COVER N. 263 - CANADA

Postmark: City of Toronto UC - MR 6 1834 / Canada Post Postes Canada Toronto ON Toronto's First Post Office 07.06.2023

Posted on the 7th June; Received on the 13th June 2023

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A rather interesting wild fauna related issue from a country that is undergoing right now a tremedous forest fire ordeal. 

Being a Portuguese, I cannot but feel the utmost sympathy for all the brave men and women that right now are fighting this incredibly huge disaster and I'm very happy and even proud to see that some Portuguese fire-fighters were dispatched to Canada to lend a helping hand. I'm also hoping that weather changes soon and rain comes to the help of all those that have been fighting this disgrace for so long now. The scale is so huge that Canadian smoke is set to arrive over Portugal this coming weekend...

Although otters and grebes do not live in forests, I'm sure a disaster of such proportions affects all the ecosystems one way of the other, so may the beautiful stamps on Jeff's cover be a reminder of the huge task we still have ahead if we want to make sure that Earth will still be an habitable place in a not so far future....

Thanks a lot for the very nice cover, Jeff! 

Earth's day is in itself a way of raising awareness, of reminding, of calling on the attention of us all to the effects of our greed, negligence, stupidity in what concerns our relation with the planet we live in and with its non human occupants. It first was celebrated in 1970... that's 53 years ago... and the obvious, disturbing fact is that in this half century we have  managed to cause seas to dry, glaciers to evaporate, species to become extinct,... yes, there is another side to the coin, as always. Smallpox was eradicated, extreme poverty has declined from 44% of the population in 1981 to 10.7% in 2013;  endangered species were protected and so on and so forth, but population has risen to a staggering 8 billion and just feeding all this people is a gargantuan challenge...

Celebrating Earth, sustainability and biodiversity is more than ever a priority, as all actions taken to this end will keep the flame alive and at least shake our conscience, make us feel uncomfortable, but there is no escaping the fact that if  the questions that  directly impact on us Humans, like access to housing, water, food, income, healthcare, education,  aren't properly and thoroughly addressed, then sustainability and  biodiversity will barely be more than a debating theme  for  the lucky ones who chanced to have been born to a household where all it takes is to turn the tap to see water flowing, for the others, the majority, will still have more pressing needs to cater for... 

The beautiful Domestic Permanent stamps chosen by Canada Post to honour Earth's Day 2023, issued on 18ABP2023, were conceived as embroidered works of art resulting from the creative minds of designer Meredith MacKinlay, and embroider Caroline Brown.  The two images thus created, besides honouring Earth's day also resonate to the fundamental bonds between mothers and their babies, celebrated by Mother's day.

The species chosen were the sea otter (Enhydra lutry) and the red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena), highlighting the role mother otters and grebe play in raising their offspring.

A rather interesting short video featuring one of the stamp authoresses can be watched here. 

On the lower left corner of the envelope there is also another recently issued (23MAy2023) Domestic Permanent stamp, commemorative of the 150th anniversary of the famous Roayal Canadian Mounted Police, instituted as the North-West Mounted Police by an Act of the Canadian Parliament on May 23, 1873.