A new $10 Canadian banknote has been unveiled by the Bank of Canada, and the Aurora Borealis are front and centre.
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The new banknote is being produced to commemorate the country’s 150th year.
The unique and beautiful Northern lights will make an appearance with a photo taken from Wood Buffalo National Park.
The photo of the aurora over the park, taken by one of the park’s technicians, will be one of five Canadian landscapes incorporated onto the bill.
“We’re proud Northerners at this park and so it’s really, really thrilling to be selected to be an iconic image to represent your region,” said Tim Gauthier, a communications officer with the park.
“Certainly the Aurora Borealis is something that unites so much of Northern Canada. I thought the bank picked the perfect concept for the photo, we were thrilled to have them pick one of our Aurora photographs.”
Gauthier says the plan started two years ago when the bank first proposed the idea of the commemorative bill. They wanted a photo that ‘summed up’ Northern Canada, he says, and stumbled upon pictures of the Aurora on their website.
“They fixated on one of those images,” he explained. When they were approached to use the photo, Gauthier says they were thrilled.
“We want people to know when they come here that not only are there beautiful forests and rivers and lakes and things like that, but if you look up in the sky above you there’s an amazing show going on there too,” he said.
The commemorative note will be available starting June 1 as part of the Canada 150 celebrations.
We asked Gauthier how it feels to have the park be commemorated in a piece of history.
“As a national park I suppose we’re always part of Canada’s story, but there’s really something special about being not only on your country’s currency but on a special bill like this,” he said.
“That’s a real honour.”
