Comment

Marking 25 years since the inauguration of the service, this commemorative stamp was launched just as powerful new transmitters were commissioned, extending their reach to new audiences with the line “Speaking to the World”. Kramer employs an effective approach to offset and repeat the stylised maple leaf form, a visual metaphor for the relaying and broadcasting of messages across long distances. It’s interesting to observe that Kramer employed a similar metaphor to his famous CBC logo (one and the same organization), designed some 3 years later.

“I recall things being pretty hectic back then, especially with our studio location constantly changing. We moved a few times, starting from Karol Ike’s photography studio to Lothian Mews, and then to a space within Dudas Kuypers Rowan’s large industrial design office. They were vacating the space due to some big projects wrapping up, but we were in no position to take on the tenancy. Luckily, we found a new spot on Bloor Street, just west of Avenue Road, on the second floor. And that’s where the stamp was designed.”

“I do recall travelling up to Canadian Bank Note in Ottawa, who printed the stamps. There was an enormous snow storm. The snow was piled up like you wouldn’t believe. A representative from Canada Post, who only had one arm, met me. As I got into his car, he said, “I hope you don’t mind being driven by a one-armed man.” That unusual combination of events has stayed with me to this day.”

Kramer would later go on to become a member of the Stamp Advisory Committee. As a member of the committee you were not permitted to design stamps and this would end up standing as the only release we ever worked on.

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