Strange Stamp On Letters.

Hi guys...Take a look at this letter from 1978 mailed to "The G.W.Robinson Company" in Hamilton Ontario.

Here is what I don't understand..It is mailed from Niagara-on-the-Lake (Canada)...If it is mailed within Canada, Why is there American stamp and Cancel on it...??

Robert

Hi Robert,

This letter was mailed in New York City, NY, USA to an address in Hamilton,Canada by a probably a Canadian who lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada who was probably visiting New York when it was mailed.

Nothing unusual about this, just not typical.

- stamporator -

Actually, it is unusual. It was mailed from New York City on October 18th, 1978 to Hamilton. The Canadian Postal Workers went on strike on October 20th and the letter was embargoed and marked return to sender because of the strike. Naturally, since the senders return address was Niagara-on-the-Lake, this presented a problem. Are there any backstamps on the cover that might indicte that it was delayed until the end of the strike?

"EMBARGO Return to Sender" Handstamp - Could it possibly have something to with...

The legal 1978 postal strike, which began on October 20, 1978, was immediately brought to an end with the passage of government back-to-work legislation on the first day of the national strike. Union president Claude Parrot was charged and convicted of contempt of Parliament and spent two months in jail.

Is this a possibility?

But why such a handstamp? Previously they utilized "Mail Service Temporarily Suspended Return to Sender".

Looks like you have a curiosity on you hands.

Regards,
Stampalotapus

Agreed, stamporator ... but is it pronounced 'stamp orator' or 'STAMP-oh-ray-tor'?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I wonder why it says embargo, not enough postage but I dont know of any letter restictions to Canada

Check this Link out...

http://postalhistorycorner.blogspot...81-from.html

Regards,
Stampalotapus

Stampalotapus...ok...ok..Are you saying maybe (according to your link) that some one tried to circumvent a strike in Canada by trying to mail it from the States..??

If so,it would be a letter to keep as it MIGHT be rarer that we think..??

Robert

Not stating such, I just goggled "Embargo Canada 1978" and this came up.

I thought it to be a funny coincidence that the strike began 2 days after the letter was posted in NYC.

Not sure if the sender's intent was to circumvent any such thing - I just found it to be interesting.

Regards,
Stampalotapus

..Was just wondering that myself, as by the link that Stampalotapus gave us, I thought maybe the embargo was because of some one trying to circumvent the postal troubles at that time..?
Found another one of these letters..This time the sender has TWO return addresses on the letter and an American stamp again..Also stamped below the cancel..""return to sender service temporally discontinued"".

Robert

I'm wondering if GW Robinson was aware of this and planned ahead to have items go to the recipient whom of which is annotated as if they were the sender of the letter.

That would be an interesting ploy.

Just saying, mind you.

Regards,
Stampalotapus

I have heard of something like this happening when someone mails a letter while aboard a train that is travelling (for example) from Toronto to New York. They mail the letter while still on the train and it gets sent after the train arrives from New York back to Canada.