One hundred gold medals for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon specialist

Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon 1ère, the public television and radio channels of the French oversea collectivity, loves philately: early April, both spoke with philatelist Jean-Jacques Tillard who celebrated his one hundredth gold medal at the 53th exhibition of  Lakeshore Stamp Club, on Saturday April 2nd 2016, ten years to the day after he won the first one in this Dorval club, in the island of Montréal, Québec.

Jean-Jacques Tillard at home in front of the albums containing the two collections he was to present at Lakeshore (Marie-Paule Vidal, Flavie Bry and Séverine Luberry for SPM 1ère).

To watch the television report on Monday April 4th, look over here. And for the radio show Brumes de Capelans of Wednesday April 13th: voilà!

Compared to lJean-Jacques Tillard previous interview last October, these two moments show a more personal approach of the philatelic competitor and the man, who accumulated one hundred gold and large gold medals in ten years.

How has he done it? An impressive collection of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon dating back to his youth. Thousands hours of work... and he put his professional career on hold, open a philatelic expertise compagny in order to get a revenue while learning, preparing and exhibiting.

It gave the collectivity a volunteer to promote Saint-Pierre and Miquelon all over the philatelic world, not only in Metropolitan France.

Consequently, it's a Quebecan club who celebrated the recordman. And the local philatelic club of the archipelago has become a full member of the Interamerican Federation of Philately and, thus, five of its member will compete at New York Stamp Show late May: five for a population of six thousands...

Bottom line, full center, a stamp of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon on a stamp of Ecuador for the continental exhibition in Quito, in September 2015 (website of the Interamerican Federation of Philately).

He spoke about it while making fun of the Cassandres of the 2000s who promised him difficulties and failures because Saint-Pierre and Miquelon philately wasn't enough to succeed in competitive exhibition... Exactly the opposite point of view of the President of the Lakeshore Stamp Club after he discovered Tillard's collection in 2005.

What are the main dates, ask the radio presenter?

2 April 2006 : first gold medal at Lakeshore.

June 2007 : first world gold medal in Saint Petersbourg, Russia.

2010 : victory at the Canada Championship.

2012 : first participation to an exhibition in the United States.

2013 : first world large gold in Rio de Janeiro.

The large gold collection became a postage stamp and this book (Jean-Jacques Tillard's website).

2015 : second world large gold in Singapore.

2016 : to the FIP Championship Class?

In the end, what after New York? New projects, he said but keeping some mysteries on their nature.