| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | January 25, 2019 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Quantity | 1,500,000 |
| Denomination |
 PERMANENT™ (P).Current monetary value: $0.92. |
| Series | Black History Month |
| Series Time Span | 2011 - 2024 |
| Postal Administration | Canada |
| Condition | Name | Avg Value |
|---|---|---|
|
M-NH-VF
|
Mint - Never Hinged - Very Fine | View price |
Celebrate Black History Month and honour the groundbreaking life of Albert Jackson, the man thought to be Canada’s first black letter carrier, with this booklet of 10 PermanentTM domestic stamps.
The colourful stamp depicts Jackson in uniform, circa 1890, as he delivers mail along his route.
Born into slavery in the United States around 1857, Jackson was still a toddler when his mother and six of his siblings fled north to Canada. He was raised in Toronto, where he earned an appointment to the civil service, as a letter carrier, in May, 1882, rare for a black person at the time. Jackson’s white co-workers refused to train him when he first reported for work, and he was forced to take a lower position as a hall porter. Toronto’s black community rallied on Jackson’s behalf. The issue soon came to the attention of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, whose intervention gave Jackson the job he deserved. On June 2, 1882, Jackson began training as a letter carrier. He worked at the post office for 36 years until his death in 1918.
Celebrate Black History Month and pay tribute to the groundbreaking life of Albert Jackson, the man thought to be Canada’s first black letter carrier, with this Official First Day Cover. The stamp depicts Jackson in uniform, circa 1890, as he delivers mail along his route. It is cancelled in Toronto, Ontario. On the Official First Day Cover is an illustration of the modern-day street sign marking Albert Jackson Lane, near the Toronto intersection of Harbord Street and Bathurst Street. The lane was dedicated to Jackson in 2013.
Born into slavery in the United States around 1857, Jackson was still a toddler when his mother and six of his siblings fled north to Canada. He was raised in Toronto, where he earned an appointment to the civil service as a letter carrier in May, 1882, rare for a black person at the time. Jackson’s white co-workers refused to train him when he first reported for work, and he was forced to take a lower position as a hall porter. Toronto’s black community rallied on Jackson’s behalf. The issue soon came to the attention of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, whose intervention gave Jackson the job he deserved. On June 2, 1882, Jackson began training as a letter carrier. He worked at the post office for 36 years until his death in 1918.
Canada Post issues a stamp honouring Albert Jackson, thought to be the first Black letter carrier in Canada. Jackson earned his appointment to the civil service in 1882, but faced racism from his colleagues, media and members of the public as he pursued what ultimately turned out to be a successful 36-year career with the postal service.
“Albert Jackson’s determination opened the doors for many Black Canadians to enter the postal service,” says Ann Therese MacEachern, Chief Human Resources Officer at Canada Post. “His courage laid the foundation for the diverse workforce we have at Canada Post today.”
Originally from Delaware, Jackson was born into slavery. He was just a toddler when his mother, Ann Maria, fled the United States with seven of her children. She made the daring escape after her two eldest sons had been sold. The family arrived in Toronto via the Underground Railroad in 1858 and settled in St. John’s Ward, near Osgoode Hall.
Growing up in Toronto, Jackson was able to pursue his education and, as an adult, he competed for and won a position as a letter carrier in 1882. However, when he reported for work his co-workers refused to train him and he was assigned a lower job as hall porter. After political pressure, particularly from Toronto’s Black community, and intervention from Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, Jackson was soon out walking his delivery route in Harbord Village, where a laneway has since been named after him.