Bank of Canada Announces New Woman on Currency
Bank of Canada has officially announced Voila Desmond as the new woman they will feature on their $10 banknote, set to release into circulation in 2018.
The process of this decision started on March 8, when polls first opened to the public, so they could voice their opinion on which iconic woman should be placed on their new currency.
It’s official! #bankNOTEable Viola Desmond, an icon of Canadian rights and freedoms, will be on new $10 bank note https://t.co/ETyBZud0eu pic.twitter.com/B0tcy94jnP
— Bank of Canada (@bankofcanada) December 8, 2016
With over 26,300 submissions the bank received from the public, the advisory council narrowed the list down from 461 eligible nominees down to five women. These were the final five on their list November 24:
1. Viola Desmond (1914–1965)
She is best known for her courageous refusal, in 1946, to accept racial discrimination by sitting in a whites-only section of a New Glasgow movie theatre.
2. E. Pauline Johnson (1861–1913)
She is best known for the poetry she wrote celebrating her Aboriginal heritage. Johnson’s recitations of patriotic poems and short stories featuring Canadian culture made her a popular ambassador for Canada.
3. Elizabeth (Elsie) MacGill (1905–1980)
She was the first woman aircraft designer in the world and is best known as “Queen of the Hurricanes” for her work on the Hawker Hurricane fighter planes that were used during the Second World War.
4. Fanny (Bobbie) Rosenfeld (1904–1969)
She was a track and field athlete, and held Canadian records in the running and standing broad jump and in the discus.
5. Idola Saint-Jean (1880–1945)
She was an actress, teacher and author, Idola Saint-Jean is primarily known as a feminist and pioneer in the fight for suffrage in Quebec.
Photo: The Canadian Encyclopedia
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