Vancouver 2010 Olympics Commemorative Stamps
Canada Post Issues Lineup for Winter Games
Aug 17, 2009
For stamp collectors, special events mean special stamps.
"It is with great pride that Canada Post is an Official Supplier of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," says that organization on their online sales site. "To honour and support the Games, we are issuing five definitive stamps showcasing the dynamic symbols that have been developed to highlight the values and essence of both the Games and Canada."
Canada Post revealed its "starting lineup" of ten commemorative stamps and related materials on Jan. 13, 2009. The media release of that date stated that, "The 10 stamps are part of a three-year program that, upon its completion, will be among our country’s most significant philatelic milestones. In 2010, Canada Post plans to issue additional stamp designs honouring the Games."
The initial ten stamps came in two batches,
- The first is a set of five stamps honoring some of the sports featured in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- The second set of five recognizes the Vancouver 2010 mascots and the symbols of the games.
"The stamps were unveiled at Vancouver’s main post office to an enthusiastic crowd including grade 1 and 2 students from Grandview Elementary School and Canada Post Freestyle Team athletes Audrey Robichaud, Vincent Marquis and Warren Tanner, all medal hopefuls at these Games, and the stamps’ designers," said the release. Canada Post is a sponsor of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team.
Sports of the 2010 Winter Games
The sports stamps were designed by John Belisle and Kosta Tsetsekas of Signals design Group (Vancouver, BC). The designs, according to Canada Post, were inspired by Olympic imagery from the 1940s and 1950s. The stylized athletes emphasize motion and flow. The stamp colors are those used in the official Olympic inukshuk logo. Red and orange are wound into the athlete's paths to indicate speed and strength, while blues and whites represent snow and ice, the Canadian winter landscape across which the athletes will compete.
The stamps showcase five Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games: curling, snowboard, freestyle skiing, bobsleigh and ice sledge hockey.
Vancouver 2010 Winter Games mascots and emblems
Olympic and Paralympic emblems and mascots are intended in part to represent the values of the Games as well as qualities of the people, geography and spirit of the host country.
This set of five stamps, with design co-ordination by Tandem Design Associates Ltd. (Richmond, BC), features two sub-sets
- Two domestic rate stamps depicting the emblems or symbols of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The first of these depicts the official Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games emblem, the Inukshuk, while the other features the Paralympic emblem.
- The other three designs—a United States rate (98¢), an International rate ($1.65) and an Oversize rate ($1.18)—showcase the whimsical critters Miga, Quatchi and Sumi, the Vancouver 2010 mascots
The stamps, with the exception of the Sumi issue, are available now at post offices across Canada. The Sumi stamp will be on sale February 12, 2010.
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