Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday that an exceptional Canadian woman will be featured on the next new bank note, which he said is expected to be in circulation in 2018.
鈥淭oday, on International Women鈥檚 Day, the Bank of Canada is taking the first step, launching public consultations to select an iconic Canadian woman on this new bill,鈥� Trudeau said.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who said in January that he was open to the idea, explained Tuesday that he first wanted to check with Bank of Canada officials, who are supportive.
鈥淎s we know, women are and always have been instrumental in building our country, but it鈥檚 now been almost 150 years that we have not had a Canadian woman on our bank notes,鈥� he said, 鈥渨ith the notable exception of the Queen.鈥�
鈥淲e think it鈥檚 high time to change,鈥� Morneau added.
The finance minister said he hopes the new note will give women 鈥渃onstant reminders that they are not only Canada鈥檚 future but a celebrated part of our history.鈥�
Morneau encouraged all Canadians, female and male, to nominate an iconic women using the
The women nominated must be:
- Canadian (by birth or naturalization)
- have 鈥渄emonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada, or in the service of Canada.鈥�
- deceased for at least 25 years
- and not fictional
Critics have long argued that Canada鈥檚 bank notes ought to have more women on them.
There was a widespread outcry in 2012 when the Conservative government of the day replaced a $50 bill that featured Alberta鈥檚 鈥淔amous Five鈥� women and feminist Senator Thérèse Forget Casgrain with an image of the Canadian Coast Guard research ship.
