After the First World War or "The Great War" as it was then known, some 560,000 Canadians returned home with little or no security, work skills or job opportunities. To assist their return to civilian life, The Great War Veterans Association of Canada was formed in 1917.

The Young Men's Christian Association, or YMCA as it became known, came to life in London, England in 1844. Originally a place for Christian men to meet for prayer, Bible study and fellowship, the YMCA quickly established itself as a place of spiritual improvement, and soon became a model for similar societies around the world.

They're as much a part of the Christmas season as carols, fragrant pines and the joyous exchange of gifts between friends and families. In fact, Christmas lights have become such an integral part of seasonal traditions in North America that it's hard to envision a time when neither electricity nor colourful, sparkling Christmas lights existed.

Universally recognized as the inventors of the hot air balloon, Brothers Joseph Michel and Jacques Étienne de Montgolfier discovered that heated air collected in a bag would cause it to rise.

This year, Canada Post is proud to mark the anniversaries of two of Canada's most prestigious theatres: Montréal's Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and London's Grand Theatre.

Ever-popular Picture Postage^TM gets a new look.

First manufactured in the holy city of Fez, Morocco, the distinctive red fez is an enduring symbol of the Shrine of North America. Equally enduring is their legacy: a network of specialized hospitals that have provided expert orthopaedic and burn care to children - free of charge - for over 75 years. On September 19, 2001, Canada Post will issue a single domestic rate stamp honouring the Shriners.

Canada Post's immensely popular Masterpieces of Canadian Art series continues to showcase the finest work of Canada"s greatest visual artists. Fourteenth in the series is the 1965 oil-on-canvas painting entitled The Space Between Columns #21 (Italian) by Jack Shadbolt, one of the most important Canadian painters of his generation.

One of the most significant diplomatic events in the history of North America took place in 1701 when New France and more than 30 First Nations signed the Great Peace Treaty of Montréal, officially ending nearly a century of conflict and introducing a new era of peace between the French, their First Nations allies and the Iroquois. On August 3, 2001, Canada Post will issue a single domestic rate commemorative stamp to mark the 300^th anniversary of the Great Peace.

Beloved for their beauty and fragrance, roses were cultivated by the Ancient Greeks to make perfumed oils and by the Romans for use in cosmetics, remedies and foods. Today, the rose is a symbol of love and a source of inspiration for garden-ers, painters and poets around the world.

He was named "top Canadian newsmaker of the 20th century" in December 1999. He implemented the Official Languages Act, Wage and Price controls, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and worked the War Measures Act. He appointed the first woman Speaker in the House of Commons and Canada's first woman Governor-General. He vowed to keep the state out of the nation's bedrooms. On July 1st, 2001, Canada Post will issue a single domestic rate stamp to commemorate the life and career of Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

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In 1912, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) was founded by 17 national athletic federations. Their goal was to establish guidelines on the use of equipment and the parameters of world records in amateur athletics. In Europe and other parts of the world, "athletics" is the term used to describe what we in North America know as "track and field".

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. Located in Kingston, Ontario, the RMC is the only remaining college of its kind in Canada. A single stamp, designed by Jim Hudson of Moncton, features a dynamic and striking "Standing on Guard" theme to portray the commitment, discipline and standards of excellence the RMC represents. The stamp was issued on June 1, 2001 in Kingston, Ontario.

When Armenia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD, it became the first nation in the world to do so. The year 2001 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Armenian Apostolic Church. A single commemorative stamp, designed by Debbie Adams, features elements important to the Armenian Church: a Khachkar (cross stone), an image of Christ, and detail from ancient text. The stamp was issued on May 16, 2001, in Toronto, Ontario.

This stamp set was created to promote the beauty and diversity of Canadian tourist attractions. Each of the ten stamps presents an attraction from a different area of the country. Designers Catharine Bradbury and Jennifer Hood of Regina used images supplied by ten photographers to capture the essence of each attraction. Two booklets of five stamps were issued on May 11, 2001 - a US rate booklet and an international rate booklet.

Remembering a vital link in Canada's war effort

For the first time, Canada will host the Summit of the Americas - a gathering of leaders from North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. On April 20 - 22, 2001, democratically elected heads of government from the 34 member nations will gather in Quebec City to address common hemispheric challenges. Denis L'Allier of Montreal designed the single stamp commemorating the Third Summit of the Americas. The stamp was issued on April 20, 2001 in Quebec City, Quebec.

The year 2001 marks the 25th anniversary of the Toronto Blue Jays, one of the most successful baseball franchises in history. Designer Paul Haslip of Toronto designed a special logo to commemorate the club's 25th anniversary and incorporated this into the existing Blue Jays logo. Haslip then took the illustrated baseball and replaced it with a three-dimensional ball and rendered the words "Canada 47" to look like a player's autograph. The self-adhesive stamp was issued on April 9, 2001 in Toronto, Ontario.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the transfer of the Post Office from British to Canadian administration, Canada Post created this special stamp-on-stamp featuring Canada's first postage stamp, the Three Pence Beaver. Designer Tom Yakobina of Montreal superimposed the original stamp, which was designed by Sir Sandford Fleming, over a modern background. The 2001 Three Pence Beaver was issued on April 6, 2001 in Ottawa, Ontario.

The world's finest figure skaters will meet in Vancouver between March 19 and 25 to compete in the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships. With 220 skaters from some 50 countries expected to participate, the 2001 Championships will draw approximately 175,000 spectators from Canada and around the world. To commemorate this show of skill, grace and strength, Canada Post has issued four domestic rate stamps, each portraying one of the four events of the World Figure Skating Championships: men's singles; women's singles; pairs; and ice dancing.

In a unique combination of sporting and cultural competition, the Games of La Francophonie showcase athletes and artists from more than 50 countries in which French is a first, official, or culturally significant language. Every four years these nations meet and celebrate their cultural similarities and diversities in one of the member countries. The IV Games of La Francophonie will be held in Ottawa-Hull between July 14 and July 24 with 2,600 competitors from around the world in attendance. Two commemorative stamps issued by Canada Post illustrate the main components of the Games: sports competition and cultural competition, which includes singing, dance, storytelling and literature.

This release is the sixth and final issue in the immensely popular Birds of Canada series from Canada Post. General collectors value this series for its stunning illustrations of Canada's abundant bird life while thematic collectors appreciate its portrayal of many different species. The four domestic rate stamps feature the Lapland longspur, named for a long curved claw on its hind toe; the Arctic tern, a traveller between Canada's Arctic region and Antarctica; the golden eagle, a strong and agile hunter; and the rock ptarmigan, the tundra's master of camouflage.

As fans and players alike gear up for the 2001 NHL All-Stars weekend taking place February 2-4 in Denver, Colorado, Canada Post shines the spotlight on six of Canada's hockey legends. Jean Béliveau, Terry Sawchuk, Eddie Shore, Denis Potvin, Bobby Hull and Syl Apps grace this special souvenir sheet of six domestic rate stamps, a tribute to Canada's greats and the glorious history of the NHL.

Two commemorative stamps issued by Canada Post celebrate the Year of Snake, commencing January 24, 2001 and ending February 11, 2002. Many artists collaborated to create this issue, including designer Marlene Wou, jade sculptor Lyle Sopel, and calligrapher Yukman Lai. Wou chose a jade sculpture as the background because the semi-precious stone has long been valued by the Chinese culture. The stamps, were issued on January 5, 2001 and launched in Winnipeg, Manitoba.