Endangered whales featured in Canada Post's latest stamps series
Canada Post says it hopes its latest series of stamps will make letter-writers and card-senders think before they drop their envelopes in the mailbox.
The new set, unveiled in Vancouver Monday, shows five whale species that have been recognized as endangered.
The whales featured include orcas. While not all orcas are designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, a population in the Northeast Pacific Ocean known as southern resident killer whales does meet the criteria.
Likewise, belugas are featured for their populations in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Cumberland Sound and Ungava Bay.
A population of northern bottlenose whale that lives on the Scotian Shelf is also featured.
Blue whales are another species on the stamps, with populations endangered in both the Atlantic and Pacific ocean.
The North Atlantic right whale is the fifth species.
"Canadian waters are home to a remarkable diversity of whales, with more than 30 species," Canada Post said in a statement.
"Sadly, some whale populations are at risk."
Endangered whales are featured in a new Canada Post stamp series unveiled in Vancouver on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Canada Post)
To blame are pollution and climate change, Canada Post said, as well as ocean noise and ship strikes. Whales are also killed by fishing gear and debris, in which they can be entangled.
A biologist who spoke at the unveiling of the stamps illustrated by artist David Miller said the recognition of these five species as endangered can lead to legal protections.
"It can also lead organizations and people to act voluntarily to stop activities that harm the whales," Dalhousie University professor Hal Whitehead said.
"Thirdly, it raises awareness that we have a problem here, and we need to do something about it."
The stamps will be available at Canada Post locations starting Friday, or can be ordered online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.