The Bank of Canada today began circulating the $10 commemorative bank note that celebrates the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Canadians can now obtain this special note at financial institutions. Only 40 million notes are being issued—roughly one for every Canadian.

Governor Stephen S. Poloz was among the first to spend a commemorative note at a store in downtown Ottawa this morning. “This bank note reflects the pride we feel about our country’s accomplishments and the hope we have for our future,” said Governor Poloz. “But it also underpins the confidence Canadians can have in their bank notes. The new security features of this $10 note make it the most secure Canadian bank note to date.”

The new security features include a colour-shifting image of an arch found in the Memorial Chamber on Parliament Hill, as well as three-dimensional maple leaves. Like the security features of all polymer bank notes, they are easy to verify and difficult to counterfeit.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, said she hoped the bank note would inspire Canadians. “This year, Canadians will have the opportunity to reflect on our history and celebrate our heritage. With this note to commemorate 150 years of Confederation, we are reminded of our strengths: our rich diversity and our enduring hope for a brighter tomorrow,” she said.

The Canada 150 bank note celebrates Canada’s history, land and culture, as the country marks this important milestone.

Four Canadians who played significant roles in the country’s parliamentary history are portrayed on the front of the note: Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister; Sir George-Étienne Cartier, a principal architect of Canadian federalism; Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons; and James Gladstone, or Akay-na-muka (his Blackfoot name), Canada’s first senator of First Nations origin.

The design also incorporates other cultural elements: a reproduction of the artwork Owl’s Bouquet by world-renowned Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak and the distinctive arrow sash pattern, an important symbol of the Métis nation that also pays homage to the French-Canadian voyageurs of the 18th century.

The reverse of the note features the rugged splendour of Canada’s lands and landscapes: the Lions/Twin Sisters (Western Canada), a wheat field (Prairie provinces), the Canadian Shield (Central Canada), Cape Bonavista (Eastern Canada) and the northern lights (Northern Canada).

Beginning today, the commemorative bank note will be available over the counter at financial institutions across the country. While the commemorative $10 note does not replace the current Polymer series $10 note, which continues to circulate, it is of equal value and can be used in transactions.

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