WHITEHORSE, YUKON. The exciting start of the 2007 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is only days away and as the 28 mushers make their final preparations for the epic two-week journey, along with dog food, booties and trail supplies, they will be carrying something very special in their sleds this year.

Commemorative Yukon Quest envelopes bearing Canada Post Corporation International Polar Year (IPY) stamps will be carried by each of the 28 sled dog teams between the Whitehorse race start this coming Saturday and the mid-way point in Dawson City, Yukon next week.

The historic and well-traveled envelopes will then be presented to an IPY Canadian National Committee member at the Yukon IPY launch celebration on March 1, 2007 at the Westmark Whitehorse Hotel and Convention Centre.

IPY is a global scientific program focused on the Arctic and Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009, said IPY Yukon Node Coordinator Bob van Dijken. We are delighted to partner with the Yukon Quest and Canada Post Corporation to celebrate International Polar Year in such a quintessentially northern way.

Sixty-three countries, including Canada, are involved in IPY research, which is organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

As they exist in opposite hemispheres, to conduct two full field season cycles in the Arctic and Antarctic, IPY will span a 24-month period. The research will involve over 200 projects and thousands of scientists examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics.

Canada Post Corporation will unveil the IPY Commemorative stamps on Thursday, February 8 at the 2007 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race Start and Draw Banquet.

For more information about the Yukon Quest, please visit www.yukonquest.com.

For more information about IPY, please visit www.ipycanada.ca.

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Contact:

Bob van Dijken Stephen Reynolds
International Polar Year Executive Director
Yukon Node Coordinator Yukon Quest International
867.393.9237 867.668.4711
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