Hall of Fame Award
  • Service Awards

Initiated in 1993 by then President Chuck Firby, the BNAPS Hall of Fame Award honours members who have made significant general or specific contributions to the Society.

The contributions may have been made by a member in an elected or appointed position or by a member acting on their own initiative. The award also may be given for less visible, behind the scenes, contributions made to the Society generally over a period of time by an unelected member.

Award winners receive a plaque with their name and year engraved on it.

2024 Charles Livermore
2023 Gary Dickinson Gary Dickinson joined BNAPS in 2004. Gary is a First Day Cover collector and enthusiast. From 2011 to 2018, Gary served as editor of First Impressions, the newsletter of the BNAPS First Day Cover Study Group. He returned in 2020 to 2022 as interim editor of First Impressions. From 2011 to 2023, Gary authored 19 BNAPS books on different Canadian First Day Cover collecting topics.
George Dresser George Dresser joined BNAPS in 1975, and has been active in the Prairie Beaver Regional Group in Texas. Throughout his membership, George has been a regular participant at BNAPEX conventions. George served two terms as President 2008-2010 and again 2014-2016. He served as Chairman of the Finance Committee for 15 years, and led the transition of the BNAPS investment portfolio to a fiduciary account with Morgan Stanley before retiring in 2023.
Adri Veenstra Since joining BNAPS in 2003, Adri Veenstra has been an active BNAPS member. From his home in Arnhem, Netherlands, Adri has been a regular attendee at our annual BNAPEX convention at various locations across Canada. Adri serves as the BNAPS Member Recognition Coordinator, tracking the medals that BNAPS exhibitors were awarded for BNA exhibits at the annual BNAPEX exhibitions, national exhibitions and international exhibitions plus other special philatelic recognitions bestowed on BNAPS members. Adri’s annual compilations can be found on the BNAPS website under the Society/Exhibit Awards pages.
2022 William J. F. Wilson Bill Wilson received the Hall of Fame Award at the CPS 2022 BNAPEX Awards Banquet in Calgary. Like many of us, as a child, Bill started collecting stamps of the world in the 1950s. In his teens, he gradually shifted into collecting Canada only. As with many collectors, he didn’t collect much during his university years but got back into the hobby in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he began to focus on rate covers from the Edward period. By the time he joined BNAPS in 1988, as a side interest, he expanded into the Wilding rate covers which became his main passion with Edwards being a side interest.

Professionally, after his graduate work, Bill became a faculty member and lecturer in astrophysics, electricity and magnetism and acoustics at the University of Calgary. He co-authored a book entitled Solar System Astrophysics. He retired as a Senior Instructor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy.

Besides philately, Bill is also an avid bird watcher and spends part of his time monitoring Golden Eagles in the Kananaskis flyway.

Bill became active in BNAPS publishing in 1992 by starting a new quarterly column in our flagship publication BNA Topics entitled "New Issues". In this column, he chooses recent stamp issues of Canada Post and provides a detailed background in the historical and/or social content of the cited topic of interest. He has continued to author this column for the last 30 years, providing a wealth of information to readers. For his dedication in this endeavour, he was awarded a special Vincent G. Greene award at BNAPEX 2018.

Then, alongside Jeffrey Arndt, Bill also took on co-editorship of BNA Topics in 2018. When Jeff had to relinquish his co-editorship in 2021 due to a change in his outside job responsibilities, Bill assumed total editorship. So besides his "New Issues" quarterly column, Bill had complete responsibility for choosing and editing articles for BNA Topics. There are other authors of specific segments (such as "Study Group Centreline" and "Regional Group Rant") and invaluable outside help by members of the Publications Committee, but Bill has responsibility for the editorship of the journal. For this reason, for his dedication, leadership and volunteerism, he was awarded the Hall of Fame Award for 2022.
2021 Dave Bartlet Dave Bartlet followed in his father’s footsteps and started stamp collecting at an early age. He has become a prolific exhibitor, known for his Scout Jamboree exhibits. He also focuses on P.O. specialty stamps from dispensing/vending machines, Winnipeg 1913 postcards, first flight & re-enactment flights and winery and brewing postal history exhibits.

Dave serves as the BNAPS Regional Group (RG) Vice-President, making sure that all RGs are operating efficiently and reports their news and activities in his quarterly column “Regional Group Rant” in BNA Topics. His “Rant” articles are always to the point and on time, an Editor’s dream.

Dave uses his technical background to serve as BNAPS Assistant Webmaster and Advisor on the Web Advisory Committee. He assists Leo Beaudet, BNAPS Webmaster, in many web-based projects. During the recent pandemic crisis, Dave has taken to hosting many of the Study Group and RG meetings using Zoom technology. Dave is the “go-to” person to help people set up and troubleshoot their presentations. He, along with Charles Livermore, has been very gracious with time and energy to help improve PowerPoint and Zoom-based presentations. Dave has done excellent work with this task, with a great deal of tact and patience, in working with BNAPS members where there is a great range of ages and technical abilities when it comes to using Zoom and giving presentations. Establishing the processes and bringing together the various regional groups using the technology to support members across North America has been refreshing and beneficial to those taking part in these Zoom meetings. Members can now attend RG and SG meetings several time zones away which would almost never happen during “normal” times. Both Dave and Charles stay through the duration of each meeting, some of which have run up to 4 hours long! In addition, Dave also runs training sessions to get members more comfortable with Zoom processes.

During the upcoming BNAPEX 2021 Virtual Convention, Dave is serving as Exhibits Chair and again, as is his nature, has helped exhibitors set up and install their single- and multi-frame exhibits online, a new experience for many. He has also been helpful testing the new systems to place exhibits and register on the BNAPEX portion of the website. He uncovered some glitches that were causing headaches to first time users for online registration for BNAPEX 2021 Virtual.

For a long time, Dave has assisted Andy Ellwood with the Exchange Circuit by placing hundreds of member’s sales pages on the website so that stamps and covers can be ordered easily.

A distinct honour, Dave was named to the BNAPS Order of the Beaver (OTB) at the 2017 Annual Meeting. The OTB induction is based on distinguished service to BNAPS, service to organized philately in general and advancement in philatelic knowledge through exhibiting and/or writing.

On a local basis, Dave has been totally involved with the Calgary BNAPS RG. In many of his years he has been Chairman. He organizes the monthly meetings, runs them as the Chair and, as mentioned, helps everyone upfront with their PowerPoint presentations: assembling them, helping to organize or improve them, running the “slides” with his personal laptop a nd even providing the local BNAPS projector and giving lectures to boot. Dave is always there to help. Dave has also been a key element with involvement of the very successful BNAPEX 2012 and BNAPEX 2017 Conventions held in Calgary providing all the electronic support, help with the planning, providing the show covers and always an active committee member.

Dave also provides support to the Calgary Philatelic Society (CPS) Zoom meetings during the pandemic and provides key support as a member of the CPS website development team as well as its manager. He provides support electronics and the internet components for the CPS activities and represents BNAPS at all CPS monthly meetings. Dave also has been involved with the local CAPE group (Calgary Philatelic Exhibitors) providing assistance with their meetings, electronic support and Zoom meeting support during the pandemic. Dave is also a member of the CPS of GB (Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain).
R.F. “Hank” Narbonne Hank Narbonne has been a member of BNAPS since 1969. After taking early retirement from the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1978, he decided to take his interest in stamps and postal history a step further to participate in the commercial side of the hobby and founded Greenwood Stamp Company in the same year. He continues today as a dealer, and during his years serving the stamp market, he has been very active in the also serving BNAPS in several categories. His longest tenure has been the BNAPS Dealer Liaison and Advertising Manager for over 26 years. I would like to thank Hank for his many years performing those important functions. The “job” was recently turned over to another dealer member, Hugo Deshaye.

Hank has served on the BNAPS Board of Directors, as bourse Chair for the ORAPEX 2001 convention in Ottawa and has written a number of articles for BNA Topics as well as several books. The books or catalogs that he has written or worked on include The Canada Post Official First Day Cover Catalog. He serves on the Editorial Board Support team for the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps with special focus on First Day Covers and covers in general.

His BNAPS books include Money Order Office Datestamps (MOOD) 1928-1945, exhibit books entitled Postal Service in the Bathurst District of Upper Canada (Upper Ottawa Valley) and, along with co-author Ron McGuire, Major E.R. Toop Collection of Canadian Military Postal History, Volumes 1 and 2.

Hank is also a member of the Postal History Society of Canada (PHSC) and the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC). He served in several PHSC positions, and on the RPSC Board of Directors. Hank is a Nationally Accredited Level judge.

In 2003, Hank was inducted into the Order of the Beaver for his many contributions to BNA philately.
2020 David M. Lacelle David Lacelle started collecting stamps at an early age. Around the age of ten, an aunt (Alice) sent him a collection of Small Queens. All the stamps had a CDS cancels except for one that had a cork cancel. The seed was planted. This seed eventually led (about 20 yeas later) to the formation of the Fancy Cancel Study Group and the third edition of the book Fancy Cancels on Canadian Stamps 1855 to 1950 published by BNAPS in 2018.

Since 1989 when David started the Study Group, he has edited and published 83 newsletters. David continues, to this date, to issue the Study Group newsletters. All the Fancy Cancel and Miscellaneous Markings newsletters have been scanned, and are available on the BNAPS website.

David’s passion for fancy cancels has resulted in a wealth of knowledge for all collectors of BNA philately. He challenges all collectors to practice “random acts of kindness. You never know when such an act can have a long term positive effect upon a young person”.
Doug Lingard Doug Lingard has been extremely active in BNAPS service during the 1980s and 1990s. He has served as a member of the BNAPS Executive Committee, and Chairman of BNAPEX 2001.

Doug organized the BNAPS Flag Cancel Study Group (1987-2000) and self-published a book in 1994: Canadian Flag Cancels 1896-1919.

Doug is a strong supporter of the St. Lawrence Seaway Regional Group and has been on the ORAPEX organizing committee, including Chairman for many years. He was the ORAPEX honouree in 2013.

He is an accomplished exhibitor of Canadian Flag Cancels, Canadian disaster covers, Royal Train covers, and is an RPSC National Judge.

Most recently, Doug was instrumental in arranging for the ORAPEX exhibit frames to be used at BNAPEX 2019 Ottawa.
Charles Livermore Since receiving a Hall of Fame award in 1996, Charles has continued his outstanding service to BNAPS. His service includes Director, President, Chairman of the Board, and most recently BNAPS Secretary. In his role as Secretary, he handles Society correspondence, updating member information (address changes, resignations, deaths) in the membership database, preparing and distributing the Minutes of BOD meetings and our AGMs, plus administering electronic Board motions.

During the pandemic, he has been extremely busy, hosting numerous BNAPS Regional and Study Group meetings on Zoom.

It was Charles’s idea to keep members informed of Society happenings as well as other philatelic events (virtual meetings) through the BNAPS eLetter, which he distributes at the start of each month.

Charles also is the Society’s Historian, and Chair of the Membership Committee.
2019 Clarence A. Stillions C.A. Stillions joined BNAPS in 1969, and quickly became involved with Convention organizing committees. He served on the Board of Directors from 1976 to 1978, and was Chairman of the Editorial Board from 1981-1989. He has been active in the Mid Atlantic Regional Group and served as its Chair.

He has written articles (all on Newfoundland) for BNA Topics and the Newfoundland Study Group. He has two BNAPS Exhibit series books. He is credited with overseeing the digitization of some 4400 35 mm slides of the Robert Pratt collection so that this Newfoundland collection can be viewed by all on the web. He has also served on the executive of the annual NAPEX show.

He is always ready to share information and knowledge with fellow collectors. He is a member of the Order of the Beaver.
Victor L. Willson Victor Willson joined BNAPS in 1980. He has won three Grand awards, one Herb McNaught single-frame award and numerous Gold medals with his exhibiting. He served on the BNAPS Board of Directors for eight years, and has held the positions of Vice President, President, and Chairman of the Board. He has also served on Exhibit Juries, the Convention Committee and the Membership Committee.

He has written 82 articles for BNA Topics. In addition, he has two BNAPS Exhibit series books. He is a member of the Order of the Beaver.
Brian Wolfenden Brian Wolfenden has been the driving force behind BNAPS’s retail book operation since 2004. After receiving books from Saskatoon Stamp Centre, he worked with Ian Kimmerly Stamps’s computer resource to set up their sales and accounting system. At the same time, he worked with the BNAPS Publication department to make sure new books were put into the system and that reprints were requested when stocks of a title were low. Every quarter since 2005, Brian has updated the sales data in the master inventory which determined how much money Ian Kimmerly Stamps would send to the BNAPS Treasurer. He oversaw the physical transfer of the book inventory to Sparks Auctions in 2014 and has continued his previous role. In addition to the BNAPS book inventory, he has kept track of what we call the “Firby Surplus”, books that were donated to BNAPS by Charles Firby.
2018 Leopold Beaudet Leo has been a member of BNAPS since 1973. He has assumed responsibility in a number of positions, elected and appointed. Since 2001, Leo has served as Editor of the Admiral Study Group newsletter. He was elected as a BNAPS Director 2008 – 2012 and was appointed Chair of the Online Resources & Exhibits Committee in 2011, Webmaster in 2014 providing an important information source to all members and then, additionally, Database Administrator in 2014. A strong advocate of membership privacy, Leo took a leading role in the development and implementation of the BNAPS Privacy Policy in 2015. Leo continues to serve in these appointed positions, and is presently working towards an even more secure BNAPS website for the benefit of our members.
George Dresser George has been a member of BNAPS since 1975. Elected as a Director 2002 – 2006, George became First Vice President 2006 – 2008 and President 2008 – 2010, Past President 2010 – 2012. Answering the call of the members, George again served as President 2014 – 2016 and Past President 2016 – 2018. In addition, George has chaired the Finance/Investment Committee since 2006, and continues to do so today. George is an active member of the Prairie Beaver Regional Group and a strong supporter of BNAPEX Conventions which he has attended since 1989. “The Quiet Man from Texas” provides an outstanding example of leadership to our Society.
Jean-Claude Michaud J-Claude has been a member of BNAPS since 1974. He has served as a BNAPS Exhibition Judge, a BNAPEX Bourse Chairman and, after working with Bob Lee in 2009, has served in the demanding position of Society Treasurer since 2010, a position in which he continues to serve.
2017 Jon Johnson Jon has served BNAPS in many capacities since joining BNAPS in 1973: Director for two terms, Chairman of the Board, Vice President Study Groups, and Awards Coordinator. He worked on several BNAPEX committees and was Co-chair of BNAPEX 1999 Vernon, BC.
Peter McCarthy Peter’s extensive contributions to BNAPS during his 30 years as a member include: Study Group Centreline Reporter (1991-1996 and 2014-current), Chair of BNAPEX 2003 London, exhibits manager at BNAPEX 2011 North Bay, long-time Golden Horseshoe Regional Group Secretary-Treasurer, and Chair of the RPO Study Group.
**** 2014 - 2016 No award
2013 Robert Lemire Robert is being recognized for his long-term dedication to the Society in many roles including President, Chairman of Publications Committee, BNAPEX 2013 Convention Chairman, etc.
2012 Earle L. Covert For long service to BNAPS as President, Vice-President, Secretary (five years) and Director (six years), for carrying out other duties for the Society as a member of the Editorial Board, Chairperson of the Convention Committee, and Chairperson of the Postal Stationery Study Group, and for his many exhibits of BNA material.
Jerome C. Jarnick For long service to BNAPS as Secretary (five years) and Director (eight years) including a term as Chairman, and for carrying out other duties for the Society as Publicity Chairperson, Publications Chairperson, and revising the Policy and Procedures Manual.
H. Michael Street A former BNAPS President and Vice-President, Mike Street has continued his unstinting service to our Society. Since 2005 (when he also received a Hall of Fame Award) Mike, as BNAPS Book Department Coordinator, vigorously promoted BNA philately by publishing a large and widely-praised series of BNAPS books. At the same time, he carried out other duties for the Society as an Editor of BNA Topics for another term, as a member of the Editorial Board, and as a member of the BNAPS Convention Committee.
2011 No award
2010 Peter Jacobi Pete is being recognized for his dedicated service to BNAPS as Secretary for the years 2000 to 2010.
Bob Lane For the past 15 years, Bob has served as the BNAPS Webmaster contributing countless hours to insure its integrity. During that period, he has added new features to the site while constantly insuring that links remained "live".
2009 Art Klass Art is being given the Award for both his service as BNAPS Treasurer from 1991 to 1994 and for his leadership on the Finance Committee from 1995 to 2010.
Robert A. Lee Robert served as the BNAPS Treasurer from 2005 until 2010, providing distinguished service in that position. It is a position of high responsibility involving many hours of work.
2008 Norris (Bob) Dyer The award recognizes a member who has given tirelessly of his time as Youth Coordinator.
**** 2006 - 2007 No award
2005 Andy Ellwood On taking responsibility for the BNAPS Circuits, Andy inherited the traditional booklets and mailing procedures with which we are all familiar. However, over the past few years Andy has devoted countless hours bringing the circuit procedures into the 21st century. He scans all materials received and makes them available on our website. This has streamlined our circuits program and made it accessible to all.
H. Michael Street Mike Street has earned a reputation for his dedication to our Society. However, the exceptional time and effort he gave to the transfer of the BNAPS Books Department and his exceptional work in advancing new technologies in the BNAPS publishing program deserve special recognition.
John M. Walsh John, unbeknown to most, spent long months scanning page after page of the Society's prestigious journal, BNA Topics, and has given this work to the Society. The result of this devoted but tedious work is the centrepiece of the Horace W. Harrison Online Library, the online editions of BNA Topics.
2004 No award
2003 Bob Lane Bob planned, initiated, and maintains our excellent website, a valuable source of information for our members and for potential members. The site has won many prestigious international awards. Bob's innovative ideas, including a French website, has put BNAPS in the forefront of philatelic websites.
Bill Walton Bill has for many years chaired the Judging, Nominations, and Ethics Committees. He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes on behalf of BNAPS, and in particular with the Horace Harrison bequest.
**** 2001 - 2002 No award
2000 Edmund A. Harris In recognition of a member who has given the Society widespread publicity for many years in Alberta and especially in Calgary. He never misses an opportunity to promote the BNAPS Calgary Regional Group. He has been instrumental in keeping the Calgary Regional Group active over the years.
1999 John Burnett Recognizes a member who has given the Society widespread publicity for many years. Four years ago in Edmonton, a tribute was created for him. He continues to publicize many different aspects of BNA philately to the North America collecting community. He never misses an opportunity while publishing BNA philately to publicize BNAPS. He is the Canadian columnist for Linn's Stamp News - the largest weekly circulation stamp newspaper.
1998 Don and Louise Kaye The award recognizes two members for outstanding service to the Society. Don and Louise operated the BNAPS book department for many years providing excellent service to BNAPS and its members.
1997 William G. Robinson Bill contributed to many activities in both regional and national groups, developing censuses of material in diverse Canadian collecting fields, and promoting BNAPS for many years. He was essential in developing philatelic shows in his region as well.
1996 P. Charles Livermore After joining BNAPS, Charles Livermore volunteered to take on the task of preparing a complete index of the first fifty volumes of the Society's journal, BNA Topics. Over a period of several years, Charles has gone through 465 issues of BNA Topics, listing not only major articles but also regular columns, editorials, and news items. The resulting index, a volume of close to 300 pages, will long serve as a very useful reference for anyone conducting research into the philately of Canada and the provinces of British North America or the activities of BNAPS.
John G. Schmid In 1993, when BNAPS decided to make major changes to its journal, BNA Topics, John Schmid volunteered to undertake the computer preparation and formatting of the journal's editorial content. This work first required John to learn how to operate both personal computers and word processing programs. The result was a significant saving of time and effort for BNA Topics' Editorial Consultant and financial savings for the Society.
Howard S. Twichell Howard Twichell became Treasurer of BNAPS just when the Society began the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization in the United States. Howard first brought the Society's finances into line with the rules and regulations governing incorporated entities. At this point, he devised and, with Board approval, applied a new policy for investment of members' equity. The result has been that today BNAPS' financial status is sound and the envy of similar societies.
1995 Robert A. Lee While serving as Advertising Manager for BNA Topics, Bob Lee initiated a new way of contacting potential members for the Society. At his own expense, he prepared postcards inviting his customers to join BNAPS, and mailed them with the catalogues for his regular auctions. Since its inception, this method of reaching prospective members has proven to be most successful, and has since been expanded to mailings of other cooperating dealers and auctioneers.
Frank Waite In 1984 Frank Waite responded to a request for a volunteer to write a new column in BNA Topics intended to inform members about the activities of the Society's study groups.

Six times a year for seven years, from his position "On the Fringes", Frank produced The Study Group Centreline. This required reading every line of the hundreds of pages of study group newsletters produced each year and then preparing a digest of the contents. Balancing the different topics and making each column interesting was not easy, but Frank did it well.
Ed Whiting Serving for eight years as Secretary, President, and a Director of the Society was not enough for Ed Whiting. After all this, he then took on the position of BNAPS Historian.

Over the past few years, Ed has gone through every document in the BNAPS "archives", all BNAPEX convention programs, and every page of every issue of BNA Topics. The result is a very useful computerized set of lists of members, officers, convention data, and exhibition awards going back to the founding of the Society in 1943.
1994 Chris McGregor The Hall of Fame award is presented to Chris McGregor for his achievements as Secretary and Policy and Procedures Manual editor.
1993 Robert Jamieson Robert Jamieson was named to the BNAPS Hall of Fame for his past meritorious service as Manager of the Exchange Circuit.
Horace W. Harrison Horace Harrison was named to the BNAPS Hall of Fame for meritorious service to the Society as a member-at-large.

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This page was last modified on 2024-08-31