'A great, great honour': Manitoban's photograph selected for Canada Post stamp
The sumptuous sights of the Manitoba Sunflower Festival are set to make their way around the world thanks to a Winnipeg photographer.
An image snapped by Mike Grandmaison, a lens master who’s been behind the camera professionally for nearly three decades, is set to appear in Canada Post’s upcoming Far and Wide Series.
“There's not that many people that over time end up having a stamp, so I think it's always a great, great honour to be part of that,” he told CTV News Winnipeg in an interview.
The fourth edition of the series is billed as a traveller’s view of nine scenic locations in seven provinces and two territories, each taken by a different photographer from across the country.
Among the sights of Galiano Island in British Columbia and the Point Prim Lighthouse in Prince Edward Island is Grandmaison’s contribution - a field of bright sunflowers against a blue, cloud-speckled sky taken on the outskirts of Altona, Man.
Photographer Mike Grandmaison is shown in an undated photo. (Mike Grandmaison)
It turns out, the Winnipeg photographer is no stranger to the postal prestige. The sunflowers mark his seventh image to appear on a Canada Post stamp and tenth project with the Crown corporation.
His first was a photograph of the downtown Winnipeg skyline. It was tapped for a postcard and an Official First Day Cover celebrating the 1999 Pan American Games hosted by our city.
At the time, Grandmaison had just left his government gig to see if he could make a go of it as a photographer full-time.
“I made the jump, so now it's been some 28 years of doing photography, which has all been great.”
A collection of Grandmaison's projects with Canada Post, including his images of the University of Winnipeg and the Manitoba legislative grounds, is shown in an undated photo. (Mike Grandmaison)
His other stamp-worthy images include distinctly Manitoban sights, like the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2014 or the University of Manitoba in 2002, as well as shots from around the country, like the Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse in Quebec, which was selected for a 2007 stamp.
The shutterbug said having an image selected by Canada Post is a long, vetted process that can take many years.
Typically, a request will come in from a Canada Post member, a designer or a stock photo agency. They provide a list of images that they’d like to receive. The photographer then submits their snaps for consideration.
“Over the period of anything from a month or six, seven, eight months, there'll be a selection made and usually, this will then go to committee for the selection and in conjunction with Canada Post, they will make a decision as to the final image.”
Grandmaison's image of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is pictured on a 2014 stamp. (Canada Post)
Grandmaison’s passion for nature photography stemmed from his childhood spent outside, be it fishing with his dad or picking blueberries.
His work has also been featured in National Geographic Traveler, Canadian Geographic and Audobon Magazine. He is also the author of 20 coffee table books featuring his photographs, with another on the way on the Canadian Rockies.
When asked to choose a favourite photograph, Grandmaison said it’s akin to picking a favourite child, though he gives special mention to an image of a red maple taken close to his hometown of Sudbury, Ont.
“Some of these images have a lot of emotional attachment,” he said.
“It's been a great, great career, of course, I've really enjoyed it.”
Grandmaison's photograph of the Selkirk Settlers is shown on a 2012 Official First Day Cover. (Canada Post)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
AS IT HAPPENED Wildfire reaches Jasper Wednesday night, causes 'significant loss'
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park reached the townsite Wednesday night and caused 'significant loss.'
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.