COVER N.186 - CANADA

Postmark: Canada Post Postes Canada, Downsview Retail Postal Outlet 1027 Finch Ave West Toronto, ON M3J 2L6

Posted on the 30th November, received on the 8th December 2022

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Red and gold dominated stamps, hailing from far North... 'tis the season to be jolly, I guess 😀

Thanks a lot Nargiza,

- The male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) looks quite distinctive in its red overalls tinted with black on the tail and face. The stamp it illustrates is part of a three stamp souvenir sheet ("P"; 1.30 and 2.71 Canadian Dollars) issued on 01NOV2022, featuring "Season's birds". 

Further to the Cardinal on the domestic P tariff stamp, the small but quite attractive stamps include the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) - 1.30 CDN and the Evening Grosbeak (Esperiphona vespertina).

- On 18MAY2018, Canada Post issued a stamp dedicated to the Ice Hockey Memorial Cup 2018, held in Regina, Saskatchewan,  between 18 and 27 May, 2018.

The tournament, honouring the Canadian Military fallen in combat, was first held in 1919 and has since been held yearly, the 2018 edition being the 100th (hence the celebratory stamp). Its winner is declared Canada's Ice Hockey League Champion for the season. In 2018, the title was won  by the Acadie–Bathurst Titan team. 

Further to the rather uncommon large rectangular postmarks on the front of the envelope, which tell us that the letter was mailed from Toronto, there is a Portuguese Postmark, upside down on the back of the envelope which reads 6-12 SAD Lisboa (I know not what the acronym SAD stands for) on the circular postmark. On the side, the legend  "Como endereçar corretamente a sua correspondência" (how to correctly address your correspondence) features besides an image of an envelope wherein I presume are indicated the preferred areas to inscribe the address of the sender and of the recipient ( the image is neither clear, nor complete).