David Williams: Trouble with Hopewell Rocks overshadows first solar eclipse stamp

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The postage issued three weeks ago in advance of Monday’s much anticipated astronomical phenomenon of a total solar eclipse has resulted in an embarrassing and weird sort of stamp error – New Brunswick’s iconic Hopewell Rocks appear to have gotten lost. Misidentified? Or maybe misplaced? And the famous sandstone formations probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place since the rocks are outside the eclipse’s path of totality.

It may be a design flaw, a printing error or colour shift that stampers are more familiar with, but it had collectors all abuzz and getting out their loupes for a better look.

And what got lost in the shuffle was Canada Post’s proud announcement that it is Canada’s first ever stamp to feature a total solar eclipse.

So what exactly is wrong with this otherwise spectacular-looking eclipse stamp?

Take a look at the landscape depicted across the bottom of the stamp. This was initially described by Canada Post as a “photomontage of land formations along the path of totality, including Ontario’s Niagara Falls, New Brunswick’s Hopewell Rocks and Spillars Cove in Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Well, I could see the Maid of the Mist in the falls at left and the iconic chimney sea stack in Spilllars Cove at right, but had difficulty recognizing our famous Flowerpots Rocks in the middle.

Was the photo taken at an unfamiliar angle? Did they crop too high up, leaving only the tops of the layers of sandstone formations? Or maybe I’d been staring directly at that big, black circle too long?

I first learned that others were asking the same kinds of questions in an online news item from Canadian Stamp News. The newspaper, in turn, reported that “following an investigation by CBC News’ New Brunswick reporter Rhythm Rathi, Canada Post issued a correction within a week, acknowledging discrepancies in the stamp’s portrayal of the iconic geological site.”

Canadian Stamp News said a representative from Hopewell Rocks “disclosed that the provincial park had not been consulted regarding the stamp’s depiction, and the rocks depicted on the stamp could not be identified.”

As well, Canadian Stamp News reported, “When contacted by CBC, the stamp’s Toronto-based designer admitted to being unfamiliar with the New Brunswick landmark and declined further comment.”

(The eclipse stamp was designed by Richard Nalli-Pette, illustrated by Michal Karcz and printed by Colour Innovations, which included a spot-gloss varnish that glows on the stamp.)

Remembering that Canada Post’s news release had mistakenly put Hopewell Rocks within the path of totality, collectors began checking inside the booklet of 10 stamps where six locations are listed that are on the eclipse’s path of totality: Fredericton, Cavendish, Meat Cove, Bonavista, Montreal and Niagara Falls.

They are all not only correct, but give correct start and end times of the entire eclipse event, as well as the start and end times of totality for all six places.

“In an effort to clarify,” Canadian Stamp News reported, “a Canada Post representative maintained that the landform depicted on the stamp between Niagara Falls and Spillars Cove was intended to represent Hopewell Rocks.”

“However,” the newspaper continued, “Canada Post later issued an update acknowledging the error and revised the reference to: ‘Across the bottom of the stamp is a photomontage of land formations along the path of the totality, including Niagara Falls and the rocky shores of Newfoundland’s east coast’.”

No mention of Hopewell Rocks anywhere … but still that head-scratching piece of landscape at the bottom centre of the stamp itself.

David Williams madwill@nbnet.nb.ca, president of the Saint John Stamp Club