The Ukrainian-Canadian painter William (Wesley) Kurelek (1927-1977) was basically self-taught though he did attend art school in Toronto, Mexico, and England.
Kurelek created a six-panel master piece entitled “The Ukrainian Pioneers” in which he depicted the many hardships which faced all immigrants before and after their arrival in Canada and during the pioneer era. Four of the panels were used by Canada Post to mark the centennial of the beginning of Ukrainian mass immigration to Canada. The four 40c stamps were issued on 29 August 1991. One of the stamps (partly) shows a family aboard a ship looking at their new land. The identity of the ship is not known. Part of the deck and railing of a passenger ship is visible.
The paintings are of the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
Source: Watercraft Philately Sept/Oct 1993 page 18.
Canada 1991 40c sg?. scott1326.