Snowshoeing

When the cold north wind sweeps down from the polar ice-cap, Canadians know that winter has arrived. Ice and snow are not unwelcome, however, because they herald a new season of activity. To reflect this fact and to draw attention to the upcoming 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the Post Office has dedicated the remaining stamps in its "Keeping Fit" series to curling, skiing, skating and snowshoeing, physical pastimes typical of Canada in the winter- These are sports which people enjoy from childhood through to old age. The body was built for action and thrives on it. Indeed, individuals who live to one hundred invariably have had a substantial amount of exercise each day. Curling, skiing, skating and snowshoeing are thus so delightful because they provide the body with something it needs. The Olympic Games will have served their purpose well if they convince people that sports have that unusual combination of qualities. They are both beneficial and fun. Asians, Europeans and North Americans have for hundreds of years used snowshoes for travelling in the winter. In Canada, the snowshoe reached its highest form among Indians living in wooded regions receiving an annual cover of deep soft snow. Like many skills which were once necessities for survival, snowshoeing has now become a form of recreation. With a following which is especially strong in Quebec, and increasing in all provinces, this activity is helping many to satisfy healthy appetites without gaining weight. Therefore, as much as the highly trained athlete, the millions who curl, skate, ski and snowshoe are keeping the Olympic spirit alive. These people illustrate the "social, educational, aesthetic, ethical and spiritual values of amateur sports" and demonstrate on a day-to-day basis that sport is for fun and enjoyment. The new designs are by Hunter Straker Templeton Limited of Toronto. They based the skiing, skating and snowshoeing stamps on photographs by Malak of Ottawa. These stamps incorporate a new technique in steel engraved printing and design. Viewed normally, the pictorial design (primary image) is clearly seen. However, when viewed obliquely, a second (latent) image appears. Viewed as shown, the horizontal lines and spaces (100 lines per inch) and the ink texture of the engraving process combine to expose the hidden or latent image. Various methods can produce this result. In this set of stamps a line orientation technique is used. The latent image (horizontal lines) is camouflaged by the primary image (vertical lines) when viewed normally.