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A Bank NOTE-able Woman III

By: Graham Iddon


December 21, 2016

Five deserving candidates—one difficult choice

On 24 November, the finalists were announced in a Bank of Canada press release.

Who deserves to be immortalized on a Bank of Canada note? In the past, former prime ministers or members of the Royal Family were the portrait subjects of our notes. It was the tradition of the times, a sort of bank note default. Whoever you were, you were not likely to be a woman and if you were, certainly not of the people. But the times, they are a changin’.

Queen Elizabeth, flanked by the only other women to appear on a Bank of Canada note, her grandmother Queen Mary and her aunt Princess Mary.

These days, central banks all over the world are featuring people other than mere heads of state or monarchs on their bank notes. Artists, humanitarians, social reformers, athletes and others whose achievements have been an inspiration to their fellow citizens are now popular subjects for printed currency. Naturally, many of these achievers are women. In March 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a search to discover who would be the first woman, other than royalty, to be the subject of a Bank of Canada bank note.

At this point, it’s worth revisiting the search process. Last spring, more than 26,000 people participated in the public consultation to nominate a “Bank NOTE-able Canadian Woman.” This gratifying response yielded 461 unique and eligible women. An independent Advisory Council was convened to narrow this list to 12 and with the help of a public opinion survey and further research by historians, the list was boiled down to 5. Those 5 names were then further researched and tested with Canadians through focus groups. Finally, the short list was placed in the hands of Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz to consult with the Minister of Finance Bill Morneau on a final choice.

Likely you are already aware that the short list of five candidates was revealed on 24 November and that one of them has now been chosen as the iconic Canadian woman to be the focus of one of our bank notes. But before I get to her, let me remind you of, in no particular order, the five women short-listed from the 461 eligible suggestions made by Canadians.


Elsie MacGill (1905-1980): Canada’s first female practicing engineer and the first woman in the world to become an aeronautical engineer.
Photo: Library and Archives Canada


Idola Saint-Jean (1880-1945): a political and social activist who played a central role in achieving women’s suffrage in Quebec in 1940.
Photo: Library and Archives Canada


E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) (1861-1913): a renowned Anglo-Mohawk poet whose work reminds Canadians of the key role of Indigenous people in the development of our country.
Photo: Library and Archives Canada


Viola Desmond (1914-1965): a civil rights icon who made the first known court challenge by a Black woman against Canadian racial segregation laws.
Photo: Communications Nova Scotia



Fanny Rosenfeld (1904-1969): Olympics gold and silver medal winner and female athlete of the half century.
Photo: Canada Sports Hall of Fame


Any one of these women or, for that matter, any of the long list of 12, more than deserves to be on a bank note. However, we had to settle on one. In a ceremony that took place on 8 December in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of History, Finance Minister Bill Morneau, accompanied by Governor Poloz and the Minister of Status of Women, Patricia Hajdu, revealed that Viola Desmond will be the featured portrait on a new $10 bank note, expected in late 2018. Viola truly exemplifies a Canadian who has overcome barriers, is inspirational to others, has made a positive change to society and in so doing, left a lasting legacy. I won’t retell Viola’s story here, but please visit the Bank’s website to learn all about her.


Dozens of kids wanted to ask the politicians about the choice of the first Canadian woman on a bank note.



Finance Minister Bill Morneau prepares to take on some tough questions from some sharp 10-year-olds.


The day’s events got off to an early start with a Q and A session between federal government cabinet ministers and members of Parliament and students from Roberta Bondar Public School in Ottawa. The students asked some surprisingly direct questions, putting the assembled panel on the spot for some quick answers. After a roughly 30 minute exchange, moderator François-Phillipe Champagne, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, brought that part of the proceedings to a close. With a good-natured hubbub of camera people jockeying for position and MPs finding their seats, the official unveiling ceremony began.

(You can see the entire unveiling event on YouTube.)


Governor Poloz, Minister Hajdu and Minister Morneau prepare to reveal the Bank NOTE-able woman along with Wanda Robson.



The Bank NOTE-able Woman revealed.


Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz spoke first, describing the successful public consultation process that led to selection of the Bank NOTE-able woman. Minister Morneau followed, continuing to underline the great historical significance of the event for Canada, before introducing the morning’s special guest. From behind the wall of one of the Haida houses of the Grand Hall came a couple of helpful Bank Communications staff escorting an elegant lady in a stylish silver jacket. She was Wanda Robson, sister of our Bank NOTE-able woman. Minister Morneau gave a brief address and then, along with Governor Poloz and Minister Hajdu, pulled on the background banner. Suddenly there she was: Viola Desmond! There was a brief gasp, a buzzing of camera shutters and some long and loud applause.

Minister of the Status of Women Patricia Hajdu gave an impassioned introduction to Wanda Robson.

Wanda Robson is a notable woman in her own right, having brought her sister’s story to the world with her book, Sister to Courage. Ms. Robson’s efforts to keep her in the public eye resulted in Viola Desmond’s public pardon in 2010. She really is an important part of Viola’s story. However, I don’t think any of us knew what to expect from the little lady in the silver jacket. It may have taken the help of a few hands to assist her across the stage and into her seat but as soon as Wanda Robson began speaking, it was clear that in all other ways, this was a very vigorous woman. In fact, we really lucked out with Wanda because she is both a relaxed public speaker and an accomplished storyteller. She charmed the audience almost immediately with personal memories of Viola, but it was when she deviated from her script that she was most captivating. She was clearly bursting with pride over her sister’s elevation to bank note status and even this reporter had a bit of a tear in his eye as she relayed her joy over the event. “I’d like to stay longer, but I have my orders,” Wanda told us and as she wound up her speech with thanks to her family, many of whom were in the audience. As she was escorted from the stage, there appeared a veritable scrum of people waving cameras, mobile phones and tablets wanting pictures of Wanda with her family and the various dignitaries. Viola Desmond may have been the focus of the event, but her little sister stole the show.

Wanda is a natural storyteller and speaks regularly about her sister.

I don’t think anybody would have any problem with the choice of Viola Desmond. She stands for the spirit of activism that, as Minister Hajdu said: “…is the force that allows us to make progress together as a society on difficult issues.” From this perspective, Desmond is a great choice—a choice that addresses negative aspects of our history while celebrating our ability to overcome them.

Robson with her family, members of the Advisory Council and dignitaries. The force behind the public campaign to put a woman on a bank note, Merna Forster, stands on the far left.

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Content type(s): Blog posts

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February 2, 2023

Teaching art with currency

By: Adam Young


From design to final product, bank notes and coins can be used to explore and teach art, media and process.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Arts, Education Grade level(s): Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
January 20, 2023

New Acquisitions—2022 Edition

By: David Bergeron, Krista Broeckx


It’s a new year—the perfect time to look back at some notable artifacts the Museum added to the National Currency collection from 2022. Each object has a unique story to tell about Canada’s monetary and economic history.
Content type(s): Blog posts
December 6, 2022

Money: it’s a question of trust

By: Graham Iddon


Photo collage, parking meter, old bank notes and an early bank card.
The dollars and cents we use wouldn’t be worth anything to anybody if we didn’t have confidence in it. No matter if it’s gold or digits on a hard drive, public trust is the secret ingredient in a successful currency.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy
November 14, 2022

The day Winnipeg was invaded

By: David Bergeron


People on the street were randomly stopped and searched, and some were even arrested and imprisoned in an internment camp. Even German marks replaced Canadian currency in circulation—in the form of If Day propaganda notes.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History Grade level(s): Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
October 18, 2022

Positive notes

By: Krista Broeckx


The imagery on the Bank of Canada’s 1935 note series depicts the country’s rich industrial history.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History
June 16, 2022

Army bills: Funding the War of 1812

By: David Bergeron, Graham Iddon


In 1812, British North America had no banks and little currency. With the prospect of war drying up supplies of coins, the government of Lower Canada decided to issue legal tender notes called “army bills” to pay for troops and supplies.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, History
May 5, 2022

Between tradition and technology

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, man at an easel, paintings of birds and a goose illustration with comments written on it.
What was proposed was a complete about-face from the philosophy behind recent security printing. If photocopiers could easily deal with the colours and designs of the current series, then the next series should be bold and simple.
Content type(s): Blog posts
April 21, 2022

Teaching the green economy

By: Adam Young


From windmills and solar panels to electric cars, signs of the green economy are all around us. Check out our resources for how to teach about the green economy.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Business and careers, Economy, Geography, Science, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
April 4, 2022

Talk to your kids about money

By: Heather Montgomery


Collage, ceramic pig on background of a bank book and a stamp folder with kids on it.
Introduce important financial skills to your children, and help them plan for their futures with free resources from the Bank of Canada Museum and others.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Financial literacy Grade level(s): Early childhood / Kindergarten, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
March 3, 2022

Teaching inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic

By: Heather Montgomery


COVID-19 has had an unprecedented effect on the economy: closing businesses, driving down demand and interrupting supplies. With news stories and popular culture addressing inflation and supply chain issues, now is the perfect time to explain this key economic concept to your high school students.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy Grade level(s): Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
February 3, 2022

Queen of the bank notes

By: Graham Iddon


Few of us have ever met her, and it’s likely none of us are even remotely related to her. Yet, Canadians have carried her picture in their wallets for generations now. She’s Queen Elizabeth II and has been our monarch for over 70 years.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History
December 22, 2021

New acquisitions–2021 edition

By: David Bergeron


The Bank of Canada Museum is responsible for the National Currency Collection, and part of its mandate is to foster and develop that collection. Despite the challenges of collecting during a pandemic, curators at the Bank of Canada Museum have acquired some unique artifacts—including some that document the pandemic itself.
Content type(s): Blog posts
December 2, 2021

The true value of money

By: Graham Iddon


Photo collage, old bank notes and coins, gold nuggets and a computer component.
What is money—when you really stop to think about it? To understand how money works, and what it ultimately represents, we need to strip it down to its very basic function.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
November 16, 2021

The 1911 silver dollar

By: David Bergeron


In front of a set of coins in a case, two coins, one lead, one silver, each with identical wreaths of maple leaves.
The 1911 silver dollar has a history to match its prestige, and it now has a permanent home in the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada Museum.
Content type(s): Blog posts
October 21, 2021

Moving mountains

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, bank note details, green, face of middle-aged woman, mountains and large number 20.
The $20 bill of 1969 was the prototype of the Scenes of Canada note series. Yet, as more notes were designed, the theme—and the $20 note itself—would change.
Content type(s): Blog posts
September 16, 2021

A mythic metal: Some stories of gold coins

By: Krista Broeckx


In 1896, three enterprising men struck gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon. Their story is just one of many that illustrates the allure of gold through the ages.
Content type(s): Blog posts

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