Remembrance Day stamps honour ‘farmerettes’ and ‘Soldiers of the Soil’

This Remembrance Day, Canada Post pays tribute to young Canadians who supported the war effort by working on the home front. The new stamp issue commemorates the “farmerettes” and “Soldiers of the Soil,” whose hard work on Canadian farms ensured food security both at home and for Allied troops overseas during the First and Second World Wars.

“These stamps highlight the essential contributions of the young men and women who kept Canada’s farms productive during wartime,” Canada Post said in a recent statement, emphasizing that their efforts were critical in sustaining agricultural production when most able-bodied men were serving abroad. Through the federal and provincial programs that enlisted youth to farm, these individuals kept Canada’s food supply chain stable during an era of great need.

Canada Post explained that Canada played a lead role in producing food for Britain and Allied forces, adding that wartime food production required extensive civilian support on the home front. Programs like Ontario’s Farm Service Corps and the federal Soldiers of the Soil initiative filled a crucial gap, as young Canadians took on responsibilities usually handled by adults.

During the First World War, the Ontario government created the Farm Service Corps to enlist high-school girls to work on farms, where they became known as “farmerettes.” Canada Post shared that “these young women worked up to 10 hours a day in fields, orchards, and canneries, helping supply food directly for Canadians and the war effort.” Many paid their own room and board from their wages, bringing both dedication and resilience to this challenging role. Their efforts continued in the Second World War, when over 20,000 young women joined Ontario’s Farmerette Brigade to support the national effort.

The Soldiers of the Soil initiative, launched by the federal government in 1918, recruited over 22,000 teenage boys to work on Canada’s farms. “These boys performed essential agricultural tasks—planting, harvesting, and livestock care—when the country’s workforce was stretched thin,” according to Canada Post. After their term, many were “honourably discharged” and received bronze lapel badges in recognition of their contribution, often presented in community ceremonies.

Produced by Lowe-Martin, the two-stamp set includes archival photos that capture the essence of wartime farm labour. The Soldiers of the Soil stamp shows teenage boys harvesting flax near Willowdale, Ontario, circa 1917, while the Farmerettes stamp features four members of the Farmerettes Brigade taking a break from hoeing celery in Thedford, Ontario, in 1945.

The release includes a booklet of 10 Permanent domestic-rate stamps, two Official First Day Covers, and a pane of six stamps. Canada Post noted that the Soldiers of the Soil stamp is cancelled in La Rivière, Manitoba, and the Farmerettes stamp is cancelled in St. Catharines, Ont., both significant areas for wartime agriculture.

As Canada Post remarked, “This Remembrance Day, these stamps serve as a powerful reminder of the invaluable contributions made by Canada’s home-front heroes, whose dedication helped sustain both the nation and the troops.” The stamps are available at postal outlets across Canada and online at canadapost.ca.

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