Canada is blessed with a bounty of natural diversity; from the glacial glory in the farthest reaches of the north, to the fruitful soil of the south, to the life-giving waterways located in between. For centuries, Canadians have embraced this bounty; building upon nature's foundations. The result is countless attractions that draw millions of visitors to various parts of the country each year. On May 11, 2001, Canada Post celebrates ten such attractions with the issue of five US rate ($0.60) and five international rate ($1.05) commemorative stamps.

White Pass & Yukon Route (WP & YR), british columbia, Yukon Territory
The WP & YR, completed in 1900, was a passenger and freight line built in response to the Yukon Gold Rush. The 176-km-long line ran between Skagway, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon; starting at sea level and reaching heights of 873 m at the pass through the summit of the Coast Mountains. Boasting grades as steep as 3.9º, the WP & YR remains the steepest railway in Canada. Today, it offers passenger service along the first 64 km of the original line.

The Butchart Gardens, British Columbia
The flowers and shrubs planted around Jennie Foster Butchart's Victoria home in 1904 became the foundation of a horticultural masterpiece and family commitment that attracts more than a million visitors each year. Spanning 20 hectares and transforming the family's defunct limestone quarry, the Gardens boast a Japanese Garden, an Italian Garden, Persian plum trees, an oval rose garden and hundreds of Japanese cherry trees. Restaurants, cafés, and seasonal attractions add to the charm.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Located in the northeast section of Ontario's Niagara Peninsula, the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake offers visitors a splendid historical look into earlier times. Bombarded during the War of 1812 and burned to the ground by withdrawing American troops, the town has since been meticulously rebuilt with neo-classic and Regency architecture. Today, visitors enjoy the sights of majestic homes, historical buildings, and the Shaw Festival - featuring works by playwright George Bernard Shaw.

Sugar Bushes, Quebec
Following the practices of Canada's Aboriginals, Quebec's first settlers tapped the maple tree and boiled down the sap to make a thick syrup. Today, Canada accounts for 80 percent of the world's production of maple syrup, with 92 percent of this coming from the province of Quebec. During the sugaring off season sugar bush festivals draw thousands of visitors to participate in parades, tastings, music, dancing, and traditional French-Canadian festivities.

Apple Blossom Festival, Nova Scotia
Apple growing in the scenic Annapolis Valley - a 160-km-long stretch of fertile soil in the historic northwestern section of mainland Nova Scotia - dates back to 1633 when the first trees were planted by French settler Pierre Martin. Three hundred years later, the first Apple Blossom Festival took place, and the six-day festival has been an annual event ever since. Held at the end of May, the festival signals the beginning of summer with a parade, live entertainment, art shows and craft fairs.

Auyuittuq National Park, Nunavut
Protecting an outstanding representative example of the Northern Davis Natural Region, Auyuittuq National Park is a spectacular arctic wilderness landscape spanning 19,707 sq. km just north of the Arctic Circle along the east coast of Baffin Island. Jagged mountain peaks, deep U-shaped valleys, steep-walled ocean cliffs and long fjords make for splendid alpine glacial scenery, and mountains rising 2,134 m are still actively shaped by the glaciers of the Penny Ice Cap.

Barkerville, British Columbia
In 1862, William (Billy) Barker struck gold at the site now known as Barkerville. After the rush, the miners departed, but Barkerville remained a supply centre. Today, the restored gold-rush town in BC's interior is a heritage site boasting more than a hundred historical buildings, two museums, and a visitor centre. Every summer, more than 100,000 visitors take a unique look back as the town puts on a stage show, offers stagecoach rides, and sees its streets filled with people in period costume.

The Forks, Manitoba
The Forks, at the historic junction of the Assiniboine and Red rivers in downtown Winnipeg, has been a site of activity for many centuries. It served as an Aboriginal meeting place and fishing camp, then as a trading centre and port, and finally as a railway and immigration centre. Today, it's the site of more than a hundred annual events, festivals, and community celebrations. Countless year-round activities draw millions of visitors each year.

Canadian Tulip Festival, Ontario
In gratitude for shelter and liberation efforts during the Second World War, the Netherlands' royal family presented Ottawa with a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs. The annual blooming of these bulbs has become a beautiful and symbolic event that has grown over the years in size and magnificence. In 1953, the first Canadian Tulip Festival was held, and today it's the largest of its kind in the world.

Signal Hill, Newfoundland
Overlooking the city of St. John's, Newfoundland, Signal Hill is a National Historic Site and a major tourist attraction. Of importance for many centuries, Signal Hill was the key to the defence of the harbour from before 1696, when the tower fell to the French and the final American battle of the Seven Years War in 1762. It was from Signal Hill's most visible landmark - Cabot Tower - that Guglielmo Marconi received the world's first trans-Atlantic wireless signal on December 12, 1901.

About the Stamps
The ten stamps featured in the Tourist Attractions set were designed by Bradbury Design of Regina, and a total of nine photographers supplied images capturing the essence of each attraction. Award-winning design principal Catharine Bradbury and associate designer Jennifer Hood saw this project as a means of promoting the beauty and diversity of Canadian tourist attractions to American and international communities.