$20 bills bearing the image of the new king will eventually be put into circulation, the federal government said on Saturday. But given Canadians’ mixed opinion of the sovereign, one wonders whether a Canadian figure should replace Queen Elizabeth II’s face on the greenbacks after all.
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At least that’s what the Toronto Star said on Sunday, offering five alternatives for $20 tickets, including Quebec fame Celine Dion.
More than half of Canadians want Canada to distance itself from the constitutional monarchy, according to a poll by the Angus Reid Research Institute, a non-profit foundation for independent research. And 90% would be willing to pass a constitutional amendment to bid farewell to the kings, the English-language media reported.
The latter nominated Celine Dion as a World Star alongside environmentalist and geneticist David Suzuki and Aboriginal Olympian Tom Longboat, one of the most recognized athletes of the early 20th century.
The outlet continued its momentum with Lincoln Alexander, the first black Canadian to become an MP, and Cindy Blackstock, a member of the Gitksan First Nation, which championed child welfare and indigenous rights.
Back then, banknotes bearing the image of the monarch were “a way of showing that all the money in the kingdom belonged to the king,” while also helping to prevent fraud, Justin Vovk, royal historian and doctoral student in modern history at McMaster University, said in a statement Interview with the Toronto Star.
“Not only is he the King of the United Kingdom, but he is also the King of Canada,” he continued.