Canadian Pictorial Postmarks

Hey All,

This might seem like a newbie question, so bear with me. I am in the US, and since COVID started I have added collecting pictorial postmarks put out by the post offices in the United States, as well as my US and Canada collections. Both the USPS and Linn's publish lists of current cancelations available and where to get them. I saw that the Canadian post office did the same, and mailed away for what was offered, but their listings have not updated since earlier this year. Am I missing something? Is there a resource to find what post offices are offering special cancels? Especially things like show cancels, which the post office would not have control over. I know of Stamp Raider's blog, but the listings are more historical than current.

Any help?

Thanks!

Fester616, I also collect Canadian Pictorial cancels, pursuing mostly Nova Scotia, and no US, unless they show up on some mail. Your correct, and I find that Canada Post hardly updates the list of new cancellations. There were of course 3 new cancels at Capex in Toronto this year. As well there were two new show cancels for Novapex in Nova Scotia in August, and one for Stampex22 in Bridgewater N.S.,

On a local note, Canada Post and Staples buisness depot, opened a joint buisness/Post Office on the Membertou Reserve in Sydney N.S. this year. They had one pictorial cancel on hand for the soft opening on March 28,2022, and received a second cancel for the other attendant just before the grand opening on May 4, 2022. I made proof strike impressions for my files and found that their was a difference between the two canceling devices. The original device has a . or period, between the s and t of postes, while the newest second device does not. See attached card.






Edit: corrected from 4 to 3, being the correct number of Canada Post Office cancellations for Capex. Image of 3 cancels added.


***Mod rotated image as per request***

Can you tell me if this pictorial postmark is catalogued. Postmarks have never been a major interest for me.



This was created for a joint meeting of UPU and ITU (the UN's equivalent to the UPU for telecoms. I attended as Canada's ITU representative. The meeting concerned the Bureaufax service where a sender can present a document for international transmission for pick up at at a post or telecoms office.

The meeting participants were presented with copies and could also, I believe, send mail with this postmark.

This is the only PICTORMARK I have in my Canadian collection.
Had it a few times with my swaps covers

Australia has a PICTORMARK monograph,
perhaps Canada has one also, hidden away.

Eximius Ordo = In a class by itself ?

https://www.canadapost-postescanada...cancels.page

Itma, I do not have, or presently know of any catalogues that contain all of Canadas vast assortment of pictorial postmarks. There is one for Nova Scotia Pictorial Cancellations that I have, that was previously done by Hugh Rathbun from Fall River, NS. He continues to record and update his paperwork about any new ones, varieties or changes of ERD or LRD.

Thanks, No1.

Hey Folks,

Just to clarify, I am asking if anybody knows of a website or newspaper (other than the under-updated Canada Post website) where NEW or UPCOMING cancellations are listed. Like in Linn's with the Postal Updates column:

https://www.linns.com/news/postal-u...ss.-postmark

Is there a magazine or website in Canada that lists these? I saw in Canada Stamp News that a collector used the pre-released holiday stamps at a stamp show that had a special cancel. Where do people find out about those?

https://canadianstampnews.com/chris...t-collector/


Thanks for the responses!

Fester, I am not aware of any other websites or newspapers announcing pictorial cancels of Canada, other than the Canada Post site, and Canadian Stamp news if they mention them. A note for watching for them is to look at the back page notices in stamp newspapers and magazines of stamp shows that happen across Canada, as they often have one on special events, or anniversaries. As well keep looking at the new issue releases put out by Canada Post and looking for pictorial cancels used on FDC's.
Some of the stamp groups, like the RPSC and BNA group may be illustrating or giving notice of different cancellations released. Many post offices request these cancels and they are often issued without notice to the general public.
Its a shame that CP does not automatically update new devices in their Details magazine which all collectors and philatelists use to keep up to date.

Attached are a couple more of the pictorial cancels from N.S. along with the early released Christmas issues mentioned.

Edit: correction on the 4th cover of Christmas star. Nov 1, 2022 was first day of issue, hence a FDC, not early use.

No1philatelist!

If you are after NS pictorial cancels, I know of three down my way that might interest you!

The Digby Post Office has one with Maud Lewis' three black cats. I make sure to drive to that post office whenever I send mail with the Maud Lewis stamps. It's probably the only cool philatelic prop that I can offer to my philatelist friends!

Also, the Meteghan and Pointe-de-l'Église/Church Point post offices have older cool Acadian pictorial cancels in the back of a drawer. The one in la Pointe will expire at the end of 2023.

They all let me cancel my own letters as they know how fussy I am about my cancels!!

I'm pretty sure Yarmouth must have a pictorial cancel or two as well.

Once I get to 50 posts, I should be able to contribute more! I'm taking advantage of my Christmas break time off to enjoy this site but my time will become limited again once I returned to work next week!!

Hey Alie,

Any images of those cancels? When I send requests to post offices for pictorial postmarks, I like to include an image so they know what I am asking for.

Thanks!

Sure! Give me a few days!

Hi fester616!

Well, that was disappointing. I went to la Pointe-de-l'Église/Church Point, Nova Scotia post office yesterday and the part-time postmistress couldn't find the pictorial cancel! She said that the full time postmistress had just cleaned all the drawers (and they were clean…!) She even went in the safe, found a bunch a ordinary ones, but not the Acadian flag one.

That post office used to have one to promote l'Église Sainte-Marie, the tallest wooden church in North America but the pictorial cancel has been overused and you can hardly tell what it is, unless you know about it.



Sadly, the church is now beyond salvageable and will probably come down within a few short years. Ten millions CAD are needed to fix it and for what? Actually, today (Dec. 31, 2022) is the day where it doesn't belong to any society no more, it's just kind of abandoned… Built from 1903-1905, the church spire rises 56 m (184 ft) without the cross on top.



I will come back later with the pictorial cancel from Meteghan, NS.

Hey Alie,

Wow, that is one USED cancel! All you can actually read is the date...

Thanks for going to the post offices and asking. I haven't seen any cancels from Meteghan on the usual websites, like Stamp Raider:

http://stampraider.blogspot.com/p/c...cancels.html

Thanks again!

Thanks for the great link!

I actually got a Christmas card from Aylesford, Nova Scotia, this year, promoting itself as the Cranberry Capital of Nova Scotia!

Friends were in Canada last summer and got me this sheet of paper with strikes from Quebec. Only the lower two had the current day slugs inserted.