In deep midwinter, it's nice to be reminded that there's a lot more to this country than ice and snow. Canada's colour palette is bright and bold, vast and varied, and it's always changing with the seasons. For the 2005 postal rate change, Canada Post has released vibrant new definitive stamps in three designs that each take their colour cues from nature in all her exuberance.

FLOWERS:
Three new definitives will give Canadians the opportunity to send the intense colours of blooming hothouse flowers with their mail. On each, blossoms stand against a simple white background. "It's a clean and classic look, with a suggestion of personal style," says Danielle Trottier, Manager, Design and Production at Canada Post. "The typography resembles a handwritten script, and the denomination has a lot of character."

Colour was integral to the design, which called for sculpted, elegant blooms in vivid shades. But colour contrast was also essential, so the stamps could be easily distinguished. The result is red Calla Lily on the domestic rate (50¢) stamp, yellow Calla Lily on the U.S. rate (85¢), and purple Dutch Iris on the international rate ($1.45).

Simple as it appears, there's more to this design than first meets the eye. "We had to make sure the type and denomination didn't overwhelm the flower, which wasn't easy to do in these small dimensions," says Trottier.

As definitives, these stamps will be available all year long, but consumers may find them particularly welcome during the cold winter days shortly after their release date. As harbingers of spring, they may be especially popular for mailing on occasions such as Valentine's Day, Easter, and Mother's Day. They're also ideally suited for wedding invitations and reply cards throughout the year, whenever a splash of colour may be welcomed.