MONTREAL - The 'stache is back – for one month, anyway.

Men in countries around the world started growing moustaches Tuesday in what's become an annual tradition: Movember.

The manly initiative is meant to raise awareness and money for men's health issues by growing a moustache for 30 days straight.

Canada seems is very mo-friendly, said Movember founder Adam Garone, who flew from Australia for a late-night launch in Old Montreal.

"Globally we've had 450,000 guys participating, we raised $77 million dollars, and that makes Movember the biggest funder of prostate cancer research and support programs in the world," he said.

Whether it's a walrus or a pencil, Garone said Canadian men seem keen to jump on board the moustache train.

"Canadian men are like Australian men; we all want to secretly know what we'd look like with a moustache," he said.

The mo-team at Hurley's Irish Pub on Crescent St. is thinking big, hoping their fundraising effort collects $10,000.

"Here in Montreal there's a massive following for Movember. I know so many guys that are doing it," said Mike Whitty, who has his style all figured out.

"Last year I went for the handlebars with the little tuft thing at the bottom, but this year I'm going for what's called an ‘undercover brother,' more like a Tom Selleck," he said.

The follicly challenged aren't excluded from the event, and, like Hurley's GM and Team Hurley's captain Rod Applebee, try to make the best of it.

"My face is not geared for it. There'll be some here, and here, and here, and hopefully in a month it will all get put together," he said.

Regardless of the fullness or beauty of their newly landscaped faces, it's the message that matters, said Tom Godber of Prostate Cancer Canada.

"What Movember is doing is it's changing the perception that it's an old man's disease," he said.

Are you taking part in Movember? Show us your 'stache! E-mail us at moustache@ctv.ca or let everyone see your photos by submitting them to MyNews.