Renowned for their scenic splendor, the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 (extended in 1990), are comprised of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho national parks and Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks. Studded with mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves, they form a striking mountain landscape. Located at110-180 km west of Calgary, Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885.
Named for an early trail guide and trapper in this area and located in Banff National Park, Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860m. During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise colour. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River.
About the stamps
The first two stamps, in se-tenant format, was illustrated by Suzanne Duranceau, and was issued on June 15, 2012, for celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812, which had as belligerents on the one hand the United States of America and on the other the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies and its Indian allies. The stamps depict two important leaders rise in this war, British Major-General Sir Isaac Brock and War Chief Tecumseh. The facial expressions of the two men depict mutual respect. The background of the Brock stamp shows a European settlement, as it would have looked circa 1812. Chief Tecumseh is shown with encampments scattered around him, indicating that more than one tribe has taken to arms under his command. Stamp designer Susan Scott notes that, “The setting is a visual representation of the motivation for each man - this is what they were fighting for. And the body of water speaks to the dominance of the British naval power.”
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