In February 2010, sports fans and top athletes from around the globe will gather together in Vancouver, British Columbia to attend one of the world's most anticipated and widely viewed sporting events-the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. To celebrate this momentous world-class event, Canada Post today issued two stamps featuring spectacular photographs of Vancouver and Whistler.

"The design team's goal was to create a souvenir for people coming to the Vancouver Winter Games," says Jim Phillips, Canada Post's Director of Stamp Services. "These two stamps focus on the venues with an emphasis on how stunning they are and link the scenic coastal city of Vancouver with the majestic ski slopes of Whistler."

With venues stretching from the cosmopolitan streets of Vancouver to the world-class mountain resorts of Whistler and Blackcomb, visitors to the Vancouver Games will get a taste of the urban appeal and the panoramic land and seascapes for which this part of Canada is famous. The two stamps feature spectacular photographs of Vancouver and Whistler, and represent the Vancouver 2010 Sea-to-Sky theme. This theme is extended on the souvenir sheet, where the stamps are positioned between a totem pole, grounded in the land, and an orca whale in the sea. The stamps are set against a photograph of the inukshuk that is located at the peak of Whistler Mountain.

About the stamps

The stamps measure 45.25 mm x 23.25 mm (horizontal) and have simulated perforations. Lowe-Martin printed 4,550,000 stamps, which are available in booklets of ten stamps and on souvenir sheets of two stamps. The stamps are pressure sensitive and printed on Tullis Russell paper using lithography in six colours. They are general tagged on four sides. The official first day cover will be cancelled in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the News section of Canada Post's website, and photos of these new stamps are also available. Stamps and other products will be available at participating post offices, or can be ordered online by following the links at canadapost.ca/collection, or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA, call toll-free: 1 800 565-4362, and from other countries, call: 902 863-6550.

Source: Marketwire