I will be attending the Ottawa Fall Stamp Fair, October 29, 2016 to October 30, 2016.

RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1H 7X7.

Inside the Courtside Room at the RA Centre. Hours: Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eight national dealers, free admission, free parking, and free appraisals.

The convention feature competitive exhibits with diverse displays of BNA philately, some from the finest BNA collections assembled. There are Study Group meetings where collectors with common interests meet and share information about their specialities. There is a bourse that offers a wealth of BNA material (Bourse 2016). There are opportunities to meet BNAPS officials and fellow collectors both informally and at the banquet where the exhibit and service awards are handed out. IT IS A MUST ATTEND.

Acting upon a suggestion by the Toronto Postmaster, stamps of the value of 6d Sterling, 7½d Currency, were ordered from Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson. 100,000 were delivered in May 1857. They were placed on sale on 2nd June 1857 for letters intended for the Canadian packets.

Here is a nice 7½d green (Unitrade 9), large to huge margins, deep color, tied by 4-ring numeral ”21” h/s from Montreal (SP/13 1857) on folded mourning cover paying 7½d Currency the rate for a half ounce letter by Canadian Packet to England.  Carried by Allan Line where departures were from Quebec in the summers months, Portland Maine when the St.Lawrence was frozen in winter. Sharp Pkt Letter Paid Liverpool transit marking.

Packet letter westbound to Island of St. John, Gulf of St.Lawrence.

The name of the island was changed to Prince Edward Island only in 1797 after a visit by His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. At that time there was no recognised postal route to the island in winter and letters had to be forwarded privately from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The letter prepaid one shilling and sevenpence with Edinburgh and London Bishop marks and ‘POST PAID’ in circle; carried by the Falmouth packet ‘Grantham’ to Halifax with excellent split double circle for 22nd May 1791. One of the earliest incoming letters to P.E.I.