Guelph-Eramosa heritage sites are being featured on commemorative postage stamps.
The township heritage committee put out a call in March for artists and photographers to submit works to be featured. About 10 submissions were received.
“I think a lot of people really liked the idea and we’re getting a lot of orders right now for stamps,” said township deputy clerk Joanne Hyde.
“I think it’s a great idea for Christmas … I think the community really liked it because it gave somebody the opportunity to go out and say ‘this is what heritage means to me’ and kind of capture that.”
Hyde brought the stamp idea to the heritage committee to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ontario Heritage Act.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to kind of get some community involvement and work with the community to get some interest going and that’s really how it came about,” Hyde said.
Of the ten submissions, five were picked as winners and featured on the stamps.
“We got some from Rockwood, Ariss, where Mustang is … on Jones Baseline, so it’s everywhere from the municipality,” Hyde said.
“What we tried to do was when we were picking the winners was to make sure we kind of represented all corners of the municipality.”
One of the winners is Dan Hauser who lives down the road from the Mustang Drive-In Guelph and submitted a photo of the screen at sunset for the contest.
“We moved here six years ago and the drive-in has always been sort of iconic for me on like the outskirts of Guelph,” Hauser said.
“I didn’t really understand it wasn’t Guelph at the time when I used to go there as a little kid … it was always an endearing spot for me.”
He took the photo when he was driving home and saw a sun angle and clouds that he thought worked well.
“When I saw the contest I thought of that one right away,” he said.
He added, “It’s important for Guelph-Eramosa people to realize everything we have; it’s such a big area that we encompass all around Guelph.”
Stephanie Naylor was another contest winner. She took a photo of the Hortop Mill in Everton.
“It’s a really old mill and … it’s kind of like forgotten heritage because it’s just kind of abandoned and all boarded up,” she said.
The three other photos chosen to be featured on the heritage stamps include the Ariss post office by Joyce Blyth, the Rockwood Academy by Gordon Carothers and a stone house by Don and Joyce Blyth.
The township is currently taking orders for a Nov. 10 placement date, which would have the stamps delivered in time for holiday season mail.
It costs $17.95 for a booklet of 12 postage stamps. However, Hyde indicated other sheet sizes are available for purchase, as well as a commemorative 3-by-5 inch copy of the stamps. It is also possible to purchase the commemorative stamps in denominations needed for international addresses.
The project is a cost recovery item, so the township is not paying anything and it is not making money from stamp purchases.
Depending on demand, Hyde said another order could be made in early December for a delivery date before Christmas.
Stamp samples can be seen at the township office. To order stamps email jhyde@get.on.ca or call 519-856-9596 ext. 125. For more information visit www.get.on.ca.
