Issue date: April 29, 2020
From Canada Post:
Canada Post is issuing two stamps symbolically honouring every Canadian who served overseas and on the home front to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945), when Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces, ending the Second World War in Europe.
The stamps tell the stories of Private Léo Major, who fought to liberate the Netherlands, and factory worker Veronica Foster, who helped recruit women to the wartime workforce. Together, they represent the more than two million Canadian men and women who played a key role in the Allied victory.
The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 PERMANENT domestic-rate stamps (130,000 booklets/1.3 million stamps), five of each design, as well as two Official First Day Covers (7,000 each design). The stamps were designed by Ivan Novotny and printed by the Lowe-Martin.
There will not be an “unveiling event” for the stamps, but Canada Post promises a special video will be made available online. 
Both Léo Major and Veronica Foster have passed away.
In response to a Virtual Stamp Club inquiry, Canada Post’s Joy Parks tell us “Major died on October 12, 2008, and was buried at the Last Post Fund National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire. Foster passed away on May 4, 2000.”
Canada Post had full cooperation from their families.
The Day-of-Issue press release:
[press release]
Canada Post honours the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day
Two stories of Canadians mark the defeat of the Nazi regime.
OTTAWA, April 29, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Post unveiled two stamps honouring every Canadian who served overseas and on the home front to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945), when Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces, ending the Second World War in Europe.
The stamps tell the stories of Private Léo Major, who fought to liberate the Netherlands, and factory worker Veronica Foster, who helped recruit women to the wartime workforce. Together, they symbolize the more than two million Canadian men and women who played a key role in the Allied victory.
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.
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.
The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic-rate stamps, five of each design, as well as two Official First Day Covers. The stamps were designed by Ivan Novotny, Taylor Sprules Corporation, and printed by the Lowe-Martin Group.
Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca/shop.
