Canada Post released today a poignant stamp to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the official adoption of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Canada. The release coincides with the launch of The Royal Canadian Legion’s 2021 National Poppy* Campaign, which begins the last Friday of October each year.
Canada Post has a long history of commemorating Remembrance Day and Canada’s military history through its stamp program. The Legion’s annual campaign is a highly visible way for Canadians to honour veterans and those who have fallen in Canada’s military.
The concept behind this special stamp was not only to immortalize the crimson flower, but also offer another way to remember the more than 117,000 Canadians who died for their country.
While the poppy is distributed freely, the Legion accepts donations to the Poppy Fund. Money raised helps to provide veterans and their families with financial assistance and other support. Millions of poppies are distributed in Canada every year, raising close to $20 million annually.
About the remembrance poppy
During the First World War, the appearance of the bright red flowers on the battlefields in France and Belgium inspired Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, to pen the poem “In Flanders Fields” in May 1915, after he lost a friend in the Second Battle of Ypres. Moved by his words, a number of women and charities began to create poppies made of fabric as a memorial and to raise funds for veterans and families of the fallen. The Great War Veterans’ Association of Canada (the Legion’s predecessor) officially adopted the poppy as a symbol of remembrance on July 6, 1921. Canada’s first National Poppy Campaign launched later that year.
About the stamp issue
Blair Thomson of the Believe in studio designed the stamp, which was printed by Colour Innovations. The poppy’s red ink was created specially to match the crimson of the poppy, while metallic ink was used for the pinhead. A stark white background provided the contrast that makes the image pop. On the Official First Day Cover, the cancel features a stylized “100” to mark the poppy’s centennial as a symbol.
The Remembrance Poppy issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover. Both products are available at canadapost.ca and post offices across the country.
SOURCE Canada Post
