(Photo Courtesy, Canada Post)

By Veronica Beltran

Honouring 75th Victory in Europe Day

Canada Post celebrates 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe with one-of-a-kind stamps

May 8, 2020 | 10:57 AM

OTTAWA—Canada Post unveiled two stamps in honour of the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe.

The stamps showcase photos of Private Leo Major, who fought to liberate the Netherlands, and factory worker Veronica Foster, who helped recruit women to the wartime workforce.

(Photo Courtesy, Canada Post)

A release by Canada Post says that “together (the two) symbolize the more than two million Canadian men and women who played a key role in the Allied victory.

Private Major’s story:

ckpg news special

The Resource Reality

10h ago

Crime

Paramedics injured after object thrown through ambulance window

Apr 03, 2026

BC Seniors Advocate

Wait times too long: BC Seniors Advocate

Apr 02, 2026

In April 1945, Private Major, of the Canadian Army’s Régiment de la Chaudière, was part of the Allied force advancing rapidly through Holland, liberating Dutch civilians from years of brutal Nazi occupation.

Known as the “One-eyed Ghost” after a bomb blast left him with only partial vision, Major and his friend Corporal Welly Arsenault had volunteered to scout the German-occupied Dutch town of Zwolle. When Arsenault was killed early in the mission, Major took revenge by storming the enemy outposts alone. Tricking the Germans into believing they were under full attack, he single-handedly captured dozens of prisoners and, with the help of the local resistance, forced the enemy’s retreat.

Major earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the lasting gratitude of the townspeople for his heroism.

Veronica Foster’s story:

Canada’s military and economy were supported by unprecedented numbers of Canadian women who filled vital roles in factories and on farms during the war. Foster was among them.

A vivacious and patriotic young woman, she spent her days assembling Bren machine guns at a factory in Toronto, where she was discovered.

The Canadian government created a powerful promotional campaign around “Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl,” motivating a generation of women to roll up their sleeves to support the Allied effort. Foster is thought to have inspired the creation of the fictional “Rosie the Riveter” character in ads that later appeared in the United States.

Video versions explaining their stories can be found here.

The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent domestic-rate stamps, five of each design, as well as two Official First Day Covers.