Special stamp to mark Macdonald centenary
Unveiling will kick off year-long celebrations
Macdonald College is getting a birthday gift from Canada Post: a commemorative stamp to mark its 100th anniversary, to be unveiled Tuesday, September 26. The 51-cent stamp depicts the historic Macdonald campus of McGill University and bears the school's green, gold and red crest.
"Deciding on a structure that would represent the entire campus was simple," said Danielle Trottier, manager of stamp design and production at Canada Post. "We chose the marvelous edifice of the main building because it denotes the college's historical centenary. The display of the school's official colours also speaks to the college's long tradition."
Macdonald College was founded by Scottish tobacco manufacturer and philanthropist Sir William Macdonald on farm properties he purchased in Sainte Anne de Bellevue on the western tip of Montreal Island. Construction began in 1905 and in 1906 Macdonald turned over the deeds to the Board of Governors of McGill University, along with a $2-million endowment to establish a college that would become a leader in agricultural studies. Today, the 650-hectare campus is home to the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition.
"The decision by Canada Post to issue a commemorative stamp is a national recognition of Macdonald College as a leading institution in agricultural, environmental, food and nutrition research and education," said Chandra Madramootoo, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "It also gives testimony to their belief in the leadership and philanthropy of Sir William Macdonald."
McGill Chancellor Richard Pound, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum and Dean Madramootoo will help Canada Post unveil the commemorative stamp – kicking off a year-long schedule of centenary celebrations that will include reunions and lecture series – Tuesday, September 26, at 10:30 a.m. in the ballroom of the Centennial Centre, 21111 Lakeshore Road in Sainte Anne de Bellevue.
On the Web:
www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/centenary
