The recent uproar about the $100 banknotes raises important concerns about the inclusion of visible minorities, but doesn't address another significant problem with the new series. It does not depict any real women in Canadian history. The controversy could perhaps have been avoided if the Bank of Canada produced banknotes that were more reflective of a wide variety of Canadians who've made important contributions to the country – specific individuals – and not just male prime ministers, the Queen and a generic female scientist.

Your press release this week indicated that "Our banknotes belong to all Canadians, and the work we do at the Bank is for all Canadians." As a Canadian who happens to be a woman, I would like banknotes that belong to me to include at least one image of an actual woman - and preferably more. Many Canadians celebrated the addition of the Famous Five and renowned activist Thérèse Casgrain to the $50 note back in 2004, which marked the first time that actual Canadian women were featured. How unfortunate that the new series did not go one step further and feature women on more that one bill. If future banknotes are to indeed belong to all Canadians, I expect that the female half of the population would like to have some that depict real women in Canadian history.

As outlined in my op-ed piece for the Times Colonist last year (Banknotes hard to forge, but women missing), countries such as Australia exemplify the incorporation of notable women and men in the history of the nation. I am not familiar with the Bank of Canada process for development of banknotes, but would like to suggest that you consider consulting historians for input on the next series. The Canadian Committee on Women's History is one example of an organization that you could contact.

Please help ensure that a wider range of Canadians, of both sexes and various ethnic origins, are represented on our banknotes. While I appreciate that the Bank of Canada cannot depict everyone and every group, it would be a good start to include notable women as well as men in Canadian history.

Viola Desmond stamp (Canada Post)

Stamp Honours Viola Desmond

February 1, 2012
To coincide with the celebration of Black History Month in Canada, Canada Post has issued two new stamps to honour cowboy John Ware and civil rights icon Viola Desmond. Desmond, the owner of a beauty parlour in Nova Scotia, bought a ticket to watch a movie in the Roseland theatre in New Glasgow in 1945. After refusing to leave the "white-only" section, she was dragged off to jail. Convicted and fined for defrauding the province of the one-cent tax required to sit in that section of the theatre, Desmond was outraged at the racism she'd experienced and continued to fight her case in court. It was only in recent years that Desmond was pardoned by a rare Royal Prerogative in Nova Scotia.

Viola Desmond was recognized as a Canadian heroine in 2011 by inclusion in the new book 100 More Canadian Heroines.

Rosalee Peppard (Facebook)

Theme Song for Titantic 100

January 28, 2012
With the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic coming up on April 15, 2012, the Titanic 100 committee is gearing up for many special events. Maritime singing sensation Rosalee Peppard, commissioned to write and perform the theme song for the anniversary, performed her new song this week at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. The talented singer and song-writer has also created a half-hour musical tribute to Hilda Slayter, a Haligonian who managed to survive the sinking of the ill-fated ship. Peppard is well-known as a musical oral herstoria, the Voice of Nova Scotia.

More:
Rosalee Peppard, official website.

Sarah Burke (Facebook)

Tragic Death of Sarah Burke

January 19, 2012
Freestyle skier Sarah Burke died today in Salt Lake City, Utah after a serious accident last week. More:

Freestyle skier Sarah Burke dies, CBC

Sarah Burke: Too young, too smart, to go that way, National Post

Freestyle ski icon Sarah Burke ‘lived life to the fullest,’ dies nine days after crash, Vancouver Sun

Bomb Girls Debuts

A new six-part series about Canadian women in World War Two premiered on Global TV on January 4, 2012. Bomb Girls depicts a group of women working in a munitions factory in Toronto during the war. The series features actress Meg Tilly, playing the shop matron who oversees women working on the assembly line. Other cast members include Charlotte Hegele, Ali Liebert, Jodi Balfour and Anastasia Phillips. Bomb Girls was created by Adrienne Mitchell and Janis Lundman.

Global created a cool interactive website related to the series. Be sure to check it out! A wide variety of fascinating videos, such as Life in a Boarding House (interview with Louise Johnson, a woman who lived in one during the war), Fashion File (featuring 48 archival photos), Easy Listening with the Gramophone (explanations from curator Samantha George),The Wardrobe (interview with the costume designer for the series), These Walls Have Ears (interview with the art director, chatting about the rooming house), Signs of the Time, etc. And there is also an opportunity for actual Bomb Girls to share their experiences and WWII stories.

Bomb Girls, from GlobalTV.

Bomb Girls (Global Television)