The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Canada Post honours Rogers folk legacy with stamp
Although it will likely never grace a letter of marque from a king or queen, a new Canada Post stamp honouring the musical legacy of Canadian folk icon Stan Rogers was unveiled on Wednesday.
Raised in Hamilton, with family roots in Canso, Nova Scotia, Rogers songs about coastal and rural life became anthems across the country, performed in his resonant, baritone voice. They were usually accompanied by the guitar and violin of his brother Garnet Rogers as they toured across North America until the songsmith’s life was cut short at the age of 33 in a 1983 airplane fire at the Greater Cincinnati Airport.
“The subject of this stamp is very close to my heart, as a proud Nova Scotian and a big music lover,” said Doug Ettinger, president and CEO of Canada Post in the stamp’s unveiling video.
“He spent much of his time on the East Coast, soaking in the sights, sounds and Celtic traditions of his family roots. A passionate storyteller, his songs captured the true spirit of Canada.”
The stamp’s design shows a familiar image of Rogers at the microphone with his guitar, smiling in mid-strum as he performs one of his signature songs. It’s not hard to imagine The Mary Ellen Carter or The Field Behind the Plow being performed in that instant, while behind him there’s a backdrop of a Maritimes cove, a real-life Make and Break Harbour with a lone fishing boat heading into open waters.
“I think Stan Rogers’ music is classic, and you’d almost think that his music is traditional and these tales have been passed on for generations,” said singer Heather Rankin of Rogers’ legacy in the tribute video.
I think that’s because his storytelling is both educational and informative. It sings about different places across the country, the way of life there and historical events. And it does so in a timeless manner.”
The release of the stamp coincides with the 25 anniversary of the annual musical gathering in Canso named in his honour, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival. Although the festival grounds are silent in the second year in a row due to COVID-19, the event is hosting live Stanfest at Home shows in-person and online from the decoste Performing Arts Centre in Pictou.
On Friday, Stanfest at Home features Atlantic Blue with Tara Maclean, paying tribute to legends of East Coast Songwriting, while Saturday marks the launch of the commemorative book The Power of Song: 25 Years of Stanfest with music by Cape Breton Celtic group Coig.
For more information, visit www.stanfest.com/the-showgoes-on-in-2022 or www. decostecentre.ca.