limited to a ban on overtime hours which will delay the mail but should not halt it. 

Resolute Bay, Canada

Resolute Bay is a small remote settlement on Cornwallis Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It sits on the southern edge of the high arctic where the climate is very dry and very cold, with an average annual temperature of -15C. The town was originally the site of a weather station and air base but in the early 1950s, Inuit from Northern Quebec were forcibly relocated to Resolute Bay to promote Canadian sovereignty over the region. Today the settlement has a population of just under 200.

Doraemon Post, Takaoka Japan

Takaoka in Toyama prefecture is the home of Doraemon creator Fujiko F. Fujio (Hiroshi Fujimoto). In the main train station is a Doraemon shaped postbox and all mail dropped off there gets stamped with a Doraemon postmark. The postmark gets redesigned from year to year. This year is the 11th anniversary of "Doraemon Post".

  

Digital Quran, Algeria

This stamp from Algeria commemorates a digital platform called Maqraa that assists with Quarnic education. It is a subscription based service that was created in 2020 during COVID and can be access by a mobile application.

Philately Week FDC, Osaka Japan

On this cover from Osaka are the 2025 Philately Week stamp issues from Japan Post. Each is postmarked with matching first-day postmarks. On the left is "jo-no-mai" painted in 1936 by Shoen Uemura. The painting depicts a young woman performing the slow and graceful jo no mai dance during a Noh play. And on the right is "Maiko in a Garden" painted in 1924 by Bakusen Tsuchida, depicting a Maiko dancer seated in a Japanese garden.

Traditional Women's Outfits of Eastern Algeria, FDC

The three stamps in this 2025 set from left to right show the Melehfa, Gandoura and Kaftan.
The knowledge and skills necessary to craft the Melehfa and Gandoura are recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage belonging to the Eastern region of Algeria. 

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. Japan

From left to right are a 1981 stamp depicting the Japanese folk song "Cherry Blossoms" by Takeshima Hagoromo and Rentarō Taki in 1900, a paper mache tiger toy from a 2009 Year of the Tiger stamp set, and a lucky cat from a 2019 Year of the Ram stamp set. The Higashiyama Ward is Kyoto's well preserved historical district with narrow streets lined with wooden buildings and traditional shop.

Forest Hike in Finland

From Pori, Finland. The "Forest Hike" booklet stamps from 2019 feature photos of children in a forest with puppies. The images were composed to highlight the friendship that exists between children and animals.

Lufthansa AWI Charter Flight, Germany

The Lufthansa Airbus stamp on this envelope is pre-printed. The envelope and postmark commemorate the journey of winter staff to Germany's Newmayer III research station in the Antarcitc. They were scheduled to be flown from Munich to the Falkland Islands by Lufthansa charter flight LH-2572 on 10 March 2025. 

Big one from Canada

No postmarks but that's ok. I wasn't expecting actual stamps on this package. The pane of stamps in the top right corner are 1982 Canada Day stamps featuring landscape paintings by Canadian artists. The three on the left from 1991 are from a five year series that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Second World War. And below the pane are a pair of basketball centenary stamps from 1991, a pair of Queen Elizabeth golden jubilee stamps from 2002, three caricature definitives from 1973 featuring the queen, and a lonely 5c 1977 Dodecatheon hendersonii flower definitive.