2016-12-09 Fri

It has been officially declared that the latest Viola Desmond will be featured on a new $10 Canadian banknote which will be released in 2018. A portrait of a Canadian woman will be featured for the first time on official banknotes of Canada.

Desmond is a human rights activist who led several freedom movements in Canada. She was a successful businesswoman from Nova Scotia businesswoman. She is known for refusing to leave a whites-only area of a movie theatre in 1946 for which she was jailed, convicted and fined. Her court case was the first known legal challenge against racial discrimination in Canada.

Viola Desmond’s story inspires us to believe that big change can start with dignity and bravery. She represents courage, strength and determination--qualities we should all aspire to every day.

With this, the #bankNOTEable campaign which received 26,300 submissions from across the country ended. 461 eligible candidates were selected. The list was cut down to five candidates by an independent Advisory Council composed of eminent Canadian academic, sport, cultural and thought leaders.

Through this unique campaign, Canadians learned more about their iconic women. The choice of Viola Desmond denotes that Canada is a diverse country where everyone deserves equality and respect.