Ottawa Philatelic Society
Ottawa Philatelic Society
Société Philatélique d'Ottawa
Canada's Oldest Stamp Club / La plus ancienne société philatélique au Canada
We are Chapter 16 of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.
We are Chapter 1566 of the American Philatelic Society.
The OPS was initially established in 1891 as the Ottawa Philatelic Society by John Reginald Hooper, the founder of the Canadian Philatelic Society (now the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada), with a membership of forty-one, sixteen of whom were francophone. Today, with a membership approaching one hundred young and old persons from every walk of life, the Society continues to reflect the bilingual and bicultural nature of the club of 120 years ago and of our city, and offers a wide range of services and benefits.
The purpose of the OPS is to promote the enjoyment and study of philately and postal history in all its aspects. We do this by providing a regular opportunity for our members, stamp collectors of all kinds, philatelists, postal historians, all those interested in philatelic matters, to meet and cultivate both friendship and fraternity. Our members enjoy collecting, exhibiting, buying, selling and trading stamps, covers, and post cards - indeed everything to do with philately. We promote exhibiting one's collection. We assist members in acquiring and disposing of stamps and philatelic material. The OPS has one of the best philatelic libraries in Canada, and provides up-to-date catalogues and many periodicals and specialized books that members may borrow on a weekly basis. In all this the Society maintains the highest standards of ethical practice in every aspect of philately and postal history.
The OPS meets weekly from September to June, and features a wide ranging program of activities. In addition to the ongoing traffic in philatelic materials (stamps, covers, postcards) there are guest speakers; floor and table auctions; quizzes; single-, four- and eight-page exhibit competitions; dealer nights; flea markets; kilo nights; show and tell evenings; information sessions; and a range of opportunities to extend and deepen one's philatelic knowledge and expertise. The Society also encourages study groups that concentrate on specific areas or topics.
The OPS is, with the RA Stamp Club, a sponsor of both MINIEX, a local annual exhibition and auction, and of ORAPEX, Ottawa's annual national stamp show and exhibition, at which (among other activities) we staff the popular ORAPEX Youth Booth, offering free stamps, advice, and prizes to young stamp collectors.
