Saint Pierre and Miquelon meets the Americas

To be able to speak about one's philatelic activities for twenty minutes (cut with some songs and commercials), without being asked about the most expensive stamp in the world. That's the pleasure you get when listening to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon 1ère radio on October 7th 2015 morning.

Not numerous but very enthusiast! (from the Club's website)

Brume de Capelans, the local public radio's morning show, received Jean-Jacques Tillard, one member of the Club philatélique de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, past president, webmaster of spm-philatelie.com and a grand gold medallist in international exhibition for the local overprints late 19th century - that was worth a stamp issued in September 2014 when he and his club hosted an international event in Saint-Pierre!

The Grand Gold medal of Tillard was stamped in 2014 when the archipelago hosted its first international exhibition (Jean-Jacques Oliviéro's stamp reproduced by SPM 1ère).

In the interview, that you can watch on DailyMotion, Jean-Jacques Tillard explains the special status of the French oversea collectivity in the geopolitical and philatelic world. Member of the French Philatelic Associations Federation (FFAP), the Club decided the get along with their continental neighbours by becoming a member of the Interamerican Federation of Philately (FIAF) and participate a lot more to exhibitions outside the French sphere.

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon stamp on a stamp of Ecuador... strange (issued for Expo AFE 150 Años in Quito, September 2015, picture from FIAF website).

He told of the known difficulties to travel for Saint-Pierre to Canada and from there to France, and so the expedition it is to go to the Southern edge of Latin America. But it's the happiness of receiving the adventurous guest at Saint-Pierre in September 2014 too.

Tillard thanked the federation and the elected councils that provided the subsidies to help the members to exhibit and judge so far away. And it's worth it: the pride of showing the islands' flag and culture to the other philatelists of the continent.

Who in the Americas could have placed the French collectivity before its Club became a member of the American philatelic community? And who in France? ;)

Next May Tillard and his colleagues are going to put Saint-Pierre and Miquelon on the map at the New York World Stamp Show.