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Canada Post Commemorative Stamp Honours Nursing Profession
Ottawa, June 16, 2008 — Canada Post will recognize the centennial anniversary of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) with the release of a commemorative stamp on June 16, 2008. The stamp will be unveiled by Environment Minister John Baird, Judy Middlemiss, occupational health programs manager at Canada Post, and Marlene Smadu, CNA president, at the opening ceremonies of CNA’s biennial convention in Ottawa. Almost 1,000 nurses will be in attendance.“Depicting the nursing profession, the world’s largest group of health professionals, on such a small canvas is no easy task,” says Smadu. “We congratulate Canada Post and artist Doreen Colonello for taking on this difficult challenge and succeeding in designing a vibrant stamp. At CNA we are committed to communicating to the public the considerable education, knowledge and experience that registered nurses possess to deliver safe, competent and ethical health care in a challenging and complex system, and we thank Canada Post for supporting this vision.”
CNA applied for the stamp in 2003 and mounted an energetic letter-writing campaign involving nurses, provincial and territorial nursing associations, and other organizations from across Canada. Every year, Canada Post receives hundreds of stamp suggestions, which are reviewed by the Stamp Advisory Committee. Approximately 25 themes per year are chosen.
“We are proud to mark this significant anniversary with a commemorative stamp,” said Bob Waite, chairman of the Stamp Advisory Committee and senior vice-president, Corporate Social Responsibility, at Canada Post. “Through the stamp program, we celebrate our country, our people, our heroes, our achievements and who we are as a nation. With this stamp, nurses as well as all Canadians can share in this milestone.”
“This stamp is an honour to and a recognition of our history, our contributions and the success of CNA in engaging and leading change in our health system,” says Lucille Auffrey, chief executive officer of CNA. “We look forward to working with Canada Post again when we celebrate our 150th!”
This is the second time Canada Post has issued a commemorative stamp honouring CNA. The first time marked CNA’s 50th anniversary in 1958.
CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. It is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial nursing associations and colleges. CNA believes that the sustainability of a publicly funded, publicly administered, not-for-profit health system rests upon a vibrant nursing workforce.
Stamp Story
The first trained nurses in this nation were a trio of Augustinian nuns dispatched by France in 1639 to provide assistance to Jesuit missionaries struggling in the wilds of the New World. Revered for their compassionate care, these nursing sisters served as both administrators and doctors. They performed surgery and concocted medicines. Myriad miracles were attributed to their efforts. Today, their legacy is carried forward by more than a quarter million registered nurses in Canada. A domestic rate (52¢) stamp, marking the centenary of the Canadian Nurses Association, celebrates the enduring contribution of Canadian registered nurses to the past, present and future. The stamps are available in booklets of 10.
"The commemorative Canadian Nurses Association stamp features the Association's logo along with the image of a nurse," says Liz Wong, Manager of Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post.
Doreen Colonello, senior designer at Toronto's Gottschalk+Ash International says the goal was to depict a modern nurse, her capabilities and significant role in the Canadian health-care system. "The image we chose was a working nurse in her greens, carrying a tray of nursing tools, clearly serving as a compassionate, dedicated and knowledgeable caregiver."
Wanting to capture the ambience of a hospital room at night, Colonello admits it was a challenge to achieve a unique light setting. "We used gels to accomplish this. We wanted the lighting to be warm and special, but still realistic."
The accompanying official first day cover portrays a clinical nurse "tending to a patient, bedside, in a manner that conveys one of the five professional roles that registered nurses practice today," adds Colonello.
The early roots of the profession were a driving force in building today's internationally renowned Canadian health-care system. The profession flourished, which necessitated the call for a congruent organization that would ensure nurses of Canada had a national voice, and by 1899, nurses began to organize themselves into formal groups across the country. In 1908, representatives from all organized nursing bodies in Canada were invited to meet in Ottawa to discuss uniting as a national association, and The Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses was formed. The following year, in July 1909, the Canadian group was accepted as a full member at the International Council of Nurses meeting in London, England. In 1924, the association changed its name to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). Today, the CNA is an influential federation of provincial and territorial associations.
In its early days, the association's main goal was to secure legislation for nursing professionals—a daunting task in an age of gender inequality. Although the profession is still largely comprised of women, males represent more than five per cent of registered nurses. In 2005, the ratio of practising registered nurses to the Canadian population was one to every 120 persons, a force that's had a monumental impact on health-care delivery.
Holding true to the actions of Canada's nursing pioneers, and on the occasion of the Canadian Nurses Association's 100th anniversary, nursing remains a profession focused on the personal touch—helping people attain, maintain and recover optimal health—from birth to end of life.
Stamp Specifications
Date of Issue : 6/16/2008
Last Day of Sale : 6/15/2009
Product Number : 413705131
Layout : Official First Day Cover
OFDC Cancellation Location : Ottawa, Ontario
Quantity : 23,000
Price : $1.52
Product Number: 413705111
Layout : Booklet of 10 stamps
Printer : Canadian Bank Note
Printing Process: Lithography in 8 colours
Quantity : 2,500,000
Paper Type : Tullis Russell
Tagging : General, 4 sides
Perforations : Simulated perforation
Gum Type : Pressure sensitive
Price : $5.20
Photography : Laura Arsie Photography
Dimensions : 30.75 mm x 30.75 mm (square)
Denomination : 1 x 52¢
Design : Gottschalk+Ash International
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