Canadians from Ucluelet to Gander will have a chance to give Jasper some tongue next year.

Canada Post announced earlier this year that the Jasper National Park centennial is on the list of special events and anniversaries set to be honoured with a commemorative stamp in 2007. 

The stamp will be released in July, in time for Parks Day on the 15th of that month, and well in advance of the actual 100th anniversary of ‘Jasper Forest Park’, which was formed on September 14, 1907. The collector’s item is part of a year-long series of special stamps that will include a celebration of a century of Scouting in Canada, the FIFA World Youth Championships, the 250th birthday of Captain George Vancouver and many more minutiae from Canadian history.  

Local Parks officials are happy to see the big birthday bash celebrated cross-country.

“We’re really excited that Canada Post is going to be honouring Jasper’s centennial with a postage stamp,” said heritage program officer Sherrill Meropoulis, who is taking the lead in organizing Jasper’s 2007 celebrations.

“It will be released across Canada, so it’s a great way to raise awareness about Jasper and our place in the national parks system,” she added. “It’s certianly not an everyday occurance that Canada Post honours you with a stamp so it’s very big for us because it’s national in scope.”

Canada Post receives thousands of stamp suggestions every year from historical societies, other government departments (or other levels of government) and people with lots of time on their hands. The Stamp Advisory Committee, consisting of people from across Canada with an expertise in Canadian culture, history and/or philately, examine all suggestions and then settle on the annual stamp program. The program is then approved by Canada Post’s Board of Directors. 

The Jasper stamp has not been designed yet, and Meropoulis was unsure of exactly what to expect.

“I’m not sure about how that process works but I know that they will definitely be consulting with us as it goes forward.”

Canada Post isn’t the only Crown corporation to be rolling out the Jasper-related merchandise. The Royal Canadian Mint is getting in on the act with the release of a commemorative silver coin honouring Jasper National Park. The $70 item is not specficially related to the 100-year anniversary of the Park’s creation, but it does have a heritage element incorporated into the design. The reverse face of the coin features a rider on horseback in front of Mount Edith Cavell, a design created by artist Michelle Grant. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, making the coin legal tender with a face value of $20.

The coin, which at 38 mm in diameter is substantially larger than the $2 coin (28mm) and other units of regular currency, can be purchased online at the Mint website, or at any registered coin dealer. Only 15,000 coins were minted, making the 99.9 per cent pure silver item a true collectible. Also honoured by the Mint this year is Nahanni National Park, and the fifth anniversary of Canada’s first spacewalk by astronaut Chris Hadfield.