The Order of the Beaver (OTB) is the Honorary Fellowship of the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS). In 1997, members of the Order noted that there are philatelists who deserve recognition for their contributions to BNA philately but who may not meet the criteria for induction into the Order of the Beaver, often because they are very busy contributing to other organizations. As a result, the members initiated the BNAPS Order of the Beaver Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients have not been inducted into the Order of the Beaver, and are not eligible to add the letters OTB after their name, but are entitled to add "Recipient of the BNAPS Order of the Beaver Lifetime Achievement Award, 199x or 20xx" in their philatelic biography.

This page lists the recipients of the Award, and provides a summary of their achievements.

Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the year they received it (alphabetical order)

The recipients are listed below by the year they received the award, most recent first.

Roy Houtby

Born and raised in Niagara wine country, Roy Houtby developed a passion for collecting as a young boy. In 1973, Roy built his hobby into a business when he established Roy’s Stamps. Roy’s specialties include the stamps and postal history of Canada and the Canadian Provinces, as well British Commonwealth stamps and covers prior to 1960. Roy also features an extensive stock of Canadian first day covers.

Roy still participates in approximately 25 major stamp shows across North America every year, including at least ten in the U.S. Roy has supported “BNAPEX”, for many years, taking booths all across the country, from coast to coast. Roy also freely shares his philatelic knowledge with all collectors, and has served on the Editorial Board of the Unitrade Canada Specialized Catalogue for over ten years.

Roy is a Past President and Life Member of the St. Catharines Stamp Club, and has served as the Bourse Chairman of the Club’s “CATHEX” show since 1979 (45 years). Roy is a Past President of the Canadian Stamp Dealers’ Association, serving on the CSDA’s Board of Directors for over ten years, including two terms as President. Roy has organized the Best Western Stamp Show in St. Catharines, ON, since 1977 (47 years). He has also chaired the “Ottawa Fall Stamp Fair” since its inception in 2004.

Roy has served as Bourse Chairman for several national shows, including Royal 2009 Royale (St. Catharines), BNAPEX 2015 (Niagara Falls), and Royal 2018 Royale (St. Catharines). He also served as both the Show Chairman and Bourse Chairman for BNAPEX 2019 in Ottawa.

In 2018, Roy was appointed to the American Philatelic Society’s Dealer Advisory Council. The Council advises the APS board of directors on matters that impact the dealer community, including show locations, membership initiatives, and growth of the hobby. In June 2021, Roy received the RPSC’s Volunteer Award for “significant contribution to philately”, and in October 2023, he was elected as a “Fellow” of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

Bill Burden

From an early age, William G. (Bill) Burden has been an active collector and researcher in the field of BNA philately and has shared his findings freely with fellow collectors.

Bill began his professional career as a teacher in Truro, NS. He was a very active member of the Truro Philatelic Society, serving in various executive positions. During this time, he took over the operation of Mac’s Stamps from a local dealer, and was a faithful attendee at monthly stamp fairs in the Halifax/Dartmouth area.

After retiring from teaching, Bill joined Eastern Auctions Ltd. in Bathurst, NB, as the Mail Auction Manager. He subsequently moved to the Halifax area, but continued his relationship with Eastern Auctions as a Public Auction Consultant. He has provided instructional programs to members of the Nova Scotia Stamp Club, and has renewed his involvement with local stamp fairs. He is an active member of the BNAPS Admiral Study Group.

Bill has broken new ground in his diligent work on two major online initiatives:

►  https://sq.wgburden.com/
Website illustrating the re-entries and plate flaws of the Small Queens Issue.
►  https://cms.wgburden.com/
Website illustrating the re-entries and plate flaws of the Admiral Issue.

Both websites provide an organized approach to the study of these stamps, and provide invaluable information to specialists of these issues. Bill entered his Small Queens and Admiral websites in the Philatelic Literature section of the 2023 IBRA international exhibition in Essen, Germany. Both were awarded Vermeil medals.

Andrew Chung

Andrew Chung has made major contributions to Canadian philately. He has researched several areas and published the results of his studies, some in collaboration with fellow philatelists. A team player, he has done volunteer work for several philatelic organizations. As his many correspondents can testify, he responds quickly and eagerly when collectors ask for his help and advice.

His books explore diverse facets of BNA philately. Since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, he has continued his prolific output:

►  The New Specialized Catalogue of Canada Post Official First Day Covers
In collaboration with R.F. Narbonne. Fourth edition, 2015.
►  The National Christmas Seals of Canada 1927 – 2018
In collaboration with Cliff A. Beattie and Robert D. Vogel. Second edition, 2019.
►  Canada Post Office Replacement and Publicity First Day Covers
In collaboration with Robert D. Vogel. 2021.
►  The Collection of Postage Due in Canada 1906 – 2005. Second edition, 2022.
The first edition, The Canadian Postage Due Stamps, was in collaboration with Hans Reiche. 1985.

His articles have appeared in BNA Topics and the PHSC Journal. Recent articles have appeared in Canadian Philatelist and Corgi Times, the newsletter of the Elizabethan II Study Group. He contributed a presentation on first day covers to the Online Resources and Exhibits area of the BNAPS website.

Andrew continues in his role as contributor/consultant to the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps.

Early this year, he accepted the position of Director of Programming for the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada. He is also the Chairman and Treasurer of the BNAPS Admiral Study Group, having acted in this capacity since 2008.

Andrew is an Emeritus member of BNAPS, having joined in 1979. He is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, and a member of the Postal History Society of Canada, the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, and the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada.

Ken Pugh

Ken Pugh was born in Vernon, BC, in 1949 and started collecting stamps at the age of eight. By trade, Ken is a teacher in Chilliwack. He is also a professional photographer, largely of nature, but including genuine and fake stamps in enlarged detail. His non-philatelic collecting interests include fossils, airline sickness bags, and world sand.

Ken became seriously interested in collecting forgeries when he examined his collection of pre-1920 Turkish stamps with a copy of Billig, and found that 95% of what he thought was a genuine reference collection was forged. He now collects Turkish forgeries. His interest in BNA forgeries came from acquiring a set of six Senf specimen overprint forgeries of Nova Scotia, and some Spiro forgeries of British Columbia.

He started writing articles and comments in philatelic journals after he turned 22.

►  Canadian Philatelist: 23 mentions, 1971-1975, mostly on varieties
►  Maple Leaves: 4 mentions, 1972-1975, Caricature booklets
►  BNA Topics: 8 mentions, 1973-2011, 1967 Centennial issue

The first drafts of his BNA Reference Manual were purely for his own personal use, but as he shared it with friends who had similar interests, he was persuaded to publish it. The first of an eleven-part series on BNA forgeries was published in 1977, and continued until 1981.

He then published the Reference Manual of BNA Fakes, Forgeries and Counterfeits – Series II

• 2002 First release, all the BNA forgeries of Jean de Sperati
• 2002 Second release, bisect fakes of Raoul Charles DeThuin and others
• 2004 Third release, faked “Proof Book” cancellations of western Canada
• 2004 Fourth release, illustration of all the genuine issues of the Canadian provinces commonly forged
• 2005 Fifth release, genuine and faked perforated and overprinted official stamps of Canada

Over the past 40 years, Ken has worked closely with Jon Johnson and Gary Tomasson (BNAPS Perfin Study Group), and Garfield Portch (V.G. Greene Foundation) on the subject of faked 5-hole and 4-hole OHMS perforations.

In 2016, Ken gave a presentation on fakes to the West Toronto Stamp Club. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ken gave Zoom presentations at BNAPEXs and multiple BNAPS regional group meetings. In January 2022, Ken gave a webinar on Propaganda Stamps and Espionage Currency – Part II for the British Empire Study Group (of New York). At Calgary 2022 BNAPEX, Ken displayed two one-frame exhibits: The BNA Forgeries of Giovanni Patroni and Canada Postal and Philatelic Counterfeits: 39c Coil Definitive (1990). Both won Vermeil.

Wayne Smith

All one has to do is to go to the Online Resources and Exhibits on the BNAPS website to see that Wayne Smith has been prolific in providing detailed information to collectors on classical Canadian/BNA postal history. His biggest contribution was the update to the Charles Firby census of Pence and Cents Issue covers.

Firby’s last update to his census, entitled “The Postal Rates of Canada 1851 – 1859”, was on 20 January 1984. In the 35+ years since, many more covers have surfaced in auction catalogues, dealer price lists, and online offerings on the Internet. Improved scans and more detailed descriptions have allowed more covers to be correctly identified.

Wayne tracked the new data that appeared over the years to update the Firby census. His census lists about 4,500 Pence covers, double the number reported by Firby. The census gives collectors and dealers a window into the scarcity of the covers that appear on the philatelic market. For collectors going after elusive rates or destinations, Wayne’s listing provides a perspective of what exists and what they need for their exhibits and collections. For dealers, Wayne’s census provides guidance on market values since it sheds light on the scarcity of the material.

The census of Pence covers is just one of several that Wayne has compiled over the years. All are listed below. Not only has Wayne compiled these censuses, he keeps them up to date by continually reviewing auction catalogues and dealer offerings. He also corresponds with many postal historians who send him updates to aid his work.

• Canada Pence Issue 1851 – 1859 Cover Census
• 1859 Cents Issue Used on Cover after April 1, 1868
• Census of Large Queen Covers by Rates
• Canada Four Ring Numeral Cancel Census
• Early Use of Two-ring Numeral Cancels on the Large Queen Issue
• British Columbia numeral grid cancels
• New Brunswick numeral grid cancels (in collaboration with Charles Verge)

Wayne’s contributions to Canadian philately are well known to collectors of classical material. Dealers recognize and cite Wayne’s contributions when offering classical covers in auctions and price lists.

Eldon Godfrey presents the OTB Lifetime Achievement Award to Cec Coutts

Cec Coutts was born in 1932 in Meeting Creek, AB. The family moved to Sardis, BC, in 1934. He joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1951, and was stationed throughout Canada during his 35-year career. He retired as a RCMP Superintendent to Courtney, BC, in 1986.

Cec has been active in the philatelic world for more than six decades. He started collecting in 1954 while stationed in Saskatoon, and joined BNAPS in 1978. His major contributions have been his publications on postal history and cancellations. They include:

►  Cancelled With Pride: A History of Chilliwack Area Post-Offices 1865 – 1993
►  Slogan Postmarks of Canada (three editions)
►  Blackout Postal Markings 1942 – 1945
►  International Rapid Cancelling Machines (Vol 1 – Western Canada; Vol. 2 – Ontario; Vol. 3 – Province of Quebec, the Maritimes and Newfoundland)
►  The Handbook of Air Mail Slogans of Canada (co-authored with Daniel G. Rosenblat)
►  Mail Sent to the Italian Mutual Aid Society Lodge at Coleman, Alberta 1912-1935

Slogan Postmarks of Canada is both a catalogue and guidebook. It is the authoritative reference for Canadian slogan cancels, and has been used by countless collectors from the first edition published in 1996 to the third in 2007. Cec Coutts’s other books on cancels, the International Rapid Cancelling Machine cancels and blackout postal markings, have also become the authoritative references for these cancels.

In addition, Cec has provided contributions and support to:

• The Slogan Box and other study group newsletters
• Data updates to the PHSC Slogan Cancel Database

Cec is an active participant of the BNAPS Calgary Regional Group, regularly contributing to “Show & Tell”, and the Pacific Northwest Regional Group while stationed in British Columbia.

Clayton Rubec

Clayton Rubec has done notable research in several different areas of BNA philately. He has documented the results of his research in many articles and books, most of which have been published by BNAPS. His books have become the authoritative source for collectors specializing in the subjects he has researched.

Clayton’s books and monographs include:

►  The Hunting, Fishing and Conservation Stamps of Canada
►  Canada and Newfoundland Wartime Ration Books and Coupons
►  Catalogue of Canadian Hunting and Fishing Revenue Stamps (co-authored with Dale Stover)
►  Timothy Eaton Company: Philatelic Notes
►  100 Years of Union Dues Stamps in Canada and Newfoundland, 1880 to 1980 (co-authored with Ron Lafrenière)

His articles include eleven published in BNA Topics, four in the Online Resources and Exhibits (ORE) area of the BNAPS website (some of which update his books, a testament to his ongoing research in these areas), twenty or so in the newsletter of the Canadian Revenue Study Group, and one in the PHSC Journal.

Clayton graduated with a B.Sc. degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, and an M.Sc. degree from McMaster University, Hamilton, ON. His professional career included national program implementation and inter-governmental missions to many nations related to wildlife habitat conservation treaties, science and policy. He is an environmental scientist who retired from the Government of Canada in 2008 after 34 years of public service.

He joined BNAPS in March 1980, and is an Emeritus member. He is also a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL). He collects Canadian and Iraqi stamps, postal history, and revenues, and has interests in philatelic ephemera from several other countries. His publications are not limited to BNA, having written Guide to the Postal Stationery of Iraq, published by the RPSL, and Revenue and Telegraph Stamps of Nicaragua (to be published).

Christopher D. Ryan has made major contributions in the field of Canadian revenue stamps. He has freely shared the information he has gathered in his researches, and graciously responds when collectors ask for his help. His contributions were acknowledged by the Revenue Society (based in the UK) with the award of their Research Medal in 2011.

Chris has been the editor of the Canadian Revenue Study Group newsletter for 27 years, having taken on the challenge with the Sept. 1995 issue. During that time, he published over 100 issues. In 1998, he won the John S. Siverts Award for best study group newsletter.

Chris is a prolific author. His meticulously researched articles include:

• Innumerable articles for the Canadian Revenue Study Group newsletter.
• About 15 articles for BNA Topics. He won the Vincent G. Greene Award four times for best article, in 1994, 2000, 2005, and 2011.
• Four contributions in the Online Resources & Exhibits (ORE) area of the BNAPS website. One of them is a comprehensive introduction to the revenue stamps of Canada and the provinces.

He has also compiled the Catalogue of the Federal Tobacco Stamps of Canada (first edition, 2013; second edition, 2021).

Chris has been a member of BNAPS for almost 30 years, having joined in 1993.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O’Reilly has a long history of studying, writing and exhibiting the postal history of the Canadian North. He has authored three BNAPS books on Labrador and Northwest Territories postal history:

►  Northwest Territories Postal Cancellations 1907-1986 (1987)
►  A Postal History of Labrador before Confederation (2007)
►  A Postal History of the Yukon (2015)

His articles about Northern Canada philately have been published in the American Philatelic Congress Book, BNA Topics and the PHSC Journal. An avid exhibitor, he has exhibited at various BNAPEXes and Royal-Royale exhibitions, and showed an exhibit on Yukon postal history at the 2016 International Exhibition in New York.

Kevin earned Bachelor and a Master of Arts degrees from the University of Waterloo where the University has honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Award. He has resided in Yellowknife since 1985. He has served in the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly since 2015.

He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his service on environmental issues and the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal in 2002 for his research on the postal history of Northern Canada. He was named a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada in 2012. He was elected a BNAPS director in 2012.

Ian Kimmerly

Ian Kimmerly started collecting stamps at the age of 14. He began writing a weekly philatelic column for the Ottawa Citizen from 1976 until 1983. From 1983 until 1990, he wrote the weekly philatelic column for the Toronto Globe and Mail.

Ian was made an Honorary Life Member of the Ottawa Philatelic Society in 2011, and was honoured as the Distinguished Philatelist of the year by ORAPEX in 2012. The tribute to Ian in the 2012 ORAPEX show program stated, “A very important aspect of Ian Kimmerly’s contribution to BNA philately, and philately in general, is and has been his willingness to mentor and support collectors and philatelists, and especially younger members of the community.”

Ian, supported by Brian Wolfenden, was the retail sales agent for the BNAPS Book Department from 2004 to 2014.

Dean Mario

Dean has edited the newsletter of the Canadian Military Mail Study Group for 25 years, producing in that time an amazing total of 1,480 pages of text and images. He has also been a prolific writer, with a total of 69 citations in the Horace W. Harrison Library Online Search between 1991 and today: 13 in BNA Topics, 43 in Maple Leaves,the journal of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, and 13 in the PHSC Journal, the journal of the Postal History Society of Canada. These are over and above the many articles he has contributed to the Canadian Military Mail Study Group Newsletter.

In 1997, Dean received the John S. Siverts Award given annually to the editor of the best Study Group newsletter. In 2001, Dean received the V.G. Greene award for the best article in BNA Topics.

Ralph Trimble

Ralph formed the Canadian Re-Entry Study Group in 1981 and published the Group’s first newsletter in October of that year. As happens with most study group newsletters, Ralph was the sole contributor for many of the early issues. His first article in BNA Topics in 1982, entitled “A Major Discovery on the Five Cent Edward”, showed the meticulous attention to detail needed to pursue this specialized area of philately.

Ralph has also been active in other aspects of Canadian philately. He was President of the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada (PSSC) for two terms, a total of 13 years from 1996 to 2014, and also serves on the Expertizing Committee of the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation. In 2006, Ralph was elected a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

Colin Lewis

Colin has served the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain for many years. He was President and Chairman of the CPSofGB Annual Convention in 2002/03 and again in 2013/14. He was made a Fellow of the CPSofGB in 2004. Colin has given more than one presentation at CPSofGB Conventions on the Newfoundland Pence issues and the First cents Issue. He also ran two CPSofGB auctions a year, a mail auction in the spring and the fall Convention auction, from 1998 until 2012.

He has been a regular contributor to The Newfie Newsletter of the BNAPS Newfoundland Study Group, and has given displays at Newfoundland Study Group meetings at BNAPEX conventions.

Colin has written five articles for BNA Topics, winning the both the Vincent G. Greene and Pratt Awards for "Newfoundland - Oporto Mail 1810-1865". He is also the author of BNAPS Exhibit Series Book #42, Newfoundland Postal History 1857 – 1899.

Colin has exhibited at several BNAPEX conventions:

►  In 2001: Gold and Meyerson Award for Newfoundland - Postal Rates & Destinations 1857-1900
►  In 2007: Vermeil for Trans-Atlantic Mail 1810-1862, Newfoundland to Portugal and France
►  In 2008: Gold for Newfoundland Postal History - The Pence Period 1 January 1857 - 6 April 1865

In addition to BNAPEX, he displayed Newfoundland exhibits at Stampex London in 1999 where he won a National Gold and at the Washington World International in 2006 where he won a Large Vermeil.

Malcolm Montgomery

As Malcolm Montgomery approached retirement from the British Army, he reactivated his interest in philately, particularly in the subject area of Transatlantic mails, with a side interest in the postal history of the Solent region of southern England. In January 1996, he took over editorship of the Newsletter of the Transatlantic Mails Study Group of BNAPS and produced issues #50-70 inclusive.

Malcolm first presented his Transatlantic Mail at the CPSofGB convention in 1994 at York. He has authored many articles, almost all on Transatlantic mails: 24 in Maple Leaves, seven in BNA Topics, and two in the Postal History Society of Canada’s PHSC Journal.

In 2010, his Transatlantic Mail exhibit won a Gold at London 2010, and Gold and the Allan Steinhart Reserve Grand award at BNAPEX 2010 Victoria. Malcolm has also presented and/or exhibited his Transatlantic Mail at the CPSofGB conventions in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, winning both the Founder’s Trophy and the Stanley Godden Trophy at Plymouth in 2013.

In addition to the above, Malcolm has authored four major books on BNA philately, all profusely illustrated, published by BNAPS. They are:

►  A History of Cross-Border Postal Communication between Canada and the United States of America 1761-1875, 2010; with Dorothy Sanderson’s collection and additional research
►  Fines on Trans-Atlantic Mail between Canada and the United Kingdom 1859 – 1899, 2012
►  Trans-Atlantic Mail between British North America and the United Kingdom 1759-1851, 2013
►  Handbook on the Transatlantic Mail of British North America, 2015; with Steven M. Mulvey

Andrew Chung

Andrew Chung has been involved in BNA philately since the early 1970s, and has been a member of the British North America Philatelic Society since 1979. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, and a member of the Postal History Society of Canada, the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, and the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada.

Andrew has contributed to many philatelic organizations:

►  Hamilton Philatelic Society: President, Secretary, 1970s-1980s
►  Grandpex ’79, exhibition and RPSC Convention hosted by the Grand River Valley Philatelic Association (GRVPA); member of the organizing committee and designer of the Grandpex Souvenir card celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the GRVPA
►  Postal History Society of Canada: Treasurer, 1980-1986
►  BNAPS Golden Horseshoe Regional Group: editor of its newsletter (1980s)
►  BNAPS: BNAPEX 1991 Vancouver – Speaker, Centennial Definitives Study Group ►  BNAPS Admiral Study Group: Chairman and Treasurer, 2008-ongoing

He has authored or co-authored several books dealing with a wide range of subjects pertaining to BNA philately:

• The Low Value Definitives of 1973-1976: A Listing of Paper Varieties. 1978.
• The 1977-78 Definitives of Canada: A Listing of Paper Varieties. 1978.
• The 1967-78 Postage Due Issue of Canada. 1980.
• The Canadian Postage Due Stamps, co-authored with Hans Reiche. 1985.
• Collection of Postage Due in Canada. 1989.
• Postal Rates and Fees of the Elizabethan Era from Canada 1952-2005, co-edited with Hank Narbonne and Harry Machum. Volume I, Parts 1 and 2, 2004; Volume II, 2006.
• The New Specialized Catalogue of Canada Post Official First Day Covers, co-authored with R.F. Narbonne. Three editions, 1996, 2002, 2008.
• The National Christmas Seals of Canada 1927-2008, co-authored with Cliff A. Beattie and Robert D. Vogel. 2007.

His articles on BNA philately, also wide-ranging, have appeared in several periodicals including BNA Topics, Canadian Philatelist, PHSC Journal, and Corgi Times (the newsletter of the Elizabethan II Study Group).

Andrew is also a contributor/consultant for several specialized sections of the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps: First Day Covers, International Reply Coupons, and Canada Post souvenir cards, annual and thematic collections, exhibition cards, frameable prints, special event covers, and commemorative envelopes.

Ross Gray

A member of BNAPS since 1971, Ross D. Gray has been a major contributor to the studies of the Railway Post Office (RPO) Study Group. Since he became Editor of the RPO newsletter in 2001, it has twice received the prestigious John S. Siverts Award as the best study group newsletter. In addition to articles on RPOs in BNA Topics, in 2000 he wrote Railway Postmarks in the Maritimes, a Study of the Cancellation Devices 1866-1971. Ross's most important contribution to the hobby has been the Catalogue of Canadian Railway Cancellations and Related Railway Postmarks Including Selected Waterway Postmarks, released in 2009, which completely revised the 1982 Ludlow RPO catalogue.

One of only a few collectors to exhibit Canadian RPOs at the international level, Ross has shown an unfailing generosity in sharing his prodigious knowledge of Canadian RPOs and Canadian railway operations.

Robin Harris

D. Robin Harris has been a member and officer of the Winnipeg Philatelic Society since 1975. He was President from 1991-1993 and Editor of The Buffalo, the Society's newsletter from 1985-1994 and 2004-2006.

During the period 1997-2000, Robin wrote, edited, and published seven specialist handbooks on the Canadian definitive stamps of the Elizabethan II era, including his very well received 400-page volume on the Centennials. In 2001, he became Editor of Corgi Times, the newsletter of the BNAPS Elizabethan II Study Group, and has published more than 40 issues.

Robin owns and operates his own 100% Canadian software development company, Adminware Corporation. On the company website, he maintains the Canada Tagging Database, specialized checklists for all Elizabethan definitives of Canada, and over 200 pages on the Great Britain Machin definitive stamps. He is also developing a topical index of the subjects of all Canadian stamp issues, and a feature-packed Windows-based software program for the Canadian collector.

In 2005, the Unitrade Press retained Robin as Editor of its Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps. The first catalog under his editorship was the 2006 edition. Significant enhancements to the catalog have been and are being implemented with each edition.

In April 2007, Robin was appointed a member of the Stamp Advisory Committee of Canada for a three-year term.

Robin is a Life Member of BNAPS since 1980, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (2005), and a Life Member of the American Philatelic Society.

Gray Scrimgeour (left) and Bill Topping hold their OTB Lifetime Achievement Award plaques, presented at BNAPEX 2007 in Calgary

K. Gray Scrimgeour was born in Vancouver, BC. A member of the first ever graduating class in Biochemistry at the University of British Colombia, he then obtained an M.Sc. from UBC and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. After four years at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California, Gray took a teaching position in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto where he taught until retirement in 1993. He is the author of Chemistry and Control of Enzyme Reactions and a co-author of Principles of Biochemistry. From 1984-1992, he was editor of the journal Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and over a period of 40 years his work on enzymatic systems was published in more than 50 professional journal articles.

Gray has been equally active in Canadian philately. He served as President of the Postal History Society of Canada from 1980 until 1984 and as a member of the Board of Directors of the PHSC continuously from 1980 to the present. In addition to many articles written for the PHSC Journal, he has contributed articles to The Canadian Philatelist. In 1996, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. Locally he is member of the Sidney Stamp Club, British Columbia Philatelic Society, and the Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs.

From 1988-1994 Gray was Editor of the Klussendorfer, producing 20 issues of the newsletter of the Canadian Klussendorf Study Group of BNAPS. He is also active in the BNAPS Pacific Northwest Regional Group. In addition to many articles written for BNA Topics, he is the author of three books published by BNAPS - John Boyd and Cottonwood, BC, and two in the BNAPS Exhibit series, Dr. Robert Bell of the Geological Survey of Canada and The Broken Circle Postmarks of Canada. Currently, Gray is preparing Canada's Pacific Maritime Mails, a two-volume book that will bring together all the work on the subject he and the late Alec Unwin have done over the years.

Gray Scrimgeour and Bill Topping (right) hold their OTB Lifetime Achievement Award plaques, presented at BNAPEX 2007 in Calgary

William E. (Bill) Topping paralleled a long career as a teacher in Vancouver and area high schools with equally dedicated study of and writing on the postal history of Western Canada. For many years, he and his late wife Marion led summer tours to China for students and other interested travelers.

He has been a member of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) and the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain (CPSGB) for many years. He is a Fellow of the RPSC (1999) and served as President of the CPSGB in 2004-2005. Locally, Bill is active in the British Columbia Philatelic Society and the Pacific Northwest Regional Group of BNAPS.

Bill joined BNAPS in 1952 and is an Emeritus member. He served as Chairman of BNAPEX 1969 in Vancouver and as a member of the Jury at BNAPEX 2001 in Ottawa. He has attended and exhibited at many BNAPS conventions and has been Chairman/Editor for the British Colombia Postal History Study Group of BNAPS since its inception.

Among other interests, Bill formed and exhibited an award-winning collection of Canadian semi-official airmails and wrote Yukon Airways and Exploration Company Limited: A Pioneer Air Mail Company. He also wrote the 14-page Introduction of the three editions of Canada Inkjet (Jet Spray) Cancels 1992-2002/5. Perhaps his best known works are the separate checklists, prepared and published with William G. Robinson, of the post offices of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the early Territories of the west. Recently Bill published a comprehensive listing of all Western Canada post offices in operation from 1990 to 2006 in four booklets, one each for Alberta, British Colombia, Manitoba including Northern Canada, and Saskatchewan.

Charles Livermore, Mike Street, John Hillson, and Jack Wallace on 9 September 2006 at the CPSGB convention in Llandrindod Wells, Wales, when John's OTB Lifetime Achievement Award was presented

John Hillson was born in Scotland but educated at St. Paul's School in London, his parents having moved to Kew Gardens just before the Second World War. While living in Kew, he received as a Christmas present a packet of stamps, an album, and a packet of hinges. Considering where the gift led him in later life, he describes this as "the most expensive present he was ever given".

After experimenting with Great Britain's watermarked booklet stamps, he decided to collect something "less complex - Canada's Small Queens. Over time, this error in judgement has happily resulted in more than 20 articles on Small Queens in Maple Leaves, the journal of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain (CPSGB), BNA Topics and Gibbons Stamp Monthly. In addition, John wrote two books on Small Queens published by Christie's-Robson Lowe of London, the first a 24-page effort in 1981, followed by a 106-page major revision in 1989. He is co-author of an extensive new work on the issue which is currently in press.

John joined the CPSGB in 1955. Involvement with the Small Queens led to participation in the Society's affairs. He has served as Treasurer, a post he holds now for the second time, two terms as President, and has also been Chairman of three CPSGB conventions. In 1989, he was made a Fellow of the Society in recognition of his contributions to the group and his work researching and writing about the Small Queens.

Bill Walton presents the OTB Lifetime Achievement Award to Dick Malott

Major Richard K. Malott, CD, Retired, was born in Windsor, ON, and grew up in nearby Kingsville. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Science from the United States Air Force Institute of Technology. Dick joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1950 and served as a navigator and logistics officer. He retired from the military after 24 years service and assumed the position of Chief Curator of Collections at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. 1992 marked his retirement from the Canadian War Museum after 42 years of government service.

Dick has specialized in Canadian aerophilately, and was the moving force in the formation of the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society. He has exhibited extensively at the national and international level, winning numerous gold medals for his air mail exhibits. He has served as Canadian Commissioner for many F.I.P exhibitions around the globe. Dick has authored a large number of articles on aerophilately that have appeared in philatelic journals in Canada and the United States. He was the Coordinating Editor of The Air Mails of Canada and Newfoundland volume of the American Air Mail Society's 1997 catalogue.

In addition to being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Order of the Beaver, Dick has been awarded the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada's President's Medal and the Gus Lancaster Award of the Metropolitan Airmail Philatelic Society.

Bill Walton presents the OTB Lifetime Achievement Award to Cimon Morin

From a position in the library of the University of Sherbrooke, Cimon Morin was selected as Librarian at the National Postal Museum, and moved to Ottawa. He soon became known throughout the world of Canadian philately for his outstanding work, Canadian Philately: Bibliography and Index, 1864-1973 (National Library of Canada, 1979) and the Supplement (NLC, 1983).

When the collections of the National Postal Museum were split up between the National Archives of Canada (NAC) and what would become the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Cimon moved to the NAC and began the development of the National Postal Archives. Since then, he has promoted both the work of the NPA and the availability of its holdings to researchers. He also completed Volume 3 of Canadian Philately: Bibliography and Index (Saskatoon Stamp Centre, 1998).

Cimon has been very active in promoting the field of Quebec postal history, contributing many articles to Philatélie Québec, the journal of the Fédération Québécois de Philatélie. He was also a founding member of La Société d'Histoire Postale du Québec, currently serves on its Publications Committee, and has written articles for its journal, the Bulletin d'histoire postale et de marcophilie. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada in 1998.

In the last few years, Cimon has been instrumental in developing the Canadian Postal Archives website, which currently has pictures and information on history and production of each stamp issued by Canada, descriptions of thousands of documents from philatelic collections, and a new online database providing access to 26,000 pages of administrative directives concerning the Canadian Post Office published between 1759 and 1900.

Bill Walton presents the OTB Lifetime Achievement Award to Bob Smith

Born in St. Thomas, ON, Robert C. (Bob) Smith studied at the University of Western Ontario and McGill University. After earning his PhD degree, Bob taught as a Professor of Physics at the University of Ottawa from 1958 until retirement in 1992. In the late 1970s, Bob became involved in the Postal History Society of Canada, serving as Editor of the PHSC Journal from 1981 to 1985 and again from 1995 to 2002. He was President of the PHSC from 1984-88 and has been a Vice-President since 1988.

In addition to editing the Journal and writing articles, Bob found time to prepare his monumental two-volume Ontario Post Offices, a listing of opening and closing dates for all post offices in Ontario that was published by BNAPS in 1988. He was also Chairman of the Barrel Cancel Study Group and Editor of The Barrel Rollers Bulletin while the group was active between 1981 and 1988.

Bob's research led him to the discovery of a major Canadian Expeditionary Force (Siberia) correspondence, resulting in an award wining exhibit which was published as Volume 12 in the BNAPS Exhibit Series. He has also researched and written on the postal history of the two Ottawa Universal Post Union (UPU) conferences, as well as an important collection of postcards showing Ontario post office buildings.

Bob continues to write, help others, and do research. One of his current projects is an ongoing update of new discoveries about Ontario's broken circle cancellations.

Mike Street presents the OTB Lifetime Achievement Award to David Sessions on 13 September 2003 at the CPSGB convention in Porthcawl, Wales

David F. Sessions of West Sussex, England, spent much of his long career with the Sun Life Assurance Society as Industrial Editor in charge of creative writing.

After 'co-inheriting' his late father-in-law's stamp collection, David gradually concentrated on the stamps and postal history of Canada. A prolific author, his articles on the Edward VII definitives, machine cancellations, and fakes and forgeries have appeared mostly in Maple Leaves, the journal of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain (CPSGB), but also in the London Philatelist, Gibbon's Stamp Monthly and Stamp News. Since June 1986, he has also been Editor of Maple Leaves.

David's first book, The Early Rapid Cancelling Machines of Canada (1982), was followed in 1999 by Philatelic Fantasia of BNA, a full exposition of fakes and forgeries of Canadian stamps and the characters who created them.

An accredited regional judge and exhibitor, David has received many high awards including the Grand Award at BNAPEX 1998 in Orlando, Florida. He was made a Fellow of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain in 1982, the Royal Philatelic Society of London in 1985, and the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada in 2001.

Harry Sutherland receives the OTB Lifetime Achievement Award from Bill Walton on 27 September 2003 at BNAPEX 2003 in London, ON.

A career corporate lawyer, Harry Sutherland of Toronto, ON, started collecting stamps when he was five years old. He served as a Director of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) for 44 years, was its President from 1967-1978, and is currently the Secretary. He also served a term as a Director of the British North America Philatelic Society. He was named a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society (London) in 1958 and of the RPSC in 1968, signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1991, and in May 2002 was honoured with the Lichtenstein Award by the Collectors Club of New York.

Harry has represented Canada at numerous Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) Congresses and exhibitions throughout the world, and was awarded the FIP Medal of Service in 2002. He played a significant role in obtaining and organizing the last three International Exhibitions held in Canada - CAPEX '78, '87 and '96. Perhaps his major achievement in this area has been to encourage collectors to exhibit internationally, with the result that many displays of the philately of Canada and BNA have received major awards at exhibitions all over the world.

As Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation, Harry has played an active role in two other areas of Canadian philately, the publication of important reference books and expertisation of material.

Members of BNAPS were saddened to learn of the passing of Harry Sutherland on 14 February 2006 at the age of 76.

Lionel Gillam

Lionel F. Gillam of Yorkshire, England is a schoolmaster by profession and a railroad enthusiast by avocation. He has devoted a large portion of his life to understanding and documenting the 19th century development of the railway system in Canada. In conjunction with this work, he made a significant contribution to the study of the Railway Post Offices (RPOs) that played such a large part in the history of communications in Canada.

From 1962 until 1984 Lionel served as Editor of Maple Leaves, the journal of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain (CPSGB). His first book, A History of Canadian RPO's, was published in 1967 and reprinted in 1981 and 1983. His second, Canadian Mail by Rail, 1836-1867 was published in 1985, followed in 1993 by The Story of Canada's First Railway, the Champlain & St. Lawrence Railroad. The three volumes remain the backbone of information about railways in any RPO collection.

Many of his articles have been published in Maple Leaves and various other philatelic journals.

Lionel's Order of the Beaver Lifetime Achievement Award plaque was presented on 13 September 2003 at the CPSGB convention in Porthcawl, Wales, by Mike Street, Vice-Chairman of the Order of the Beaver.

Members of BNAPS were saddened to learn of the passing of Lionel Gillam on 16 October 2004 at the age of 89.

Ron McGuire

In 1999, the members of the Order of the Beaver of the British North America Philatelic Society [BNAPS] chose C.R. (Ron) McGuire to receive the Order's Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1972 Ron was selected as Administrative Research Officer in the new Postal Museum being created by the Canada Post Office Department. The following year, he was named Head, Research and Administration, playing a large part in preparing the museum for its official opening in 1974 and its ongoing development. He was appointed acting Curator in 1980, and then became Senior Postal Historian in 1982. Sadly, almost 15 years of work by Ron and the other members of the Postal Museum team was wiped out when the new Canada Post Corporation dismantled the museum in 1985.

In this period and later, Ron was active as an accredited Royal Philatelic Society of Canada [RPSC] judge, and as a frequent contributor to philatelic journals and the annual STAMPEX show in Toronto. For his writing, he has received awards for "best article" from the RPSC (Geldert Award, 1981), the Postal History Society of Canada [PHSC] (F. W. Campbell Award, 1982; Stan Shantz Award, 2001), BNAPS (Vincent G. Greene Award 1983, 2002), BNAPS Military Mail Study Group (E. R. Toop Award, 2002) and the Collector's Club of Chicago (Robert Pratt Award, 2002).

Ron was elected a Fellow of the RPSC in 1985. In 2002, he was awarded the PHSC's E. R. Toop Award for his display on the Postal History of 'C' Force, Canada' contingent to Hong Kong during World War II.

Ron continues to write and act as a postal history resource both for his many friends and for strangers who come to him for help in their research.

Gerald Wellburn

Born in England in 1900, Gerald E. (Gerry) Wellburn started to collect stamps by the age of 5. After the family moved to Vancouver Island when he was 11, he began to look for stamps of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Members of some of the early families of Victoria who had saved old correspondence showed their letters to the youngster, and a new interest was born.

After World War I, Gerry went to work in British Columbia's forest industry. He founded Wellburn Timbers in 1928 and remained in the industry until his retirement in 1967. He was a pioneer in the use of trucks for logging, and helped form the British Colombia Forest Museum in Duncan, BC.

Aside from family and business, philately was Gerry's greatest interest. He formed award-winning collections of the stamps of Canada, the provinces before Confederation, and the early postal history of Great Britain, but researching and preserving the postal history of British Colombia and Vancouver Island remained his abiding pursuit. His exhibit won the Grand Award at CAPEX 1951 and 1987 in Toronto and the Prix d'Honneur at Basel, Switzerland in 1974.

Gerry's work was recognized when he became one of the first Canadians to be elected to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, and later a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of London, the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, and the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. In 1969, Gerry was elected a member of the Order of The Beaver, the Fellowship of BNAPS. He and his wife Ethel Mae attended many BNAPS conventions between 1950 and 1985.

Gerry passed away on 25 May 1992 in Victoria, BC.