Stewart Collection ➔ Drawing
Archival Item
2008.5.13
Hand-drawn ink drawing on card stock for 12 1/2 cent proposed air mail stamp from Yukon Airways & Exploration Co. Ltd. Depicts "Northern Light" G-CAUZ in the foreground and Queen of the Yukon II in the background, flying above mountains and a river.
It appears as though this stamp was never issued. The Northern Light was never equipped to carry the mail and the contract with the government has just ran out - around the end of November, 1929. The Queen of the Yukon II crashed on November 2, 1929 killing pilot John Patterson.
In October 1927, the company obtained an airmail contract from the government to fly all the mail between Whitehorse, Mayo and Dawson. This contract enabled the company to stay afloat financially. (From interview with Gordon Stewart, November 1977).
Clyde Wann was the secretary of Yukon Airways & Exploration Co. Ltd. He promoted the selling of the company's 25 cent airmail stamp.
"Incorporated in May 1927, Yukon Airways and Exploration Company Ltd. was to open the frontier thought to be rich in furs and minerals. After postal officials in Ottawa granted it a contract to carry mail, the company officially introduced an airmail service in November 1927 using a brand new Ryan monoplane called The Queen of the Yukon."
From: http://www.aerophilately.ca/ya1.html
Many countries started issuing airmail stamps as transporting of mail by air started gaining popularity. Postal administrations charged a premium for Airmail service and so special airmail stamps were issued to cover the higher rate.
During the 1920's, a number of companies began flying into remote Northern areas, often in support of prospectors and miners. The Post Office allowed these companies to charge for letters they carried, and to issue their own stamps. These stamps had a "semi-official" status, as they were sold from post offices, but the Post Office did not assume responsibility for the airmail, or help with the cost of service!
At first these stamps could only be placed at the back of the envelope, and were not allowed to show a value in case they were confused with regular postage stamps. These restrictions were later relaxed.
The Post Office first budgeted money for air mail services in 1927. It began with experimental service between Montreal and Rimouski, designed to connect with trans-Atlantic steamers, and to speed up mail to and from Europe. This was soon followed by additional services, mainly to points that were cut off during winter. No extra charge was made for initial air mail services. No official cachets were produced for these early services, although mail prepared by dealers with unofficial cachets can be found. The Post Office did not begin providing cachets until 1928.
In 1928 the Post Office flights were divided into two types:
AIR MAIL SERVICES which provided a faster service than regular air mail. A higher fee was charged for these services after October 1st 1928; and Canada's first government air mail stamp was issued ten days earlier on September 21st 1928.
AIR STAGE SERVICES which carried all the mail to a point which was very difficult to reach be other means. Mail was normally flown on these services without an additional charge for air mail service, but when a new service was introduced, the air mail rate had to be paid if a First Flight cachet was required.
http://www.aerophilately.ca/history.html
In October 1927, the company obtained an airmail contract from the government to fly all the mail between Whitehorse, Mayo and Dawson. This contract enabled the company to stay afloat financially. (From interview with Gordon Stewart, November 1977).
Clyde Wann was the secretary of Yukon Airways & Exploration Co. Ltd. He promoted the selling of the company's 25 cent airmail stamp.
"Incorporated in May 1927, Yukon Airways and Exploration Company Ltd. was to open the frontier thought to be rich in furs and minerals. After postal officials in Ottawa granted it a contract to carry mail, the company officially introduced an airmail service in November 1927 using a brand new Ryan monoplane called The Queen of the Yukon."
From: http://www.aerophilately.ca/ya1.html
Many countries started issuing airmail stamps as transporting of mail by air started gaining popularity. Postal administrations charged a premium for Airmail service and so special airmail stamps were issued to cover the higher rate.
During the 1920's, a number of companies began flying into remote Northern areas, often in support of prospectors and miners. The Post Office allowed these companies to charge for letters they carried, and to issue their own stamps. These stamps had a "semi-official" status, as they were sold from post offices, but the Post Office did not assume responsibility for the airmail, or help with the cost of service!
At first these stamps could only be placed at the back of the envelope, and were not allowed to show a value in case they were confused with regular postage stamps. These restrictions were later relaxed.
The Post Office first budgeted money for air mail services in 1927. It began with experimental service between Montreal and Rimouski, designed to connect with trans-Atlantic steamers, and to speed up mail to and from Europe. This was soon followed by additional services, mainly to points that were cut off during winter. No extra charge was made for initial air mail services. No official cachets were produced for these early services, although mail prepared by dealers with unofficial cachets can be found. The Post Office did not begin providing cachets until 1928.
In 1928 the Post Office flights were divided into two types:
AIR MAIL SERVICES which provided a faster service than regular air mail. A higher fee was charged for these services after October 1st 1928; and Canada's first government air mail stamp was issued ten days earlier on September 21st 1928.
AIR STAGE SERVICES which carried all the mail to a point which was very difficult to reach be other means. Mail was normally flown on these services without an additional charge for air mail service, but when a new service was introduced, the air mail rate had to be paid if a First Flight cachet was required.
http://www.aerophilately.ca/history.html