#043 Canada...Thanks Craig!

The 54c stamp is from Canadian Horse set issued on May.19,2009 to honour their much-valued contributions to country’s settlement.

Canadian Horse—a strong, sturdy creature with royal lineage and a long presence in Canada. In 1665, the King of France sent several shipments of horses to the colony of New France. Straight from the King’s royal stables, these Norman and Breton steeds were of mixed origin and included Arabian, Barb and Andalusian stock. Since they developed in isolation from other breeds, these horses eventually merged into a breed of their own, now recognized as the Canadian Horse.

Because of its resilience in the face of harsh weather conditions, the Canadian Horse outworked and outlived larger breeds of horses—a feat that earned it the nickname, “The Little Iron Horse.” Though threatened with extinction in the late 19th century, efforts were made to preserve the breed. In 2002, the Government of Canada honoured the Little Iron Horse’s legacy by declaring it the national horse of Canada.

The 57c stamp is from Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games set issued on Jan.12,2010.

The Coast Salish people were the first to discover the breathtaking abundance of the Pacific Northwest thousands of years ago, when they settled in the Lower Mainland of what would become British Columbia. Much later, in 1792, Captain George Vancouver put the region on the map when he wrote of “innumerable pleasing landscapes” along the shores of the city that would later bear his name. This winter, sports fans and top athletes from around the world will have the chance to embrace the Vancouver area’s rich cultural heritage and discover its natural splendours when they unite for a celebration of human spirit and achievement, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The P stamp is Canadian Year of Tiger issue which marks the second release in a twelve-year Lunar New Year series.

Oh..The little 2c stamp illustrates a catterpillar of Monarch butterfly (Danaus Plexippus),which is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies.

What a gorgeous mixture of knowledge in this cover!