News Release

June 1, 2000 - For immediate Release 

CANADA POST UNVEILS BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CANADA 
STAMP TO MARK CENTENNIAL OF COUNTRY'S FIRST CLUB 

Saint John - Canada Post offered birthday greetings to the country's oldest club for young people today, marking the centennial of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada with a commemorative postage stamp. The stamp, which is available today in all participating postal outlets, was unveiled during the opening ceremonies of "CONNECTIONS 2000", a national conference in Saint John, New Brunswick, the home of the first club a century ago. An audience of more than 300 conference delegates and special guests attended the event. 

Attending the opening ceremonies and stamp unveiling were: The Honorable Claudette Bradshaw, Federal Minister of Labour, New Brunswick Premier the Honorable Bernard Lord, Saint John Mayor Shirley MacAlary, and Peter McInenly, Vice-President of Strategic Planning for Canada Post. The Master of Ceremonies was Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada's National President, Karen Taylor. 

"In order to create a stamp that captured the true magnitude of your organization's accomplishments, designer Gary Ludwig faced many challenges, " said Mr. McInenly. "The end result is a miniature work of art that succeeds in conveying the important role that Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada has played in shaping the direction of Canada's youth for the past century." 

The original Boys' Clubs in Canada grew out of a need to provide a safe, constructive alternative to the streets for young boys from disadvantaged circumstances. Today, the need is still great for the vital educational, recreational and character building programs and services Boys and Girls Clubs offer in 150 communities across Canada. In large cities, remote rural communities and on First Nation's reserves, Boys and Girls Clubs also establish non-traditional programs that reach out to young people in shopping mails, schools groups homes and on the street. Clubs tackle a board range of issues facing young people, including child poverty, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and prostitution, juvenile crime and youth unemployment. 

The stamp's design is by Gary Ludwing, Creative Director for Gottschalk+Ash International in Toronto. Mr. Ludwig is an award-winning designer specializing in corporate identity, branding systems design and the application of technology to design solutions. A photographic approach was chosen, to convey a tangible, true-life mature to the work being done by Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada, and to reflect childhood without being seen as childlike. The organization's logo appears on the stamp, and is reproduced for the official first-day cover cancellation. 

Stamps and First Day Covers are available at participating postal outlets or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and USA call toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 and from other countries call: (902) 863-6550. Stamp information may also be found on Canada Post's Web site at : www.canadapost.ca 

For further information, contact: 

Tim McGurrin, Ottawa, Ontario: (613) 734-8876 
Carol Davies, cell: (416) 737-6365