Benjamin Franklin and Postal Services in British North America

Gary Dickinson
Released June 2017.
82 pages, 8.5x11, spiral bound.
Colour C$ 26.00 [ISBN 978-1-927119-78-5].

Everyone knows that Benjamin Franklin was a founding father of the United States of America and that he also proved that lightning carried electricity, but not everyone knows how involved he was with the early postal system in the British part of continental North America. In his latest BNAPS handbook, Benjamin Franklin and Postal Services in British North America, Gary Dickinson tells this story and documents the Franklin related stamps issued by Canada, especially the stamp jointly issued with the United States for the 1976 bi-centennial of the latter country, and the many First Day and event covers that resulted from these issues.

Dr. Gary Dickinson worked in British Columbia secondary schools, colleges, and universities for 35 years until he retired in 2001. The last 20 years were at Okanagan College and Okanagan University College where he served as South Okanagan Regional Director for five years and Dean of the Faculty of Adult and Continuing Education for 15 years. He was also Acting Vice-President, Academic, for the year and a half prior to his retirement. Gary has continued his association with Okanagan College by chairing its Central Okanagan Advisory Committee and serving on the Research Ethics Board. He was co-founder of the BNAPS FDC Study Group and is editor of its newsletter, First Impressions. Gary and his wife Barbara have six grown children and were foster parents for 20 years.