Exceptional Canada collection containing 26 choice Regular Issue stamps – most in mint condition.Standouts include the #99-103 Quebec Tercentenary set that has a catalogue value of over $950.Also features a #84, the 20¢ olive green Series of 1896-1902 Queen Victoria stamp in mint condition with extra-fine centering (value $600).Other highlights include a #90 with an inverted Toronto-Ontario pre-cancel.Impressive acquisition for one lucky collector.
The name Canada means “a small collection of huts” in the Huron-Iroquois language.In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier attempted to sail up the St. Lawrence River.He stopped at rapids near present-day Montreal.He asked the Indians he met what lay further up the river, and they replied “Canada.”Cartier thought they meant the name of a country and called the area “Canada” on his map.It was not discovered until later that the Indians were referring to the little village upstream.
Canada is the largest country in the Western hemisphere, second only in the world to the Soviet Union in terms of size.There is a great deal to the history and culture of this country that “crowns” the Americas to the north.Canadian territory and its furs and other natural resources were coveted by both the French and English in the early days of exploration.They fought over the territory, each winning at different times.Today’s Canada reflects the interests of both former empires in its population.The official languages are English and French, but nearly 20% of the residents in the eastern province of Quebec speak only French, and about 67% speak only English in the remaining nine provinces that comprise Canada.
The thought of Canada can put one in a nostalgic mood: the wonderful tales of the adventures of the Yukon territory, the Royal Mounties, the simplicity of the life and philosophy of the Inuit (Eskimos) who still inhabit parts of Canada.There are also horse-drawn carriages turning the corner near a park on a fall evening in Quebec City, and the chocolate croissants for breakfast in a small cafe on one of that city’s narrow little streets.Niagara Falls under night lights, and wonderfully and meticulously kept gardens, in true English style, that line the streets of that border town, are breathtaking.
