Viola DesmondB次元官网网址檚 trailblazing act of defiance B次元官网网址� overlooked for decades by most Canadians B次元官网网址� was honoured Thursday in a Halifax ceremony that cemented her new status as a civil rights icon.
A new $10 bill featuring Desmond was unveiled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz.
The purple polymer bill B次元官网网址� the first vertically oriented bank note issued in Canada B次元官网网址� includes a portrait of Desmond and a historic map of north end Halifax on one side and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg on the other.
B次元官网网址淚t was long past time for a bank note to feature an iconic Canadian woman,B次元官网网址� Poloz told the large crowd gathered at the Halifax Central Library on International WomenB次元官网网址檚 Day despite a blustery snowstorm and flickering power. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 been a goal of mine since I became governor.B次元官网网址�
Morneau said the deck was B次元官网网址渄oubly stackedB次元官网网址� against Desmond because of her gender and the colour of her skin. He said she stood up for what she believed in and helped make the country a better place.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an important story because it shows that standing up for what we believe, whether itB次元官网网址檚 on the steps of Parliament Hill or in a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, can make our country and our world a better place for future generations,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淗er legal challenge galvanized the black community in HalifaxB次元官网网址檚 north end and paved the way for a broader understanding of human rights across our country.B次元官网网址�
The bill, which also features an eagle feather and an excerpt from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was met by a standing ovation.
Yet it was DesmondB次元官网网址檚 sister, Wanda Robson, that stole the show. Now in her 90s, Robson captivated the Halifax audience with her genuine delight at seeing her sister on Canadian currency.
B次元官网网址淚 was speechless,B次元官网网址� she said describing her reaction to the bank note. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 beyond what I ever thought. ItB次元官网网址檚 beautiful.B次元官网网址�
Desmond becomes the first black person B次元官网网址� and the first non-royal woman B次元官网网址� on a regularly circulating Canadian bank note.
The bill marks a growing recognition of DesmondB次元官网网址檚 refusal to leave the whites-only section of a Nova Scotia movie theatre on Nov. 8, 1946 B次元官网网址� nearly a decade before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Alabama B次元官网网址� and the seminal role it played in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 civil rights movement.
DesmondB次元官网网址檚 story went largely untold for a half-century, but in recent years she has been featured on a stamp, and her name graces a Halifax harbour ferry. There are plans for a park in Toronto and streets in Montreal and Halifax to bear her name.
Her story started with a business trip 71 years ago. Desmond, a beautician and entrepreneur from north end Halifax who sold her own line of cosmetics, was headed to Sydney, N.S., when her car broke down. Stuck in New Glasgow overnight, she decided to watch a movie at the Roseland Theatre.
The segregated theatre relegated black patrons to the balcony, while floor seating was reserved for whites. Desmond, who was short-sighted and could not see properly from the back, sat in the floor section and refused to leave.
She was dragged out of the theatre by police, arrested, thrown in jail for 12 hours and fined.
B次元官网网址淰iola Desmond carried out a singular act of courage,B次元官网网址� Saney said. B次元官网网址淭here was no movement behind her, she was ahead of the times.B次元官网网址�
It would take 63 years for Nova Scotia to issue Desmond, who died in 1965, a posthumous apology and pardon.
The new bill is expected to enter circulation at the end of the year.
Robson refused to return her bill Thursday, prompting laughter from the audience. Morneau joked that even he doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the authority to take it back.
B次元官网网址淵ou just canB次元官网网址檛 spend it between now and the end of the year,B次元官网网址� he told her.
Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press
