Canadian Philatelic Society Cover

I was going to head off to bed, but this cover I picked up tonight has really caught my attention.





First it's from the First Canadian National Philatelic Exhibition in 1937.
It was mailed by the President of the Toronto District Unit of the Canadian Philatelic Society, Herbert Buckland.
The addressee was Dr. E.G. Mason of Calgary. Internet searches show he was a member of the Calgary Philatelic Club, and there's an award at the club now in his name.
Further searches show he was the the only physician to command a Canadian Army battalion (the 50th) in WWI. He was gassed and left his unit before his battalion captured the two highest peaks on Vimy Ridge (Hills 120, 145) in April 1917. The Vimy Memorial now stands on
Hill 145.
He was also one of the first four members of the Alberta Eugenics Board in the 1920s. Eugenics was an idea the government should be allowed to sterilize anyone they felt was of inferior racial stock. Native Canadians were a favourite target. More interesting reading can be found at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert...genics_Board

So much history on one little envelope! I'll have to google more tomorrow.

A follow up. Dr. Mason was also the founder of the Calgary Philatelic Society in 1922. Here's a picture of him looking spiffy in his army uniform in 1915

That is a very nice cover.

The beaver logo the society uses has been around for a while but these covers are always nice to find. I think too that the logo has undergone some minor face changes over the years too (?)

Chimo

Bujutsu

Interesting yet disturbing.


Never knew Canada dabbled in eugenics. Have to wonder what the guidelines were for that little experiment. Maybe to make a better beer drinkin hockey player.

jamesw....Nice...I like that crisp cancellation on that cover.
And when you get an old cover like this, there are only 3 types of ways to address the cover.

1 - Hand written.
2 - Stamped.
3 - Typewriter

Excuse me has anyone ever seen a number 3 in a Museum...

Canada's eugenics program ran up until the 1970s. I remember a big stink about it in the paper a couple of years ago when it came to light again. Oh well, don't want them inferior types breedin', now do we? Makes more room for the rest of us! (Does make you wonder what their definition of inferior was )





I've got one here in my studio, wert. Part of my little museum of 'artifacts' that I surround myself with (and my wife always shakes her head at! )

jamesw...You got to be kidding about "Canada's eugenics program"....Yikes.

But, hey, I am still here and had kids.....

wert. Ya, guess neither of us qualified.