In 1997, the Canadian Postal Service created an eight-dollar stamp honoring the grizzly bear. This was the highest value stamp in all of Canada's history. Prior to this, the country had created a number of five-dollar stamps, including a 1996 piece honoring the Victoria Public Library and a 1983 stamp depicting the Point Pelee National Park. Yet the 1997 grizzly stamp stands out for several reasons.

First of all, the stamp was created using a combination photography/engraving method. Only a few other Canadian stamps had been printed in a similar way. The 1977 ''Famous Canadians'' series featured a similar kind of engraving. The grizzly was meant for use on packages weighing up to 400 kg. Its measurements are impressive. At 64 X 48.9 mm, the grizzly was the biggest stamp ever produced by Canada.

The First Day Cover was released in Northern Alberta, home of many of Canada's natural grizzly bears. To protect against copyright infringement, the stamp includes a number of curious, microscopic features. For instance, the grizzly's right leg contains a very tiny number ''8.'' The patterned engraving also protects the grizzly from counterfeit artists.

Finally, if you look closely enough at the grizzly, you can see the word ''Mailposte'' hidden in the corner of the stamp. The grizzly bear's ''species name'' is written along the bottom in two languages. This popular bear stamp continued a Canadian tradition of honoring wildlife through postal media. The country's very first postal stamp honored the beaver.