Twelve amazing candidates
On 15 April, the public consultation to select an iconic Canadian woman to appear on a bank note closed. Over 26,000 nominations were received following the Bank of Canada’s open call—a great success. When you consider that the United Kingdom’s public response for their bank note consultation was 29,076 out of a population of 64 million—ours was an amazing success.
The Currency team then rolled up their sleeves and dove in as they began to sort through this enormous wealth of nominees. Of course there weren’t over 26,000 different women nominated. Some suggestions were unique but many hundreds were duplicate nominations. A number of them also had to be eliminated when nominees did not meet the criteria—one of which was that the person must have been deceased for 25 years.
Mind you, there was still a mountain of eligible names to work with—over 460, in fact. The seven-member independent Advisory Council, consisting of historians, authors, activists, academics and athletes, and guided by two public consultation experts, faced a challenging task. It was their job to whittle down the hundreds of eligible nominees to a mere twelve.
It’s important to note that the number of nominations received for each woman was not taken into account. In other words, it wasn’t a popularity contest. As long as a nominee was eligible, she was considered. To help further guide their decision-making, the Council developed an additional list of criteria for each woman to meet. She should:
- have broken or overcome barriers,
- be inspirational,
- have made a significant change, and
- have left a lasting legacy.
The 12 women of the long list also needed to reflect Canada’s regional and cultural diversity. They couldn’t all be activists or artists, either, but as a group should represent a broad range of achievements. It took the Advisory Council three days to deliberate.
And now let me present to you our long list of 12 amazing women:
Please visit the Bank NOTE-able Canadian Woman webpage to read profiles of all 12 candidates.
So what’s next in the selection process? The short list. A team of scholars, historians and other experts from Canadian universities will further research the nominees. The achievements of each will be considered within the context of the times in which she lived. The information will be shared with the Council, along with the results of a public opinion survey, to aid them in reducing the long list of 12 to a short list of three to five nominees.
This short list will be presented to the Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, who will make the final decision in accordance with the Bank of Canada Act. Our bank NOTE-able woman will be hot off the presses and in your wallets in late 2018.
The Museum Blog
New Acquisitions—2023 Edition
It’s that time of the year again—the wrap-up of the Bank of Canada Museum’s annual acquisition program. Here are a few highlights of the latest additions to the National Currency Collection.
Mo’ money, mo’ questions
But what do you do with money once you have it? That’s for you to decide. A budget can really help. It will allow you to keep track of what you earn (income) and what you spend (expenses).
Understanding cryptocurrencies
By: Graham Iddon
Most of us are aware of them, but how much do we really understand about cryptocurrencies?
A checkup on cheques
By: David Bergeron
With the continuing rise of e-transfers and electronic payments, people have been predicting the death of the humble cheque for decades. But it hasn’t happened yet.
The Scenes of Canada series $100 bill
By: Graham Iddon
Few of us ever get a chance to see a Scenes of Canada $100 bill. Which is a pity, because it is an example of great bank note design with even greater imagery by a master engraver.
Caring for your bank notes
By: Graham Iddon
Collecting paper money seems simple enough. But, paper is delicate stuff and demands a gentle touch.
Teaching math using money
By: Jonathan Jerome
From skip counting to making change, working with money is a great way for students to practice math skills.
Caring for your coins
By: Graham Iddon
Coin collecting can be a fun and fascinating hobby. But there are a few things you should know to keep your collection safe and in good condition. Because coins aren’t as robust as you might imagine.