The OFDC – issued on November 3 – in advance of Remembrance Day – honours the courage and sacrifice of the Sikh soldiers who have served in the Canadian military since the First World War.

Good to know

The Private Singh issue is available in multiple formats:

Booklet of six Permanent™ domestic rate stamps
Pane of 5 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps
Private Singh: Official First Day Cover
Permanent™ domestic rate is always accepted at the current domestic postage price
The stamp is cancelled in Kitchener, Ontario, home of the Mount Hope Cemetery, where Private Buckham Singh is buried.
The Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cemetery is one of the largest annual gatherings of Sikh soldiers and veterans in North America.

About Remembrance Day stamps

Canada Post has a long history of commemorating both Remembrance Day and Canada’s military history through its annual stamp program.

About Sikh soldiers in Canada

More than a quarter million Sikh soldiers served with Britain and its allies during the two world wars. In Canada, discrimination prevented many Sikhs from enlisting. Only 10 broke the barrier in the First World War – most of them volunteers who fought with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Europe, despite being denied the right to vote or bring their wives and children to their new home.

As followers of Sikhism – which promotes equality regardless of race, class, gender or religion – all but one had the surname Singh (which means “lion” in Punjabi). Nearly a century later, research brought to light the forgotten stories of these and other Sikh soldiers in Canada, whose resilience helped pave the way for future generations and a more inclusive nation. Private Buckam Singh’s resting place at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario, is the only known military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier from the world wars.

The Remembrance Day ceremony held at the site is one of the largest annual gatherings of Sikh soldiers and veterans in North America.

About the design

The stamp features an illustration of a Canadian Sikh soldier paying his respects in remembrance of those who have served. The background is an illustration of Private Buckam Singh’s grave at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario.
The front of the OFDC features a photograph of (l-r) Sergeant Gurpreet Singh Dipak, Captain Daulat Singh Deol and Sergeant Manpreet Singh at the Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony in Kitchener, Ontario, 2013 (photo: SikhMuseum.com).
The back of the OFDC features a photograph of the Victory Medal awarded to Private Buckam Singh in 1919 (photo courtesy of SikhMuseum.com)
The Poppy Design is a registered trademark of The Royal Canadian Legion, Dominion Command, and is used under licence.

Product # 414302131

Private Singh (2025): Official First Day Cover