Miscellaneous Stamps

Title: Georges Philias Vanier, Governor-General, 1959-1967

Date of Issue: 15 September 1967

With this commemorative stamp the Canada Post Office pays tribute to General the Right Honourable Georges Philias Vanier, the first native-born Canadian whose death occurred while serving his country as Governor General. General Vanier died on the 5th March 1957, thus ending the distinguished career of a soldier, diplomat and statesman whose culminating responsibilities were those of the Sovereigns' representative in Canada. He assumed office as Governor General on the 15th September 1959. Born in Montréal, P.Q. on the 23rd of April 1888, the late Governor General was the son of Philias Vanier and Margaret Maloney, both of Montréal; educated at Loyala College, and Laval University (B.A. 1906 LL.B. 1911) he was called to the Bar in 1911. On the 29th September 1921 he married Pauline Archer whose warmth and friendliness complemented her husband's dedicated occupancy of the Vice-Regal role. Assuming the office of Governor General, General Vanier said, in part: "If Canada is to attain the greatness worthy of it, each of us must say I ask only to serve." General Vanier was severely wounded while on active service during the years 1915-1918 and his gallantry in action won for him the M.C. with Bar, the D.S.O. and the 1915 Star. During the years 1925-28 he commanded the Royal 22nd Regiment at the Citadel, Québec. In 1917 he was created Chevalier of the Legion of Honour; Commander, Legion of Merit (U.S.) 1946; Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, 1959, and Knight Grand Cross of Magistral Grace of the Order of Malta, 1959. In the area of diplomacy, General Vanier had an equally distinguished career. He represented his country on many occasions prior to his retirement from the Diplomatic Service in 1953 at which time he had just completed nine years as Canadian Ambassador to France; he had previously served as Canadian Minister to France from 1939 to 1940.

Title: Armistice, 1918-1968

Date of Issue: 15 October 1968

For the 50th consecutive year, Canadians from the Atlantic to the Pacific will pause on November 11th to pay silent tribute to those who have died defending their country. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is a yearly moment in time symbolizing a nation's gratitude. The Canada Post Office commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the World War I Armistice graphically portrays "The Defenders and the Breaking of the Sword", one of many sculptured groups decorating the massive Canadian Vimy Memorial; located on Vimy Ridge, near Arras, France, the monument was unveiled and dedicated 26th July 1936. This beautiful symbol of Canada's remembrance, designed by W.S. Allward, Toronto, Ontario, has classic twin shafts which dominate the countryside; 125 feet high on a base 200 feet square, it is a focal point on 250 acres deeded to Canada in perpetuity by France. Inscribed thereon are the names of 11,285 of Canada's 1914-1918 war dead who have no known graves. At Eastertime in April 1917 the Canadian Corps of four divisions, fighting as a unit for the first time, launched a meticulously planned offensive amidst sleet and snow to seize the strategic Vimy Ridge. Commanding an escarpment nine miles long this was one sector of the Allied Front which did not yield in subsequent attacks. Historians refer to the military success at Vimy Ridge as a point in history where Canada emerged from a semi-colonial status to that of full nationhood. Of the 645,925 Canadians who served in World War 1, 66,655 paid the supreme sacrifice; World War II saw 986,936 in the forces, of these 44,893 were fatal casualties. Population figures for Canada during the two wars were approximately 8,000,000 and 11,000,000 respectively. Books of Remembrance in the Peace Tower, Ottawa, list 112,000 Canadians who have died for their country since 1867.

Title: John McCrae, 1872-1918, In Flanders Field

Date of Issue: 15 October 1968

It is appropriate that the Canada Post Office also commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the year in which Lieut.-Col. John McCrae died. A poet and medical doctor, McCrae achieved fame with "In Flanders Fields". Probably the most frequently quoted poem written by a Canadian. Born at Guelph, Ontario, in 1872, John McCrae entered the medical profession serving in the Toronto General Hospital then at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore. He volunteered for the South African War and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Artillery. Returning from overseas he spent some 14 years in medical practice, writing and lecturing at McGill University in Montreal. In 1915, at the age of 43, he was Major McCrae and brigade surgeon of the 1st Brigade Canadian Field Artillery in France; on May 3rd of the same year he composed the memorable and poignant "In Flanders Fields". Rarely was a lasting literary work composed under such adverse and dramatic circumstances, the locale was an artillery dug-out by the Yser Canal during the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The original manuscript, penned on foolscap paper, now in the Public Archives of Canada, differs in minor ways from a more generally known version. Our stamp reproduces the authors own handwriting on the original manuscript, the poem commencing "In Flanders fields the poppies blow". In a subsequent signed copy, presented by McCrae to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, the word "blow" has been changed to "grow"; there remains a question whether the alteration had been intentional. A Major-General wrote: "This poem was literally born of fire and blood". John McCrae succombed to pneumonia at Boulogne, France, on the 28th January 1918, shortly after his promotion to Lieut.-Col. He had not lived to embark upon a new role as commander of the First General Hospital and consulting physician to all British Armies in the field.

Title: Air Force

Date of Issue: 9 November 1984

In England stands a memorial to 20,000 members of Commonwealth air forces lost during World War II in the European Theatre. These fliers have no known graves. The names of 3072 Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) members appear on the memorial, a tribute to the accomplishments of the RCAF and the price its members have paid for Canada's freedom. Historians can trace military flying in Canada back to 1883. More than thirty years later in 1914, Colonel Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence, created the Canadian Aviation Corps, which, at its height, consisted of two officers, one staff sergeants, and one aircraft. The Corps was disbanded in 1915. Many Canadians enlisted in the British flying services for duty during World War I in all areas of military aviation. In 1917 the British air force established a major training scheme in Canada. The Canadian government attempted to form a Canadian Air Force in 1918, but it was dropped after the war. However, in 1920 to government authorized a non-permanent Canadian Air Force. In 1923 King George V bestowed the coveted title "Royal" upon it, and at last in 1924 the RCAF became a permanent part of the Canadian forces. During the 1920's and early 1930's, the RCAF devoted itself to photographing Canada from the air. In addition, it flew search and rescue missions, conducted mercy flights, and performed other vital services. Not until 1937 did military duties greatly outweigh the civilian ones. During World War II, the RCAF distinguished itself overseas. At home, it administered the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which produced over 130,000 aircrew. After a wide variety of postwar service, the RCAF merged with the Canadian Army and Navy in 1968 to form the unified Canadian Armed Forces. The Air Force stamp was designed by William Southern and Ralph Tibbles of Toronto. The design features pilots' flying dress of three different periods: World War I, World War II, and the present.

Title: The Navy

Date of Issue: 8 November 1985

The Royal Canadian Navy was formed in 1910, at the time of the Anglo-German naval arms race. The Canadian parliament looked to the new navy to help preserve "the security of commerce, the safety of the empire, and the peace of the world." In the face of German naval expansion, the Royal Navy began to concentrate its strength in European waters between 1880 and 1906. Gradually naval duties in Canadian waters had to be taken over by vessels of the Department of Marine and Fisheries. In 1902 Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier stated his intention of creating a Canadian navy, but not until the Dreadnought crisis of 1906-08 did circumstances favour development of the idea. The British-designed dreadnought battleships had unmatched firepower, but the German navy quickly developed ships of comparable capabilities. It was clear that German would soon equal Britain in this category, and when German dreadnought construction began to outstrip that of Britain, pressure mounted in the Dominions to lend the mother country a hand. The debate in the Canadian Parliament revealed deep divisions of opinion. Some urged a cash donation to allow the British to build more dreadnoughts. Others advocated what their opponents scornfully called a "tin-pot-navy" of small ships like those in the fisheries protection fleet. Another group feared that a Canadian navy would cause Canada to become embroiled, as in the Boer War, with Britain's imperial conflicts. Although these differences would help to defeat the Liberals in the election of 1911, Sir Wilfrid Laurier's government successfully brought in the Naval Service Act. It received royal assent on 4 May 1910, and the Royal Canadian Navy's first warship, the old British cruiser Niobe, entered Halifax Harbour on 21 October 1910. The Navy stamp was designed by Toronto illustrator William Southern and graphic designer Ralph Tibbles. The design features naval personnel from three time periods: a gunner's mate from HMCS Niobe; a World War II officer in duffel coat; and an enlisted person in the new summer-white dress uniform.

Title: Search and Rescue

Date of Issue: 23 September 1991In conjunction with an international convention of fire chiefs being held in Toronto, four stamps will be issued on September 23, 1991 to draw public focus on four Canada's Dangerous Public Service Occupations: fire-fighting; police; search and rescue; and the ski patrol. Given the large land mass of this country and its lengthy sea coasts, search and rescue has played an important role in the survival of countless thousands of people. As early as 1798, the Government of Nova Scotia established a rescue station with a lifeboat in Sable Island, long known as "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its numerous shipwrecks. Numerous organizations are involved in search and rescue including volunteer groups: police forces; Parks Canada; the Armed Forces; the Department of Fisheries and Oceans; and the Canadian Coast Guard to name a few. Training for this professions is amongst the most rigorous. This can involve up to two years in parachuting, scuba diving, mountain climbing and advanced first aid. This knowledge is combined with the technology necessary to pinpoint distress signals from all types of crafts in trouble.Title: Billy Bishop, Air AceDate of Issue: 12 August 1994Honoured on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Canada's top flying ace during Word War I, Billy Bishop had entered Royal Military College (RMC) in 1911, following his brother Worth (who had achieved the highest grades in the history of the school). But Billy proved a troublesome cadet - not inclined to military discipline. So when Canada entered the war, Billy Bishop left RMC to be commissioned a cavalry officer in the 9th Mississauga Horse. Bishop arrived in England in June, 1915 with the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles. He soon grew weary of the rains and mud and decided flying would be an attractive alternative. He went to France in January, 1916 and spent four months in the "second seat", observing. Accepted for pilot training, he took his solo flight after 2½ hours of training and received his wings in December, 1916, on the eve of "Bloody April, 1917". Royal Flying Corps casualties that month were 238 men killed or missing and 105 wounded. Among them were 45 Canadians. Bishop and other young pilots without much experience entered this fray; they either mastered their aircraft quickly or died. Life expectancy was just three weeks! Pilots flew without parachutes or oxygen masks. Bishop disdained goggles, believing he could shoot better without them. "Shooting" meant firing a fixed, magazine-fed Lewis machine gun mounted on the top wing, just over the pilot's head. To Bishop "it was a battle of skill and wits, free from animosity of any kind, a game more than a war." Often engaging several enemy planes a day while flying alone, Bishop's most famous flight was his Victoria Cross-winning raid on a German airbase near Cambrai, France. He descended through a barrage of small arms fire, shot up three aircraft, and out of ammunition, evaded enemy air patrols, and successfully returned home in a scarred aircraft. Bishop returned to battle as a major in March 1918 after extended leave at home. In June 1918, he decided to have "one last look at war", and in just 15 minutes he scored his final five victories, bringing his total to 72. Many believe this to be the highest total in the RFC.

Title: Ford Model F60L-AMB, 1942-1943, Military Ambulance

Date of Issue: 19 August 1994

Following last year's highly popular souvenir sheet featuring historic Canadian cars, in 1994, Canada Post Corporation presents Public Service Vehicles. These specialty streetcars, wagons, trucks and buses provided public transportation, and assisted in the maintenance of roads and in the provision of essential services. During the Second World War, Canada produced over 850,000 military vehicles for the Allied war effort. The design and mass production was initially coordinated by the Canadian Army Engineering Design Branch following British War Office specifications. However, major car manufacturers like Ford, General Motors and Chrysler ceased commercial production and retooled their plants solely for military use. Coordinated designs utilized as many interchangeable parts as possible. A Three-Ton truck chassis could carry a dozen bodies including Stores, Wrecker, Petrol Tanker, or Ambulance, made by different body builders.

Title: United Nations, 1945-1995

Date of Issue: 24 October 1995

On October 24, 1995, Canada Post Corporation will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) with a stamp depicting Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King signing the UN Charter in San Francisco. The term "United Nations" came into prominence on January 1, 1942, when 26 states (including Canada) signed the Declaration of the United Nations, setting forth the war aims of the Allies and pledging to continue the fight. In 1944, the Dumbarton Oaks proposals led to the San Francisco Conference of 1945. The charter which emerged was signed on June 26, and entered into force October 24, 1995, when a majority of signatories had ratified it. A January 1945 Gallup Poll found that Canadians were overwhelmingly in favour of Canada's membership in the new organization. The seven-member official delegation was non-partisan in nature, and included Prime Minister Mackenzie King, Justice Minister Louis St. Laurent, and Lester B. Pearson, ambassador to the United States. King, St. Laurent and other party leaders (Coldwell of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation [CCF] and Graydon of the Progressive Conservatives) soon left San Francisco because of the approaching Canadian general election. Senior members of External Affairs - "Mike" Pearson, Norman Robertson and Hume Wrong - remained for the duration. Article I sets forth the principal concerns of the United Nations: "international peace and security;" "friendly relations among nations;" and "international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character." Lester Bowles Pearson, Canada's 14th Prime Minister, attended the 1945 UN Conference in San Francisco as our ambassador to the U.S. He entered federal politics in 1948 as Minister of External Affairs. In this capacity, he played a key role in Canada's involvement in the Korean War (1950-1953), and in 1952 was elected president of the UN General Assembly. In 1956, Pearson proposed a UN Peacekeeping force which provided a means for easing the British and French from Egypt. In recognition for the implementation of his plan, Pearson received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. Canada and Peacekeeping are synonymous at the United Nations. Over the years we have provided troops to many UN ventures from super-vision for elections in South Korea in 1947-1948 to the more recent efforts in Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Haiti and Somalia. Our longest mission was the UN Force in Cyprus. Troops served from 1964 until 1993, and 10 Canadians still remain on duty there. Canadians also participated in the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Gulf War (1990-1991). As well as playing a significant role in Peacekeeping, Canada has made valuable contributions in various other endeavours. We are one of the largest contributors to the UN Development Fund. The World Food Program owes a large part of its success to Canadian participation. Canada helped found the World Health Organization (WHO), and Canadian Dr. Brock Chisholm became its first Director General (1948-1953). McGill law professor John Humphrey set up the Division of Human Rights in 1946, and remained head for nearly 20 years. He was largely responsible for writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guiding it to adoption by the General Assembly in 1948. Canada was involved in founding the UN International Children's Fund (UNICEF) in 1946, and also one of the first countries to establish a national committee to raise non-government funds for UNICEF. In 1986, the Nansen Medal was awarded for the first time - not to an individual or an organization - but to "The People of Canada/le peuple canadien" for "providing a new homeland and citizenship to hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing persecution".

Title: The Holocaust, 1933-1945

Date of Issue: 9 November 1995

As the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War draws to a close, Canada is issuing a single stamp on November 9, 1995 to remember those who experienced the horror of the Holocaust. Over six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust, and memories of the Holocaust still haunt many Jews and their families. How could such a horror occur? Long before the Holocaust took place during the Second World War, there was an almost global attitude of anti-Semitism. Many people held false beliefs about Jews, such as the paranoid idea that Jews were trying to take over the world. Even in Canada during the 1930s, Jews faced persecution; they were not allowed on some beaches, and at least one town posted a sign saying that Jews were not welcome there. Following the end of the First World War, the once-proud nation of Germany was in great decline. Many blamed the Jews for the nation's problems. To speed their rise to power, Hitler and the Nazis ruthlessly exploited and promoted these attitudes. Hitler believed that Jews were the tuberculosis of humanity. "We shall be cured", he stated in his ideological justification of the Holocaust, "if we dispose of the Jew." After he came to power in 1933, Hitler imposed laws specifically aimed at Jewish people. The Nuremberg Laws restricted citizenship to those "of German or kindred blood", excluding Jews whose families had lived in Germany more than 1,600 years. Jews were regularly attacked and terrorized in the streets, without recourse. By September 1939, Jews were denied German citizenship. They could not attend public schools, engage in a business or profession, own land, associate with non-Jews, and were ordered to live in ghettos. Many Jews did try to leave Europe during this time, but they did not get very far, as many other countries, including Canada, were unwilling to receive them - such was the mood of the world. It is unknown exactly when Hitler gave orders to begin the "final solution" - the planned genocide of the Jewish people - but it appears to have coincided with the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Nazis had already begun rounding up Jewish people from all over the Europe, stealing their possessions, and concentrating them in ghettos. The Nazis initially began liquidating Jews by shooting them but soon decided that this was not an efficient enough method of killing, so they devised other methods. The Nazis set up a series of death camps in Poland, and by April 1942, Auschwitz - one of the most notorious death camps - was gassing up to 8,00 people per day. Close to two million died there. In 1944, as the Allies closed in on Germany, the Nazis worked feverishly to destroy traces of their atrocities. They marched thousands of slaves and other prisoners and witnesses to factories in Germany. Tens of thousands died in transit. By the end of the war, over six million Jews were dead. Canada opposed the Nazis by force of arms, and ultimately the Allies won. One can only hope that today, 50 years after the end of the Holocaust, Canadians will remember the Holocaust and learn from its harsh lessons, while mourning the millions of lives lost in its madness.

Title: Winnie and Lieutenant Colebourn, White River, 1914

Date of Issue: 1 October 1996

Philatelists of all ages may remember this song- "Deep in the 100 Acre Wood where Christopher Robin plays, you'll find the enchanted neighborhood of Christopher's childhood days...". And who was to be found in that enchanted neighborhood? Why Winnie the Pooh of course, that wisest and most foolish of bears! When International Stamp Month is celebrated in October 1996, Winnie's familiar face will be featured as a part of a commemorative booklet and souvenir sheet on a set of domestic-rate stamps. In this release, Pooh is looking sharp in his most contemporary form designed by the animation wizards at Disney Studios. Some will remember his earlier guises drawn by Ernest Howard Shepard for A.A. Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh." But did you know that the real Winnie was a Canadian? That's right, Winnie-the-bear was born somewhere near a log cabin just outside White River, Ontario. As a young black-bear cub, Winnie had no indication of the fame and fortune that awaited her - that's correct, her. She played, ate berries, and did other regular bear things until her mother was killed and a hunter found the cub, fed her, and brought her to White River. Shortly thereafter, a train passed trough town on its way to Military Camp Valcartier, Quebec. Lt. Harry Colebourn stepped off that train for a breath of fresh air and met the guardian hunter. A young veterinary officer serving with Winnipeg's Fort Garry Horse, Colebourn purchased the cub and stepped back on the train. Born in England, Lt. Colebourn had earned his degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, and had worked for the Department of Agriculture in Winnipeg. His diary for August 24, 1914, reads "On train all day. Bought cub bear at White River, Amt. paid $20.00." He had just left his home and position in Winnipeg to serve with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Europe, and in honour of the Manitoba city, named the cub Winnie. The two became good friends on the journey overseas and arrived safely at Salisbury Plain where the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade was encamped. Winnie stayed in Colebourn's tent, slept under his bed, and became a favorite pet to many of the Canadian soldiers. She played games with the men and followed them around camp like a puppy. But when the unit was ordered to the battlefields of France, Winnie had to be placed with the London Zoo for safekeeping. Mascots and pets were not uncommon among the Canadian soldiers, and the London Zoo records that no fewer than five black bears were presented to them by Canadian units during the first year of the Great War. But Winnie was everyone's favorite. A newspaper story quote a keeper who exclaimed "Never trust a bear!" but went on to exclude Winnie who, he said, "is quite the tamest and best behaved bear we have ever had at the Zoo." Lt. Harry Colebourn never forgot his bear. When on leave from the front, he visited Winnie and had planned to take her back to Canada after the war. When he saw how much she meant to the kids visiting the zoo, however, he changed his mind. Winnie lived to the ripe old age of twenty at the London Zoo. The four stamps making up the Winnie the Pooh set were designed in animation-style in collaboration with Walt Disney Company (Canada) Limited. They will be the subject of very special unveilings. The artwork for the first image (Lt. Colebourn-Winnie) will be released in Toronto at the CN tower on September 16, 1996.

Title: Veterans' Housing

Date of Issue: 23 September 1998

Since the days when only Natives inhabited our vast land, Canadians have been adapting to their local environment, using locally available materials to construct dwellings and build communities. Today, Canada is recognized as a world leader in the housing, Canada Post will issue a pane of nine domestic-rate Housing stamps this September. Each stamp focuses on one of Canada's celebrated housing structures, with images that evoke the social, environmental, cultural and technological contexts in which these homes were built. During World War II, Victory Homes were introduced to house employees of defence-related industries. Partially prefabricated, Victory Homes were available in two models: bungalow or one-and-a-half storey. Only 245 square metres in area (800 square feet), each had only one bathroom, a small kitchen, no basement and no furnace. Updated and renovated, many Victory Homes are still part of Canada's architectural landscape today. On the occasion of the Heritage Canada Foundation's 25th anniversary, Canada Post salutes its valuable efforts and recognizes, too, the more than 50 years of service which the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has provided to Canadian dwellers across the country.

Series - Naval Vessels

Issued 4 November 1998

Hats off to the Canadian Naval reserve on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. To commemorate this time in military history, this November Canada Post will issue a set of two domestic-rate stamps - one featuring HMCS "Sackville" and the second HMCS "Shawinigan". Headquartered now in Quebec City, Canada's Naval Reserve has provided Maritime Command, and the Royal Canadian Navy before it, with trained personnel for combat and naval support for three-quarters of a century. During the Second World War, reservists played a critical role, supplying the Canadian fleet with the majority of naval personnel.. known as Canada's 'second navy', reservists were trained but untested sailors recruited from every walk of civilian life. They were manning ships deemed too small for command by professional naval officers. Foremost among these small ships was the corvette. The corvette was the Navy's basic anti-submarine vessel during World War II. Based on the design of a whale-catcher, the corvette had an overall length of 63 metres and a beam of 10 metres. Maximum speed was only about 16 knots, but the corvette was highly manoeuvrable. In fact, it was the only Allied warship with a turning circle tighter than that of a German U-boat. The primary form of armament aboard the corvette was the depth charge, but a single, 10-centimetre gun, a one-kilogram pom-pom and machine guns could be used against surfaced subs, or for anti-aircraft attack.

Title: HMCS Shawinigan

HMCS "Shawinigan" was the name of a corvette that sailed from Sydney, Cape Breton Nov. 24, 1944. Tragically, she was torpedoed in the Cabot Strait and all 90 officers and men aboard perished. A Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel was commissioned in Trois-Rivières, Québec in June of last year. This vessel was Christened HMCS "Shawinigan" by Mme Alice Chrétien, wife of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, a native of Shawinigan. Designed by Dennis Page of Page & Wood Inc. in Halifax, each stamp captures its feature vessel at sea with sailors in the background. "For 10 years I've been looking out my office window here in Halifax, seeing navy ships coming and going", Page said, "The inspiration for the design came from these memories of ships and naval personnel lined up on deck, shoulder to shoulder, coming and going in Halifax Harbour". Photography for HMCS "Shawinigan" was supplied by the Canadian Forces.

Title: HMCS Sackville

HMCS "Sackville" is the last surviving Canadian corvette. Launched in May 1941, HMCS "Sackville" escorted numerous convoys during the war, participated in attacks against German U-boats, and rescued survivors of torpedoed ships. In 1944, the vessel became a training ship and, in 1968, she was refitted as an acoustic research vessel for operation by DND on behalf of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. Designed by Dennis Page of Page & Wood Inc. in Halifax, each stamp captures its feature vessel at sea with sailors in the background. "For 10 years I've been looking out my office window here in Halifax, seeing navy ships coming and going", Page said, "The inspiration for the design came from these memories of ships and naval personnel lined up on deck, shoulder to shoulder, coming and going in Halifax Harbour". Images for HMCS "Sackville" were taken from archival photos.

Title: Pauline Vanier and Elizabeth Smellie: The Humanitarian Work of Women in Time of War

Date of Issue: 17 January 2000

January's series of four Millennium souvenir sheets features, among others, Lester B. Pearson, Terry Fox and CIDA. These bold 112-by-108 mm souvenir sheets frame four 36-by-48 mm stamps in thematic groupings that celebrate Canadian giants in fields as diverse as medicine, finance, peacekeeping and international development. The wife of future Governor General Georges Vanier, Pauline Vanier served as a Red Cross volunteer in Paris during and after the Second World War. Elizabeth Smellie, the first female colonel in the Canadian Army, headed nursing services at home and abroad during both World Wars and organized the Canadian Women's Army Corps.

Title: Canada's Historic Role in Banning Land Mines

Date of Issue: 17 January 2000

January's series of four Millennium souvenir sheets features, among others, Lester B. Pearson, Terry Fox and CIDA. These bold 112-by-108 mm souvenir sheets frame four 36-by-48 mm stamps in thematic groupings that celebrate Canadian giants in fields as diverse as medicine, finance, peacekeeping and international development. Canada has played an integral role in banning anti-personal landmines, which claim an average of 500 victims a week. In 1997, 122 countries signed the historic Ottawa Convention prohibiting the use of these devices and calling for their destruction.

Title: Royal Military College of Canada, 1876-2001

Date of Issue: 1 June 2001

Since it first opened its doors in 1876, The Royal Military College of Canada has been the training ground for the cream of Canada's military elite. Some of those who passed through its gates went on to fight in two world wars and the Korean War, some travelled to other countries to uphold freedom and democracy, while some even travelled to the far reaches of space. The founding of The Royal Military College (RMC), goes back to the withdrawal of most British troops from Canada shortly after confederation. It was decided that instead of sending candidates to England for training, a facility would be set up to teach everything from military tactics to the sciences. Chosen because of its strong ties to past military and naval activity, Kingston was destined to become the home of the RMC and its first enrolees, the "Old Eighteen." During the First World War over 900 graduates of RMC went to war, serving with either British or Canadian forces overseas. In 1939, during the Second World War the RMC once again sent its finest into the battle, and of the 1,358 ex-cadets who served, 114 would never return. During The Second World War, several RMC graduates played key roles in the Allied victory, including General Henry Crerar, commander of the 1st Canadian Army. Today the RMC is Canada's only remaining military college, living up to its motto of "Truth-Duty-Valour." State-of-the-art training keeps candidates up to date on the latest technological advances. With a father in the Canadian military, artist Jim Hudson was the perfect choice for designing a stamp to commemorate 125 years of the RMC''s existence. Reflecting the RMCs traditions of precision and balance, Jim's design personifies the history, the courage and the pageantry of those who attended one of Canada's most revered military establishment. An award-winning member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, Jim Hudson has put together a stamp that is more than just a collection of images. He has given us reminder of the past and of those who gave their all to defend freedom.

Title: Canadian Rangers

Date of Issue: 3 March 2003

Without the Canadian Rangers, it would be difficult - in some cases, impossible - for our military personnel to defend and provide humanitarian assistance to Canadians in many parts of our country. They are the "eyes and ears" of the community, and vital members of the Canadian Forces. Canada Post salutes the Canadian Rangers with a single domestic rate stamp ($0.48) available in a pane of 16. Formed on March 3, 1942 in response to the threat of Japanese attack, the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (PCMR) patrolled and watched the coasts from the Queen Charlotte Islands to the U.S. border, and were prepared to provide immediate local defence in an emergency situation. The Rangers grew in size to eventually become almost 15,000 men in 115 companies. On May 23, 1947, the Canadian Rangers were formally established as a Corps of the Reserve Militia, expanding to include other remote and coastal parts of Canada. These heirs of the PCMR currently number over 3,800 men and women in 160 Ranger Patrols in five groups from the Pacific to the Atlantic and into the far north. On April 30, 1998, the Ministry of National Defence authorized the Junior Canadian Rangers program. The aim of this program is "to promote traditional cultures and lifestyles by offering a variety of structured activities to young people (ages 12 to 18) living in remote and isolated communities of Canada." Currently, there are more than 2,300 Junior Canadian Rangers in 87 communities across Canada. All Canadian Rangers receive basic training that spans basic drill, rifle training, general military knowledge, navigation, first aid, and communications. This training enables the Canadian Rangers to carry out myriad duties, including monitoring and reporting suspicious activity, collecting local data, and conducting surveillance/sovereignty patrols. They also assist in search and rescue operations and report unidentified vessels within Canadian waters in order to counter illegal immigration. The Canadian Rangers stamp was designed by Oliver Hill and Dennis Page of Page & Wood Inc. in Halifax. Design elements include a close-up image of a red-capped Ranger looking through binoculars, and snow-capped peaks reflected in the lenses. The design, Page explains, is intended to convey "a strong visual statement that communicates the Canadian Rangers' motto: Vigilans," which translates as "The Watchers." As Page sees it, "Canada has many remote areas to watch over and protect, and the northern wilderness reflected in the binocular lenses helps identify the important role the Canadian Rangers play in protecting our North." Dennis Page's previous design work for Canada Post includes the 1999 two-stamp Naval Vessels set and the Millennium Collection's Killam stamp.

Title: Korean War

Date of Issue: 25 July 2003

On June 25, 1950, war broke out when North Korea invaded South Korea. The war was brought to an end on July 27, 1953 with the signing of the Korea Armistice in Panmunjom, North Korea. On the 50th anniversary of this occasion, Canada Post issues a single domestic rate ($0.48) stamp to recognize and honour those who served with bravery and courage in the Canadian army, navy and air force as part of the UN forces. The commemorative stamp is available to collectors in a unique pane of 16 featuring a gutter in the centre of the pane. In July 1950, Canada sent three Royal Canadian Navy destroyers (HMCS Cayuga, HMCS Athabaskan, and HMCS Sioux) to the Yellow Sea, and deployed Royal Canadian Air Force No. 426 squadron to transport troops and goods to Japan. Canada also dispatched an infantry brigade, and provided 22 fighter pilots to the U.S. Air Force. December 1950 saw the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) arrive in Korea, followed in May by the rest of the troops that formed the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade (2nd battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Royal 22nd Regiment). In Kapyong, Canadians won fame in the spring of 1951 by driving back advancing Communist Chinese Army forces in a key sector. The bravery of these men of the PPCLI was rewarded with the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation for Valour; awarded for "outstanding heroism and exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services." Other engagements included battles at Chail'li and on Hill 355. After the armistice was signed, troops from the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and Canadian Guards served along the 38th parallel. In total, 21,940 Canadian soldiers and approximately 3,600 sailors saw service in Korea. Of this number, approximately 500 gave their lives. Designed by Steven Slipp, this stamp features a photojournalistic presentation of our forces in Korea. Depicted, from left to right, are an F-86 Sabre of the type flown by Canadian Air Force pilots, shown on an American base in Korea; navy personnel hauling in a line while patrolling the Korean coast; and infantry men holding the line in the hills of Central Korea.

Title: Royal Canadian Army Cadets, 1879-2004

Date of Issue: 26 March 2004

Army cadets earn stars as they master training skills, progressing from green to red, silver to gold (green for basic skills, red for a model cadet, silver for new leaders, and gold for experienced leaders). But some cadets don't stop there. Myriam Bédard first entered a biathlon competition as a cadet, and went on to win two Olympic gold medals for Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics. The vivid colours of the domestic rate (49¢) stamp issued for the 125th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets (RCAC) celebrate the exuberance and high aspirations of youth. "It's a very bold, silhouette-style design, with a clean, modern look that's appropriate for young people," says Danielle Trottier, Design Manager of Stamp Products at Canada Post. "The bright shades of green, red and yellow are a direct reference to the star levels in the cadet training system." They're also the colours of the changing maple, whose leaf forms part of the cadet insignia and its anniversary logo. While these don't appear on the stamp, cadets may recognize the indirect reference to their motto acer acerpori, "as the maple, so the sapling." Designed by André Perro of the Toronto firm Smith-Boake Designwerke Inc., the stamp is printed in eight process colours. Crisp white typography accents the brilliant colours, and evokes the precision and discipline under which cadets train. The cadet program emerged shortly after Confederation, when Canada began building an army to replace British forces, most of which had departed. A new emphasis on training brought about the establishment of drill associations for young men of school age. These first cadets were issued uniforms and equipment so they could acquire military skills, but they were not part of the army. This is still the case, 125 years later. Cadets still wear uniforms, handle rifles to train for the biathlon or marksmanship competitions, and practice military drills for ceremonial purposes, but the RCAC is essentially a federally-sponsored youth program. Cadets meet regularly for sports, physical fitness, and outdoor adventure training-rappelling, orienteering, trekking, and camping. The focus is on having fun in an environment that fosters leadership and active citizenship, building bright hopes and bold dreams for the future. For more information, visit: www.cadets.ca.

Title: D-Day, 06.06.44, Juno Beach, Normandy

Date of Issue: 6 June 2004

Lest we forget, it has been sixty years since Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. Canadian forces were there on D-Day to begin the liberation of western Europe. "Our intention is to honour the survivors and their fallen colleagues while the events of June 6, 1944 remain within living memory," says Bill Danard, Design Manager of Stamp Products. Canada Post is issuing a single domestic rate (49¢) commemorative stamp on the sixtieth anniversary of D-Day, to coincide with memorials across the country. It's not the first time the Normandy landings have been remembered philatelically. In 1994, for their fiftieth anniversary, Canada Post issued three stamps commemorating both the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign that followed under the title The Second World War, 1944, Victory in Sight. "We have a slightly different focus for this sixtieth anniversary stamp," says Danard. "Our visual imagery for this stamp concentrates on the initial landings and the Juno Beach sectors of the Normandy coastline. We're specifically honouring those Canadian troops who participated in the June 6 operation." It's significant that the first landings are not represented with a candid, action photograph taken during these pivotal moments. The 1994 stamp features a photograph of a later stage of the D-Day operation, once the beaches had been secured. "Neither the British nor the Canadian governments would allow combat photographers to accompany the troops for the very first stages of the landings," says Danard. The Normandy coastline was chosen for the Allied landings because it was less heavily fortified than areas such as the Pas de Calais, where the English Channel narrows. After five years of war, the German forces occupying France had created an "Atlantic Wall". The Allied plan for breaching it involved ground forces from Canada, Britain and the United States working together with naval and air support in the largest combined operation in history. The Canadian landing site was code-named Juno Beach. By midday on June 6, 1944, the beachhead had been won, and by nightfall, Canadians had penetrated further inland than any other Allied seaborne forces. But on that single day, there were over a thousand Canadian casualties, including 359 dead. "With the imagery of this stamp we aimed to capture the experience of the very first Canadian troops to land on Juno Beach that day," says Danard. "We tried to balance a sense of the victory achieved with an acknowledgment of the human price."

Series – Victoria Cross

Issued 21 October 2004

There's a reason it looks bronze. Each Victoria Cross is cast from the bronze of cannons captured from the Russians during the siege of Sebastopol, during the Crimean War. Reproducing the exact colour of the medal was just one of the challenges Pierre-Yves Pelletier faced when designing the stamps commemorating Canadians who have received this distinguished military decoration. Introduced by Queen Victoria, the Victoria Cross is awarded for conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy. The first Canadian recipient was Lieutenant Alexander Roberts Dunn, who fought at Balaklava during the Crimean War, in the battle made famous by Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Amid the withdrawal on October 25, 1854, Dunn deliberately turned his horse back and attacked oncoming Russian riders, allowing a fellow soldier to escape. On the 150th anniversary of that action, Canada Post has issued two domestic rate (49¢) stamps to honour all 94 Canadians who have received the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth's highest military decoration for bravery. The stamp, showing an actual medal, is based on photographs provided by the Canadian War Museum. The medal is one of 26 held in the museum's collections, but Canada Post asked that all identifying marks be removed from the photos, so the recipient would remain anonymous even to the stamp's designers. "We didn't want to single out any one -individual as more important than the others," says Bill Danard, Manager of Stamp Products at Canada Post. Working with the photos, Pelletier undertook the painstaking task of mapping out the stamp's embossing. "I designed all the levels of relief needed to create the die," he says. "After deciding exactly which features to emboss, I did detailed line-work, with separate diagrams identifying each level for every part of the medal." As for colour and finish, "the medal has no gloss at all, so we used a dry varnish to reproduce this dull effect," Pelletier says. The second stamp depicts an illustration. In 1993, Queen Elizabeth II approved a Canadian Victoria Cross, similar to the original in every respect save the inscription "Pro valore," a Latin version of "For valour." As no Canadian medal has yet been awarded, none have been created. The stamp reproduces the design approved by the Queen, complete with her signature. Pelletier also drew the illustration for the unique pane of 16 stamps, over which is printed the names of all 94 Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross. Special perforating patterns were developed for the sheet to ensure these names were not broken up, an additional mark of respect for these distinguished Canadians.

The Canadian Victoria Cross with its Imperial counterpart on a 2004 Canadian postage stamp unveiled by Smokey Smith, V.C.

Title: Battle of the Atlantic

Date of Issue: 29 April 2005

It's an epic story that spanned an ocean, with a cast of thousands and the future of western democracy at stake. The vast tale of the Battle of the Atlantic holds enough history to make more than a few full-length films. Derek Sarty's design challenge was to reduce this story, in all its complexity, to one small, stamp-sized frame. The war at sea was the longest battle of the Second World War and, in the harsh waters of the North Atlantic, Canadians made a crucial contribution. The Allied war effort depended on convoys of supply ships that crossed these stormy seas, stalked by enemy submarines. Early in the war, the Royal Canadian Navy began sailing with the convoys to protect these vital supply ships. Outnumbered and ill equipped, our naval forces succeeded in keeping the sea lanes open, but at a high cost. By the war's end, 22 Canadian naval ships had been lost, and more than 4,000 Canadians had died, including 2,000 RN, 750 RCAF and 1,650 Merchant Marines. Each year we remember their sacrifice on Battle of the Atlantic Sunday, the first Sunday in May. For this year's commemorative ceremonies, Canada Post is issuing a single domestic rate (50¢) stamp that portrays the war at sea in vivid period photographs. Sarty selected these images from the extensive files of the Maritime Command Museum in Halifax. "Most of the photos from this period were taken by amateurs on duty in the roughest conditions imaginable, so they're often unfocused, grainy and scratched - of little use when creating a stamp," he says. The images Sarty found he could use were professionally scanned from original black-and-white photographs in the collections of Library and Archives Canada and the Marcom Museum. These high-quality digital versions were cleaned, sized, adjusted and colourized. Then Sarty assembled them into a composite image that plunges the viewer into the midst of a harrowing high-seas battle. In the sky, the coastlines of eastern North America and western Europe mark the boundaries of the threatre of operations," Sarty says. "In the convoy of vessels on the horizon, a supply ship has just been torpedoed. Survivors from another torpedoed ship struggle in life boats and in the sea. A sailor lookout is on high alert as a Canadian Navy corvette springs into action. But a German U-boat has already set its sights on its next target, the corvette." To heighten the visual drama, Sarty added fields of colour in nautical tones reminiscent of the period, which also suggest the harsh conditions of the North Atlantic. Assembling this composite image required weeks of fine detail work. For example, Sarty digitally close-cropped the entire corvette, outlining each wire, bump, knob and figure. "I know every detail of that ship intimately now," he laughs. "But the effort is worthwhile. With stamp designs, it's important to err on the side of excellence."

Title: Canadian War Museum, Lest We Forget

Date of Issue: 6 May 2005

Remembrance is the reason Canada's War Museum exists. It is a living memorial to those who have served in the nation's armed forces, preserving their history and educating the public about their sacrifices. This spring, as construction of the museum's new building in Ottawa is completed, it's easy to see this emphasis on the living. The structure expresses architecturally the idea of regeneration, showing how the terrible wounds of war slowly heal over time, in nature, societies and individuals. We experience war as a society, but we remember it in profoundly individual ways. This is what inspired Tiit Telmet and Marko Barac, who designed the domestic rate (50¢) stamp honouring the Canadian War Museum's new home. "The human aspect was key," Telmet says. "We felt it was important to find symbols that would let viewers put themselves into the image, because visitors to the museum respond to its call for remembrance in very personal ways." The central image of the stamp is the Memorial Cross GRV, best known as the Silver Cross, awarded to wives and mothers of fallen servicemen. "This puts the focus on survivors," says Telmet. "It's a reminder that war affects everyone, certainly the soldiers, who were mostly men, but also their families and the women they left behind." The stamp is being issued in time for the War Museum's official re-opening on May 8, a date that marks the 60th anniversary of the Second World War victory in Europe. The handwritten letter in the stamp's background represents the private experience of war, and the candle signifies remembrance. The silhouetted figures show that individuals keep memories alive by educating young people about our history. The ribbon from the Korean War medal and from duty in Cyprus remind us of the role of Canadian troops in United Nations operations. Other elements portrayed on the stamp were carefully chosen to represent a range of historical time periods. The lines of Morse code, which run along the top and bottom edges of the stamp, repeat a significant architectural feature of the new building. The museum is portrayed on the stamp in an architect's drawing, which is how Telmet first saw the structure when he began his design work almost two years ago. This view of its east end profiles the bold fin that points toward the Peace Tower on nearby Parliament Hill. Visible from this angle, microscopically on the stamp, are the windows shaped and positioned to display in Morse code the phrase "Lest we forget / N'oublions jamais." See "About the Museum" on the Canadian War Museum's website at www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/cwme.asp.