Updated on 4/5/2022
CAPEX 22 International One-Frame Stamp Championship Exhibition in Toronto Canada is fast approaching, being held in downtown’s Metro Toronto Convention Centre, June 9-12. Canada’s travel restrictions continue to be relaxed, though US and international travelers are still required to provide proof of vaccination on the ArriveCan app, https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html, and submit it on-line within 72 hours before arrival to Canada. Masking requirements have been rescinded, though immunocompromised individuals are encouraged to practice masking indoors as before.
All 75+ dealer and auction company spaces have been assigned, and 400 one-frame exhibits and 100 literature entries have been accepted. A new book on philatelic exhibiting will also be launched at the show.
Room reservations in adjacent hotels have been filling fast, but there are still blockings available in three of the four show hotels. Show attendees are encouraged to preregister now, using the early-bird discount for show admission (CDN$50 for the full four days, CDN$15 for each individual day) and for Saturday’s Palmares Reception and Dinner. See the CAPEX 22 website https://capex22.org/ for registration and other show particulars.
The show will be hosted by the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) and held under the patronage of the Federaçion Interamericana de Filatelia (FIAF) and the recognition of the Federation Internationale de Philatélie (FIP).
The American Philatelic Society is a partner-level sponsor of CAPEX 22 and will have a strong presence at the show. The APS will provide CAPEX with surplus frames from World Stamp Show-NY 2016. The APS has a long history of pioneering and championing one-frame exhibiting, nurturing it through several years at World Series of Philately shows, culminating in its recognition in 2006 as a separate exhibit class by the FIP through the results of a joint proposal from the APS and the RPSC.
There are more than 30 national commissioners from around the globe assigned to CAPEX 22, a strong recognition of the importance of this exhibit class on the world stage.
The venue and event highlights
The CAPEX 22 dealer bourse and exhibits area will be located in the 28,000-square-foot Constitution Hall in the 100 level of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre North Building. More than 85 booths will be filled with a strong array of Canadian, United States and international dealers.
CAPEX 22 is the first international stamp exhibition to be held in Canada in more than 25 years and many of the top U.S. and international dealers and auction houses are eager for the opportunity to return to Canada.
The award-winning Canada 1868-1876 Large Queen collection of the late Fred Fawn will be sold by R. Maresch & Son at an auction on June 10. The Large Queens of the classic period were the first stamps printed in Canada and have long been popular among collectors, specialists and exhibitors.
Canada Post will participate at with a large booth in the pre-function area. Canada Post has been an early supporter of the exhibition with the issue of a CAPEX 22 overprint of the Bluenose 100 souvenir sheet issued June 29, 2021, in commemoration of the launching of the storied Bluenose fishing and racing schooner in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, in 1921. Canada Post also will be releasing a new stamp during the exhibition that will be unveiled in a ceremony.
Many societies and specialist groups from across Canada and the United States will offer seminars and meetings. The full schedule of events is available on the CAPEX 22 website.
Metro Convention Centre
Toronto and its attractions
APS members who previously attended AmeriStamp Expo 1998 or AmeriStamp Expo 2006, one-frame Champion of Champions events both held in Toronto, may well remember a friendly atmosphere and abundant cosmopolitan attractions afforded by Canada’s largest city.
There are many attractions immediately adjacent or nearby to the convention site, including the CN Tower, the iconic structure dominating the city’s skyline and tallest free-standing structure in the western hemisphere; Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays; Scotiabank Arena, home to the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs; a variety of arts, theater and other cultural venues; and a multitude of gastronomic and dining opportunities surrounding the venue.
Toronto has just recently been ranked the second safest city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the world leader in global business intelligence. Toronto also was named the most multicultural city in the world by BBC Radio in 2016: 51 percent of the city’s residents were born outside of Canada and the city boasts 200 ethnic groups with more than 140 languages spoken. Numerous international neighborhoods lie waiting to be explored, including Chinatown, Greektown, Little Poland, Little Italy and Little India.
Visitors might consider exploring the city’s many natural areas, parks and neighborhoods. The Toronto area has an abundance of rivers, each with tributaries, creeks, ravines and parkland providing walking and biking trails throughout the city. Toronto Island Park, immediately accessible by a 13-minute ferry ride from the foot of downtown’s Bay Street at Queen’s Quay, also provides a pleasant natural retreat from the city’s bustle and is not to be missed.
The 100th anniversary of the launch of the famous Bluenose schooner, celebrated in souvenir sheet form in 2021 with a CAPEX overprint.
The Author
David Piercey, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society Canada, is the communications director for CAPEX22. One of many individuals on the show’s organizing committee, he is otherwise well-known for his judging, exhibiting, and philatelic writing within Canadian organized philately.