Let’s test our knowledge of Canadian money. Whose face is on our $5 bill? How about the $10? The $20? The $50? The $100? How about the $1000 bill that was discontinued in 2020? Working backwards starting with the largest, the face on our most recent $1000 bill was that of Queen Elizabeth II. Added note (pardon the pun): More than half a century ago we had a $500 bill with Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, on it. The $100 bill features our 8th Prime Minister, Sir Robert Borden. The $50 features our longest serving Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King. Another added “bank”note: For a short period of time we had a $25 bill issued in 1935 with the visage of King George V. Our current $20 bill has the face of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Until 2018 the $10 bill featured Sir John A. Macdonald and now features civil and women’s rights activist Viola Desmond. Our $5 bill currently has the portrait of another Prime Minister, Sir Wilfred Laurier. I say currently because the Bank of Canada ha said it is going to change the face on the $5 and has whittled possible candidates down to a list of 8 prominent Canadians. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth the debate has started on who should be on a new $20 bill. Should we honour the late Queen and keep her face on it? Should it be replaced with King Charles? Does the $20 need to feature Royalty or should it go the route of the $5 and the $10 and feature a prominent Canadian, perhaps even an Indigenous person? I’m sure the suggestions will be numerous and the debate lively.
That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.
