Chief Day Walker-Pelletier one of three Indigenous leaders on new set of stamps
CBC
The face of Chief Marie-Anne Day Walker-Pelletier from Okanese First Nation will soon travel across Canada and the world via letters and packages.
On Wednesday Canada Post unveiled a stamp emblazoned with her image — the third and final stamp in a new set featuring Indigenous leaders.
The retired chief said she felt honoured, calling it a "very significant day."
However, Day Walker-Pelletier wasn't quite sure yet how to feel about her face being sent around the globe with the help of the new stamp, she said.
"I guess it's kind of Canada Post recognizing myself as a First Nations woman and leader, so I'll go with it," said Day Walker-Pelletier.
"Hopefully the stamp will inspire our young people, our children, our youth."
The former chief of Okanese First Nation had to wait two years to share the information that she would be on a stamp, she said. She recalled the moment Canada Post first informed her.
"'Are you kidding,' I said. 'I don't want anybody licking me," Day Walker-Pelletier said, recounting her phone call with Canada Post's officer of stamp services Leslie Jones.
"Then she said, 'Oh no,they use glue now.'"
Day Walker-Pelletier, Harry Daniels and Jose Kusugak are the three Indigenous leaders chosen to be featured on the new set of stamps, which will become available on June 21 — National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The stamps are paying tribute to the achievements, commitment and contributions of the three leaders to the Métis, First Nations and Inuit communities they served, said Canada Post in a news release.
Canada Post says the new set is the inaugural release in a multi-year Indigenous leaders stamp series.
The unveiling event for Day Walker-Pelletier was the last the three and took place in Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask.
"She believes strongly in family and looking after children, and that's where her work continues to this day," said Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty during Wednesday's event.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.