Canada’s new $10 banknote – the first from the Bank of Canada’s as-of-yet unnamed eighth series – will be issued nationwide next week.
An event to launch the new note will be held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg, Man., at 11 a.m. ET. Live audio and video webcasts of the event will be available on the bank’s website, and more information will be available soon.
Black rights activist and Nova Scotia businesswoman Viola Desmond will grace the vertically oriented $10 note, which was unveiled on International Women’s Day this March. It will mark the first time a Canadian woman is portrayed on a regularly circulating Bank of Canada note. The forthcoming note will also be the first vertically oriented banknote issued in Canada. This will allow for a more prominent image of Desmond and differentiates this new $10 note from the current polymer notes.
Other notes in the new series will be released at a slower pace than previous series to allow technological innovations to be worked into their design as time goes on.
“As we strive for equality across our economy and in every facet of our country, we hope this constant reminder of Viola’s story will help inspire a new generation of women, men, girls and boys to fight for what they believe, take their place and create a better future for themselves and all Canadians,” said finance minister Bill Morneau.
MUSEUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
The back of the $10 note features images and symbols that represent Canada’s ongoing pursuit of rights and freedoms. It features the CMHR—the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights. Also depicted on the note are an eagle feather—representing the ongoing journey toward recognizing rights and freedoms for Indigenous Peoples in Canada—and an excerpt from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Enhanced security features have also been added to the new $10 note to help keep the notes safe from counterfeiting yet easy to use. The note will be printed on polymer, which was introduced to Canadian bank notes in 2011.