Canadian bank note to feature ‘iconic’ woman

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marked International Women’s Day on Tuesday with the news that a Canadian woman will be featured on a bank note in 2018.

Thestar.com
March 8, 2016
By Bruce Campion-Smith

Will it be Pauline Johnson? Perhaps Anne of Green Gables creator Lucy Maud Montgomery will get picked? Or Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to Canada’s Parliament? Will Hollywood favourite Mary Pickford return to the spotlight?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marked International Women’s Day on Tuesday with the news that a Canadian woman will be featured on a bank note in 2018.

“In this country we can be immensely proud of a long line of strong women who have stepped up time and time again to make history against all odds,” the prime minister said.

Trudeau spoke at a reception on Parliament Hill, where he was joined by cabinet members, such as Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu and Public Works Minister Judy Foote, and dignitaries such as Hazel McCallion, Mississauga’s former long-time mayor.

Hajdu said that International Women’s Day is a chance to reflect on contributions made by women to communities and the country as a whole.

“While the pace of change has often been too slow, the story of the past century has been the story of women making significant progress towards equal participation,” Hajdu told the crowd.

“Much of our current success is built on the significant efforts of Canadian women across the generations,” she said to applause.

Trudeau also reflected on the efforts towards equality over the years.

“Women fought for the vote. They fought for personhood and for reproductive rights,” said Trudeau, whose government was the first at the federal level to have a gender-balanced cabinet.

“None of this would be possible without the passionate drive and ambition of inspirational Canadian women. They ardently demanded change and societal progress followed,” the prime minister said.

But Trudeau cautioned that the “job isn’t done yet,” and cited the need for further progress in areas such as pay equity, access to child care and the “chronic” prevalence of violence against women.

The Bank of Canada opened consultations to select an “iconic” Canadian woman to be featured on the first bank note of its next series to be issued in 2018.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau said it was “high time to change” the fact that a Canadian women has been absent from bank notes.

“We all agree ... that now is the right time to move forward on this very important step,” Morneau told the crowd.

Canadians have until April 15 to nominate women they would like to see on a bank note. The nominee can be any Canadian woman who has shown “outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field,” according to the bank.

The nominee cannot be a fictional character and must have been dead for at least 25 years.

A website advocating for the move already has 300 suggestions on its website, including the famous personalities cited above.

An independent advisory council will review the submissions and publish a list of 10 to 12 names for further input. After that, the council will whittle that down to three to five names to submit to Morneau.

Stamp: Canada Post on Tuesday issued a new stamp that honours women who fought and won the right to vote 100 years ago in Canada. In 1916, women in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta became the first in Canada to win the right to cast provincial ballots. The commemorative stamp is illustrated in the black and gold colours that symbolized the North American movement and incorporates the Venus symbol of femininity as the letters “O” and “T” in the word Vote, Canada Post said in a release.

Coin: The Royal Canadian Mint released a special $1 circulation coin to also commemorate women being granted the right to vote in three provinces. A total of five million Women’s Right to Vote $1 circulation coins will be available. Designed by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw, the reverse of this coin features a 1916-era depiction of woman and child, with the woman casting a ballot as the child looks on, the mint said.