New Canada Post stamps highlight the ecological importance of wolves in Canada
Stunning wolf stamps will inspire Canadians to love wolves as much as we do.
Canada Post has issued new stamps celebrating wolves and their important role as a keystone species, shaping and sustaining the ecosystems they call home.
Wolves contribute significantly to the health and biodiversity of ecosystems, influencing the diversity, abundance, and distribution of plant and animal species, as well as ecological interactions across multiple levels of the food web. They are often associated with Canada’s North and remote landscapes, but wolves are found across much of the country. Wolves also hold deep significance in many Indigenous cultures, with relationships that extend back since time immemorial.
These highly social animals hunt cooperatively and share responsibility for raising their young – behaviours seen in only a small percentage of mammals. Their diverse diet reflects the variety of ecosystems they inhabit, ranging from Pacific salmon, birds, and beavers to large ungulates, such as deer, elk, bison, and even muskoxen.
Celebrating coastal grey wolves and more
Each stamp presents a view of wolves in Canadian landscapes. The booklet cover and interior contain additional photographs of coastal grey wolves on Vancouver Island. The stamps are designed by Andrew Perro, featuring photography by Michelle Valberg (Canis lupus crassodon), John E. Marriott (Canis lupus), Ejaz Khan (Canis lupus arctos), Michael Runtz and Steve Dunsford (Canis sp. Cf. lycaon). Raincoast Conservation Foundation Senior Scientist and large carnivore expert Dr. Paul Paquet contributed scientific expertise to the series. This issue is printed by Lowe-Martin and includes a booklet of eight Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, an Official First Day Cover (OFDC), a souvenir sheet, and four postage-paid postcards that can be sent worldwide. The location of the cancellation mark on the OFDC is Whitney, Ontario, near the east gate of Algonquin Provincial Park.
“It was a privilege to work with Canada Post over the last two years on behalf of wolves, contributing to the research, development, and design of these new stamps celebrating Canada’s wild wolves. It was wonderful to see the care, professionalism, and enthusiasm that Canada Post brought to the process. These stamps are a meaningful opportunity to celebrate wolves and their place in Canada’s landscapes, and I’m grateful to have been part of it.” – Dr. Paul Paquet, Senior Scientist
Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and at select postal outlets across Canada starting today.
Stamps feature wolves in different regions of the country
The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest and most widespread wolf in Canada, found everywhere except the Maritimes.
Only slightly bigger than an eastern coyote, the eastern wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon) is a federally listed species at risk that lives mainly in Algonquin Provincial Park in central Ontario and in southwestern Quebec. It has an estimated population of 200 to 1,000 mature wolves.
The Arctic grey wolf (Canis lupus arctos) is a nomadic hunter well adapted to the northern climate, while the coastal grey wolf (Canis lupus crassodon) is a strong swimmer that lives along the Pacific coast and near-shore islands and has a unique diet heavily influenced by marine resources.
