New Issue: Wolves (Canada)

A new issue from Canada is this one featuring wolves. Wolves are quite common in Canada. There are between 50,000 and 60,000 of them and they mainly live in the vast wilderness, forests and tundra of northern and western Canada (such as Yukon, the Northwest Territories, British Columbia and Alberta).

The Canada Post website tells us more about these stamps and the animals pictured: "This issue... features four wolves found in different regions of the country: the grey wolf, eastern wolf, Arctic grey wolf and coastal grey wolf. These portraits offer a rare, close-up view of wolves, which are typically seen only from a distance in the wild.

"The plaintive howl of a wolf can raise goosebumps, but the largest member of the Canidae family – which also includes dogs, foxes and coyotes – isn’t the solitary, savage creature sometimes depicted in folklore and fiction. Wolves are intelligent, social animals that live in family packs and share responsibility for hunting and for raising their young. A powerful figure in many Indigenous cultures, this keystone species also contributes significantly to the health and biodiversity of the ecosystem.

"The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest and most widespread wolf in Canada, found everywhere except the Maritimes. Only slightly bigger than an eastern coyote, the eastern wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon) is a federally listed species at risk that lives mainly in central Ontario and southwestern Quebec. The Arctic grey wolf (Canis lupus arctos) is a nomadic hunter well adapted to the northern climate, while the coastal grey wolf (Canis lupus crassodon) is a strong swimmer that ranges along Canada’s Pacific coast and near-shore islands. Although wolves have disappeared from much of the United States, they occupy most of their historical distribution in Canada."

We are also told about the deisgn: "This stamp issue was designed by Andrew Perro with photos by Michelle Valberg (Canis lupus crassodon), John E. Marriott Photography (Canis lupus), Ejaz Khan Photography (Canis lupus arctos) and Michael Runtz/Steve Dunsford (Canis sp. cf. Lycaon). The souvenir sheet features the four stamps on a forested background (photo: Michael Runtz)."

The team of photographers has done an excellent job of capturing the wolves in their natural environment. We also see individual close-up photographs of the wolves' faces while the background shows the same type of wolf out in the natural world.

It's not the first time wolves have appeared on Canada's stamps - here are some previous issues:

2017

2000

1990 Design Quality: This is a very strong design. Canadian stamps often have very good designs and they often create stamps about wildlife. This is a collaboration between five photographers who together have created a terrific design that really captures the characters of the animals. I think the main strength is showing the different wolves living in very different environments. The barcode doesn't really help but I understand we're not going to see too many minisheets without them these days. 9/10

Theme / Subject Choice: Canada has often issued wildlife stamps and it is always a good subject choice. It celebrates the natural world and also helps to raise awareness of the threats different species are under and the risks they face. 9/10 Historical and Cultural Relevance: Wolves are culturally quite important in Canada and some people feel they have spiritual significance. There are lots of native stories about them. They are definitely an iconic animal and a symbol of the Canadian landscape. 9/10 Innovation and Creativity: The photography is very creative and works well. 7/10

Collectability: A lot of people collect wildlife stamps and these should have a wide appeal. The photography is excellent, which definitely helps. I think there would be a lot of interest in these as a set of stamps and, at just under $5 for the set, they're also very affordable. I was going to give these a really high score for collectability but then I tried to buy some through the Canada Post website. Unfortunately it is impossible to buy stamps directly from Canada Post if you live outside Canada. I found this surprising as I buy stamps from philatelic bureaux all over the world but their online system simply isn't set up for this. As I can't actually buy them directly, this impacts my ability to collect them. 4/10

Personal Appeal: I really like these stamps. If only I could find somewhere to buy them apart from eBay, where everyone seems to be selling them way above face value. 9/10 Overall Score: 47/60