United Canada

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 5

United Canada

[Specially written for "The Press" by KENNETH ANTHONY.] OANADA’S first stamps appeared in 1851—but the Dominion of Canada as we know it today did not then exist. The stamps were intended for the then Province of Canada, consisting of Quebec and Ontario only. The Quebec Conference of 1864 paved the way for the union of all the British Colonies on the mainland of North America, and culminated in the Canadian Confederation formed on July 1, 1867. While these negotiations were in progress, there arose the need to choose a capital for the new dominion. Queen Victoria had named Ottawa as capital of the Province of Canada in 1857, but this city was not finally confirmed as the Dominion’s choice until eight years later. Before this date the seat of government had been located in turn at Montreal, Toronto, Quebec and Kingston.

Meanwhile, Parliament Buildings had already been constructed in Ottawa, and it was there that the first

Dominion Parliament met in June, 1866. To mark the centenary of Ottawa’s selection as the national capital,* Canada issued the commemorative stamp illustrated here. A fivecent value printed in brown, it shows a striking view of the Parliament Buildings overlooking the Ottawa river as they appeared a century ago. In 1916 they were rebuilt after a disastrous fire. On the same day that this stamp appeared—on September 8, 1956—Canada issued another stamp showing another part of Parliament Buildings, the Peace Tower, to celebrate the first meeting in Ottawa of the conference of the InterParliamentary Union. Even after the Canadian Confederation was established, the constituent provinces continued to issue their own stamps for a time. The first stamps for use throughout the whole Dominion did not appear until March, 1868. Canada’s newest province is Newfoundland, which had its own stamps until becoming part of the Dominion in Anril. 1949.