Last October, when the Canada Post Corp. revealed their list of stamps and commemorative issues for 1995, there was great anticipation that chiropractic would finally, like the Canadian Mounties, "get their stamp" (man) -- but no, the chiropractic stamp had been shot down again.
The Canadian Chiropractic Association's Centennial Stamp Committee immediately went into vigorous action to encourage the Canada Post to overturn that oversight. Beginning in December of 1994, a campaign was set in motion involving every chiropractic organization and association in Canada: the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College; the chiropractic college at the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres; and every registered member of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. Members of parliament, high-level public servants, chiropractic patients, and the media all added important support.
The campaign effectively began December 1994, and by mid-January the Canada Post requested a meeting in Ottawa with the chair of the Centennial Stamp Committee, G.N. Dunn, DC. Dr. Dunn characterized the meeting with the senior officials of the Canada Post Corp. as "very frank and to the point." The importance of the commemorative stamp to the chiropractic profession was reiterated, although as Dr. Dunn commented, "It was apparent that the effects of our campaign had already made this evident to the officials at Canada Post."
Various options were discussed and an agreement was hammered out. On January 20 came the great news: a reversal of the Canada Post Corporation's earlier decision -- chiropractic would get their stamp -- three in fact. The agreement specified printing five million stamps to commemorate three significant events in chiropractic history: the 150th anniversary of the birth of DD Palmer; the centennial of chiropractic; and the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
The artwork for the three commemorative stamps is being developed with input from the Canadian Chiropractic Association's Centennial Stamp Committee. The stamp artwork will be unveiled at the Chiropractic Centennial Convention in Toronto May 31 to June 4, 1995.
The stamps will be printed in books of 10 stamps and the Canadian Chiropractic Association will market the stamps worldwide. Chiropractic historians are developing information that will accompany the stamp booklets, which will be issued September 1995 to coincide with the Port Perry, Ontario ceremony, the birthplace of DD Palmer.
Dr. Dunn said the reversal of the Canada Post was "indicative of the chiropractic resolve to survive as a profession for the past 100 years." He added that this recognition is "symbolic of the progress that the chiropractic profession has made toward attaining the status that it deserves as a health care profession."
Please look for upcoming details in Dynamic Chiropractic on how to order the chiropractic commemorative stamps.
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