William G. Robinson RPO Award plaque

'Bill' Robinson actively encouraged the study, display, and publication of articles relating to Canada's Railway Post Offices, and the William G. Robinson Award is a memorial to his endeavours. The award was established in 2011, and is sponsored and financed by the Canadian Railway Post Office Study Group.

The award is made available at the BNAPEX convention, the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada convention, and designated national exhibitions such as the Edmonton Spring National Stamp Show and the Ottawa Philatelic Exhibition (ORAPEX).

The William G. Robinson Award is given to the highest scoring British North America Railway Post Office exhibit. Only British North America Railway Post Office and related Waterways exhibits are eligible. "Waterways" means water routes where an officially approved postal service operated and mail was date-stamped on board.

The award may be given for a postal history exhibit of one or more frames attaining a level of Vermeil or better. In a competitive philatelic literature exhibition, it may be given for a book, catalogue, or a published full-length article about British North America Railway Post Offices and/or related Waterways attaining a level of Vermeil or better.

Bill Robinson made major contributions to philately. He served as President of the RPSC, BNAPS, and the PHSC. He was a nationally and internationally accredited judge. For his many years of service, he was named a Fellow of the RPSC, was inducted into the Order of the Beaver, and was a recipient of a Fellowship in the Royal Philatelic Society, London. He died on 4 December 2010.

Railway Post Offices were one of Bill's primary collecting interests. He wrote the "RPO Cowcatcher" column in BNA Topics for many years, and contributed to the RPO catalogue. Bill also collected Canadian military mail, and won several Golds for his exhibits. With Bill Topping, he edited five books on the post offices and postal markings of the western provinces and territories.

If the display venue is not specified in the listing below, the award was given for an exhibit displayed at a BNAPEX convention.

2024	Sean Weatherup	Halifax – Yarmouth Railway Post Office Clerk Cancels and Related Paperwork
2023	George Lafontaine	The Railway System of Prince Edward Island
2022	Ross Gray	Catalogue of Canadian Railway Cancellations (book published by the British North America Philatelic Society) Literature entry at CAPEX 22, Toronto, ON, 9-12 June 2022
2021	No award
2020	No award. The convention was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019	Peter McCarthy	Railway Post Office Markings
2018	Brian Stalker	“By Grand Trunk Railway” 1853-67
2017	Sean Weatherup	The Railway Post Office Operating between Halifax and Sydney
	Brainard Fitzgerald	Royal Visit to Canada 1951 Displayed at ORAPEX 2017, Ottawa, ON, 5-6 May 2017
2016	Brian Stalker	Newfoundland’s Notre Dame Bay Travelling Post Office Services 1899-1955
2015	Sean Weatherup	Cancellations of the Railway Post Office Halifax to Yarmouth
2014	No award
2013	Doug Lingard	The 1939 Royal Train Postal Markings and Their Majesties’ Tour of North America Displayed at ORAPEX 2013, Ottawa, ON, 4-5 May 2013
2012	Sean Weatherup	The Railway Post Office in 20th Century Nova Scotia Displayed at NOVAPEX, Dartmouth, NS, Sept. 2012
	Peter McCarthy	Canadian Railroad Post Office Cancellations, 1853-1923 Displayed at ORAPEX 2012, Ottawa, ON, 5-6 May 2012