Canadian coins and bills don’t need a facelift from Charles III
We should put an important Canadian figure on our money instead
Changing Canadian coins and the $20 banknote to feature Charles III doesn't benefit anyone and only feeds the ego of another white man. (Unsplash/PiggyBank)
As per tradition, Canadian coins and the $20 banknote will be updated to have Charles III appear on them. However, do we need to be wasting our money to memorialize another royal?
Tradition has long ruled the operation of a society, and has also often hindered said society from progress. Traditions are meant to be broken, because by breaking them it shows that we are progressing.
At the age of 74, Charles III is the oldest British monarch to take the throne. We shouldn’t bother changing our money now, if according to tradition, it’ll be changed once Prince William, who is next in line, takes the throne.
Not only will Charles III not reign for as long as his mother, Elizabeth II, but he is considerably less popular. His popularity, or lack thereof, is not entirely due to him as an individual, but of the monarchy as an institution.
The second Elizabethan era lasted 70 years. These 70 years saw the time after the Second World War, the independence of virtually all remaining British colonies, and unimaginable economic and social growth. Now, former British colonies are rightfully asking for reconciliation for centuries of persecution, slavery, and robbing of their wealth.
Having Charles III’s face printed on coins and the $20 banknote as so many, including Canadians, want the monarchy to acknowledge the blood they have spilled across the globe, is a slap in the face.
As someone who is a Punjabi Sikh, it’s painful to have my history ignored. As someone born and raised in Canada, the silence from Buckingham Palace is deafening and telling of their true colours. New coins won’t change how Canadians view the monarchy, it is merely a bandaid on a gushing wound.
Keeping our coins and $20 banknotes as they are would save us money and would no longer celebrate a monarchy that has profited from colonialism. If we were to change anything though, it should commemorate someone who is Indigenous or has contributed to Canadian society.
Remembering an Indigenous leader in the history of Canada would not only educate more people about Indigenous peoples and their rights, but it would be a step in the right direction for reconciliation.
Nisga’a Chief and politician, Frank Calder, was the first Indigenous person to be elected into the B.C. legislature. He is most known for the Nisga’a Tribal Council’s Supreme Court case against B.C., informally known as the Calder case, which demonstrated how Indigenous title, or ownership, to traditional lands exists in modern Canadian law. Calder was awarded the Order of Canada, which recognizes outstanding contributions to Canadian society.
Many racialized historical figures have also contributed to Canadian society. One of which was Harnam Kaur, one of the first Punjabi Sikh women to immigrate to Canada in the early 1900s. She fought for her right to enter Canada, was a women’s rights activist, and a leader in the growing Punjabi Sikh community. Her legacy paved the way for not only Punjabi and Sikh women, but for all racialized women.
By removing the monarch from our money, it also raises the question of if Canada should continue to honour British royalty. The role of the King or Queen of a nation that colonized this land and declared it their own land centuries ago doesn’t hold anything for us.
Whether you’re viewing this change from an economic or social perspective, it doesn’t benefit anyone. Giving our money a Charles facelift only does one thing; feed the ego of another white man.
