Atlas of Canada: Stamp Commemorates 100th Anniversary

June 19, 2006, OTTAWA — A design of a postage stamp commemorating 100 years of service for The Atlas of Canada was revealed today by Canada Post. Pierre Lemieux, M.P. for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, unveiled the special stamp at the GeoTec Conference, which takes place June 19 to 21. He attended the conference on behalf of the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. The stamp will be available starting June 30.

“The 100th anniversary of The Atlas of Canada marks an important event in the history of our country and Canada’s evolution in the last century into one of the world’s leading nations,” said Mr. Lemieux. “This commemorative stamp provides a unique way of recognizing the important role that the Atlas, produced by Natural Resources Canada, has played in this country’s growth.”

The first edition of the Atlas was published in 1906 by James White, Chief Geographer at the former Department of the Interior. It was sent to Europe to spur immigration by providing information such as the number of rail lines, wells and telephones in the Canadian provinces.

After the publication of subsequent printed editions in 1915, 1958, 1974 and 1993, Canada became one of the first countries in the world to publish an entirely on-line Atlas in 1999.

Today, the Atlas is an electronic treasure trove of information about Canada presented through 1,400 maps. It features the map showing Samuel de Champlain’s first voyage to Canada, maps showing the nation’s territorial evolution, and pre-1867 maps of Aboriginal treaty lands and the locations of tribes. There are also modern maps showing population density, quality-of-life indicators, female and male participation in the workforce, education levels and much more.

The Atlas provides authoritative, current and accessible geographic information products to Canadians. It also permits the integration and analysis of this information in order to increase Canadians’ overall knowledge of their country. It can be viewed at atlas.gc.ca.

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A new stamp will soon be in circulation to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Atlas of Canada. Member of Parliament Pierre Lemieux unveiled Canada Post’s new design in Ottawa today on behalf of Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn. The stamp marks the Atlas’s important contribution as the authority on geographic information products about Canada. It will be available June 30.

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Ghyslain Charron

Media Relations

Natural Resources Canada

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