"The mandate of the stamp program is to celebrate Canada and its diverse people, its major accomplishments, rich history, traditions and natural beauty" said Bob Waite, Chairman of the Stamp Advisory Committee and Senior vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility at Canada Post. "And the 2009 Stamp Program reflects these elements."

The extremely popular Lunar New Year will be relaunched. A new 12-year series will commence with the Year of the Ox, and the festivities will continue when Canada Post issues another Celebration stamp. In June, Canada Post will celebrate the birth of Canadian Diplomacy with a stamp issued to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

February is Black History Month and Canada Post will issue two stamps. One will feature Abraham Doras Shadd, who played a major role in the Underground Railroad and was reported to be the first black person to hold a political office in Canada. The second stamp will honour Rosemary Brown, the first Black woman to be elected to public office and the first woman to run for the leadership of a Canadian federal political party. Captain Robert Bartlett, a notable Canadian ice navigator and Arctic explorer will also be found on a stamp. The Art Canada series continues with two stamps featuring the work of abstract expressionist Jack Bush.

On February 23, 1909, the Silver Dart rose from the frozen waters of Bras d'Or Lake in Nova Scotia, and in 2009, Canada Post will mark the centenary with a stamp for the First Flight in Canada. A century-old treaty signed to oversee issues relating to waters on the boundary between Canada and the United States will be featured on the Boundary Waters Treaty stamp.

Four stamps will be issued to celebrate Canadian Inventions in sports. The issue will feature basketball, lacrosse, ringette and 5-pin bowling. Canadians can also wish upon a star with an Astronomy stamp issue.

Also in 2009, a stamp will be issued to honour the sacrifice of Canadian war heroes.

Four quirky tourist landmarks will be showcased in the Roadside Attractions stamps (the first of a three-part series), and the Rhododendrons stamps will be a striking addition to the popular flower series. To spread awareness of Climate Change, Canada Post, along with several other postal administrations, will issue stamps under the theme "Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers."

The settlement of Canada would have been much harder without the tremendous strength and resilience of the Canadian Horse and the Newfoundland Pony, which will gallop on to two stamps in the spring.

The stamp program would not be complete without our annual Christmas stamp issues. For Christmas 2009, Canada Post will issue a stamp depicting a Christmas Tree and three stamps featuring a religious theme.

New Stamp Advisory Committee Members announced
Canada Post is also proud to announce the appointment of four new members to the Canadian Stamp Advisory Committee: Peter Steiner, Graphic Designer; Bianca Gendreau, Curator of Exhibitions at the Canadian Museum of Civilization; Dr. Henry V. Bishop, Director of the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia; and Nick Bantock, Canadian author and illustrator. They will be working alongside current members Sam Chiu, Richard Gratton, Robin Harris, Dr. Lilly Koltun, Katalin Kovats, Sheila McManus, Nicole Neatby and Kevin O'Reilly.

Established in 1969, the Canadian Stamp Advisory Committee helps to determine the subjects and designs that will become Canadian stamps. Members use their knowledge, opinions, cultural backgrounds, aesthetic sensibilities and perspective to assist Canada Post in creating an ongoing legacy of postal history.