Advisory group shortlists 12 women as contenders for new banknote

OTTAWA – The Bank of Canada says it now has a list of a dozen women who could be featured on a new banknote.

The list, selected by an advisory council from public submissions, includes artists Emily Carr and Pitseolak Ashoona and authors Lucy Maud Montgomery, Pauline Johnson and Gabrielle Roy.

Also included are pioneering feminists Nellie McClung, Idola Saint-Jean and Therese Casgrain.

The list is rounded out with humanitarian Lotta Hitschmanova, aircraft designer Elsie MacGill, Olympian Bobbie Rosenfeld and pioneering businesswomen Viola Desmond.

The Bank says it received more than 26,000 submissions nominating more than 460 women.

A poll will be commissioned to gauge the views of the public on the list. Then, the advisory council and experts will pare it down to three to five finalists for a selection by Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

The advisory council said it sought women who broke or overcame barriers, made a significant change, left a lasting legacy and are inspirational.

“The women who appear on our list should resonate with Canadians and reflect the diversity of Canada,” the council said in a statement.

“Their achievements must be seen in the context of the time they lived.”

The new banknote is due out in 2018.

Earlier this month, the United States announced that Harriet Tubman, who was born a slave but escaped to become a prominent abolitionist and rights activist, will be featured on a new $20 bill.