The eighth series of

banknotes of the Canadian dollar Banknotes of the Canadian dollar are the banknotes or bills (in common lexicon) of Canada, denominated in Canadian dollars (CAD, C$, or $ locally). Currently, they are issued in $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 denominations. All current notes are is ...

was first released by the

Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada (BoC; ) is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and Canada's central bank. Chartered in 1934 under the ''Bank of Canada Act'', it is responsible for formulating Canada's monetary policy,OECD. OECD Economic Surve ...

in 2018. Like the preceding 2011 Frontier series, the 2018 series consists of polymer banknotes designed for increased

durability Durability is the ability of a physical product to remain functional, without requiring excessive maintenance or repair, when faced with the challenges of normal operation over its design lifetime. There are several measures of durability in us ...

and to incorporate more security features. It is the first series issued by the Bank of Canada printed in a vertical configuration. The banknotes were designed by the Canadian Bank Note Company, which also prints the banknotes. The first note, the $10 bill featuring Viola Desmond, was revealed on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

, 8 March 2018, and was released to the public on 19 November 2018. Future notes will come at a slower pace than previous series to allow technological innovations to be worked into their design as time goes on. The $10 note is the first Canadian banknote in history to possess a vertical orientation; future banknotes of other denominations (such as the $5, $20 and $50 notes) are expected to share the similar vertical orientation.

$5 note

In January 2020, the

confirmed it would begin soliciting suggestions for the historic Canadian who would replace

Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and Liberal politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadians, French ...

on the $5 note. The Bank of Canada released a shortlist of candidates under consideration for the bill in November 2020 which included figures such as Pitseolak Ashoona, Won Alexander Cumyow,

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for can ...

, and others. In accordance with the '' Bank of Canada Act'', the Minister of Finance will make the final decision and the name of the individual selected will be announced thereforth. Once the new portrait subject has been selected, the banknote design process would be initiated and the polymer note will possess a vertical design. In 2020, the Bank of Canada stated that the new $5 note would be in circulation within a few years; however, in a 2024 update, it was announced that, because the redesign of the $20 note to replace

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

's portrait with that of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

was underway, work on redesigning the $5 note had been halted. On 16 December 2024, it was revealed that Terry Fox had been selected to appear on the $5 note.

$10 note

The $10 note is purple, and the obverse features a portrait of Viola Desmond, a Black Nova Scotian businesswoman who challenged

racial segregation Racial segregation is the separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, ...

at a film theatre in

New Glasgow, Nova Scotia New Glasgow is a town in Pictou County, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the banks of the East River of Pictou, which flows into Pictou Harbour, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait. The town's population was 9,471 ...

, in 1946. The background of the portrait is a colourful rendition of the street grid of

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

, including the waterfront,

Citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

, and Street, where Desmond's Studio of Beauty Culture was located. Foil features on the note face include both the

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

and

Coat of Arms of Canada The coat of arms of Canada, also known as the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada or, formally, as the Arms of His Majesty The King in Right of Canada is the arms of dominion of the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch and, thus, also the official ...

. This is the first Canadian banknote to feature neither a Canadian prime minister nor a member of the Canadian royal family in its solo portrait. The reverse features the

Canadian Museum for Human Rights The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR; ) is a Canadian Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and List of national museums, national museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, adjacent to The Forks, Winnipeg, The Forks. The purpose of the ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Manitoba. Part of the background pattern mirrors the museum's interior architecture and its ramps connecting multiple levels. A foil eagle feather is prominent, symbolizing ideals such as truth, power, and freedom. A quotation from

section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section 15 of the ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' contains guaranteed Social equality, equality rights. As part of the Constitution of Canada, the section prohibits certain forms of discrimination perpetrated by the governments of Can ...

appears in both English and French. The foil window at the base of the note includes an iridescent rendering of the

Library of Parliament The Library of Parliament () is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada. The main branch of the library sits at the rear of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The library survived th ...

's vaulted dome ceiling, which can be seen from both sides of the note. In 2019, the International Bank Note Society awarded the design the top prize in its annual banknote design competition. It won against new currency designs from Switzerland, Norway, Russia, and the Solomon Islands.

$20 note

After the accession of Charles III to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the Government of Canada announced that a portrait of Charles will appear on the new $20 banknote. In 2024, a Bank of Canada spokesperson said the bank had begun the design process of the $20 note, and that it should be issued in a few years. In a further statement, the Bank of Canada released additional details of the upcoming $20 note, confirming that it will be made of polymer, vertical, primarily green in colour, and feature Charles III on the front and the

Canadian National Vimy Memorial The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the Military history of Canada during World War I, First World War. It also serves as the place o ...

on the back. The note will also contain enhanced security features and is expected to enter circulation in early 2027.

$50 note

On 16 December 2024 it was announced that

will appear on the next $50 note, replacing

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal ...

References

* * {{Canadian_currency_and_coinage Banknotes of Canada 2018 in Canada Portraits on banknotes