Canada Post is set to “boldly go where no man has gone before”… Well, to the address marked on the envelope at the very least, as the national postage service launches a new Star Trek-themed postage stamp.
‘Trekkies’, visitors and residents of the popular tourist town Vulcan attended a special unveiling of the limited edition Star Trek stamp in early April, which features Leonard Nimoy as the globally recognised character Spock.
Vulcan, in Alberta, has long attracted those seeking an out-of-this-world experience while on holiday in Canada as the town’s name is the same as Spock’s home in a distant galaxy.
Canada’s Vulcan takes great pride in this coincidence, with a Star Trek tourist centre inviting visitors to learn more about its intergalactic connection through a collection of memorabilia and displays.
The town opened the TrekCetera Museum in 2013 and also boasts a replica of Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise. Named after the designation of the local airport in Vulcan, Starship FX6-1995-A even includes an inscription written in Klingon – the language of the humanoid warrior aliens that appear in the TV series.
While Alberta is perhaps better known as a fantastic destination for those on hiking or ski holidays in Canada, besides the action in the Canadian Rockies visitors descend on the area once a year for Vulcan’s Spock Days. This annual event, which this year will take place from June 10th until the 12th, draws in Star Trek fans from around the world looking to meet like-minded people and celebrate their love of the show.
Vulcan is ideally located for holidaymakers, being just over an hour outside of Alberta’s largest city – Calgary. This exciting metropolitan area, made wealthy through the oil industry, is often likened to the cowboy states of America. Everything is seemingly bigger and better in Calgary, and Stetsons are most definitely welcome!
For those less familiar with Star Trek, Vulcan is also home to multiple attractions and activities that earthlings will enjoy. The Vulcan & District Historical Society Museum, for example, charts the county history, while in Bell Park visitors can see another important monument – the Town Bell. Bell Park is also where you’ll find Leonard Nimoy’s hand print accompanying a bronze bust of Spock to mark his historic visit to Vulcan in 2010.
The Spock postage stamp is the third to be revealed in honour of Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, with William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk and the original Starship Enterprise launching earlier in the year.
Image Credit: JamesTeterenko (wikimedia.org)