Canadians encouraged to nominate icons for the new face of the $5 bill

Do you have thoughts on who should appear on the $5 bill? 

According to an announcement from Minister of Finance Bill Morneau and Governor Stephen Poloz, the Bank of Canada is requesting input from Canadians regarding who should appear on the bank note. 

The call for nominations is similar to the 2016 campaign that resulted in Viola Desmond being chosen as the new face of the redesigned $10 bill. 

“When we launched the last round of consultations, we never could have anticipated the enthusiasm of Canadians, both for the process or for the historic bank note that featured a Canadian woman for the first time, civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond,” Morneau said in a news release. 

“We’re excited to see who the public will nominate for the $5 bank note and look forward to celebrating another incredible Canadian,” he continued. 

Participants are encouraged to nominate people who have inspired them, and to talk about their achievements. 

“This open call for nominations is another great opportunity to highlight the many stories of heroes, sometimes unsung ones, who have helped shape the Canada we live in today,” Poloz said in the same release. 

“I hope this process sparks conversations and encourages us all to learn more about our great country and its remarkable people,” he continued. 

In order to be considered, nominees must meet the following criteria: 

• They must be a Canadian by birth or naturalization and have demonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada or in the service of Canada.
• They must have been deceased for at least 25 years–before March 11, 1995. 
• They must not be a fictional character.

After reviewing all the nominees, an independent advisory council will develop a shortlist of candidates and submit it to Minister Morneau, who will make a decision and announcement of who will be the new face of the $5 bill later this year. 

Cover photo courtesy of @Hogan698 ‘s Twitter