Jan. 27, 2015
Toronto (Ontario) – Today, Canada Post is unveiling a new stamp to commemorate the heroic life of Nelson Mandela, and celebrate the legacy of courage, determination and persistent hope he left behind. The stamp recognizes the special relationship Canada shared with Mandela, who referred to this country as his home away from home.
Amid his 27 years in prison, Mandela became a symbol of the moral fight for freedom, equality and justice in South Africa and around the world. His message strongly resonated among Canadians, who were at the forefront of the global outcry over his imprisonment and of the unrelenting demand for his release.
After his release in 1990, Canada was among the first countries Mandela visited. Four years later, as president of South Africa, he specifically drew on Canadian values, policies and practices to build his post-apartheid vision of a multi-racial democracy rooted in equality and governed by the rule of law.
In 2001, on his third visit to this country, Mandela was bestowed with honorary Canadian citizenship. He was the first living person to receive this recognition.
Read more: canadapost.ca