Parliament Buildings - Red

Definitive stamps generally display the finest that the nation has to offer. The new definitives thus present something of the beauty of Canada's environment. They also illustrate a symbol of our glorious political heritage of freedom and order. Once again, a Canadian stamp will portray the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, a topic appearing many times in our postal history. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference stamp of 1977 is the most recent example. The first stamp to feature the structure appeared on 1 July 1927, the 60th anniversary of Confederation. This was appropriate because like the Queen, the governor general, the beaver, the coat of arms, and the flag, the Parliament Buildings represent the whole of Canada. The Centre Block also symbolizes how the free exchange of ideas is the lifeblood of democracy. The 14-cent stamp, illustrating the Parliament Buildings, feature the same basic designs used for the 197712-cent definitives, but with a change of colour. The Parliament Buildings definitive features an oblique view of the Centre Block with the Peace Tower predominating. Based on a photograph, the design for this one-colour steel-engraved stamp was developed by Reinhard Derreth of Vancouver.