403) Canada 150: Celebrating Canada’s Sesquicentennial in 2017: Issue of a new set of five circulation coins by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the milestone in 2017:

403) Canada 150: Celebrating Canada’s Sesquicentennial in 2017: Issue of a new set of five circulation coins by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the milestone in 2017:

For more interesting posts on issues from the Royal Canadian Mint, please visit the following links:

1) Coins of Canada, minted by the Royal Canadian Mint

2) Canada 150: Celebrating Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017: Issue of 5 circulation coins to celebrate the milestone

3) Banknotes and coins of Denmark (Part II): Also contains a brief about the Skuldelev Viking ships

4) Viking Ships: 3 Coin Series from the Royal Canadian Mint: First coin in the Series: $20 Silver Coin titled "Northern Fury" released in January 2018

5) Viking Ships: Second Coin in the Series: $20 Silver coin titled "Viking Voyage" released in February 2018:

6) Viking Ships: Third Coin in the Series: $20 Silver Coin titled "Dragon Ship" released in March 2018

 7) Inuksuk: Iconic Canada: A $20 Gold Plated Silver Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in January 2018

Since 04.08.2016, the government of Canada, in collaboration with several partners has been counting the last few days of 2016 with exciting events which are planned country-wide to celebrate the 150^th year of Canada’s independence.

The grand finale will take place on 31.12.2016, with the official “Canada 150 Kick-Off Celebrations” taking place in 19 urban centres across the country.

Canadian citizens and residents are being encouraged to participate in the 150^th Anniversary of the Confederation celebrations at special events and activities across the country as volunteers, organisers or participants.

They are also being encouraged to discover the activities taking place in Canada’s National Parks, heritage spaces and explore the country’s history during 2017.

150Alliance is building the biggest database of groups, individuals and organisations involved in Canada 150 projects and initiatives. This digital platform will act as a hub for all 2017 activities, featuring a cross-Canada events calendar, ongoing story-telling, continuous news feeds and a space for organisations to connect and collaborate.

Community Foundations of Canada is the national network for Canada’s 191 community foundations. The Community fund for Canada 150 aims at bringing people and places together in building the future of the country. It will present every Canadian an opportunity to contribute to their communities in a manner that will foster a greater sense of belonging, support, meaningful reconciliation and leave a lasting legacy for the present and future generations.

Canada’s Capital Region – Ottawa-Gatineau will be livelier than ever on 31.12.2016 for the Canada 150 Kick Off. Festivities are planned on Parliament hill and at the Canadian Museum of history. There will be spectacular pyro-musical fireworks shows and performances by renowned Canadian artists.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is composing the score for Canadians in 2017. From indigenous to indie, classical to cutting edge and innovative collaborations from coast to coast, dozens of new works and thematic programmes will be performed by TSO, as well as, orchestras all across Canada.

Some other Signature projects will be:

150 Years Young – Apathy is Boring. The initiative will collect contributions of millennial in photos and stories, post them online and project them on buildings in 5 different cities

4-H in Canada – Engaging Youth and Connecting Communities – 4-H Canada. This programme will explore Canada’s rich cultural history

Access4All – The Rick Hansen Foundation (The Foundation will fund at least 50 Barrier Buster projects and associated awareness celebrations in communities across Canada)

AquaVan 150 – Connecting Communities to Coastlines – Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (learning about aquatic life and a project called the “Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up event”)

ART EXPRESS’D – Winnipeg Art Gallery. These mobile travelling art studios made from 20-foot metal shipping containers will travel across Canada, staffed by an artist and a videographer will travel to 15 cities from coast to coast, encouraging people to create art or a video about their vision of Canada and their place within it

Bioblitz Canada 150 – Canadian Wildlife Federation – Scientists and the public will interact and explore the richness of Canada’s bio-diversity

Canada 150&Me – Experiences Canada – will provide opportunities for youth to travel and explore Canada in several areas

Canada 150 Red Couch Tour – ELPIO Production – People will be encouraged to travel across Canada and give testimonials on what Canada means to them in 2017

Canada 150 Voyageurs RendezVouz (150 VR) – this initiative will produce the re-enactment of the 1967 Centennial Canoe Race, involving 26 canoe race teams

CanadaC3- Coast to Coast to Coast – Students Ice Foundation – This will be an epic 150-day sailing journey from Toronto to Victoria through the Northwest Passage that will explore the largest coastline in the World, navigate Canada’s 3 oceans and celebrate the past present and future of the country.

Canada Mosaic – Toronto Symphony Orchestra – (TSO) will participate in a national celebration of Canada’s diverse musical landscape – from indigenous to indie, classical to cutting edge and innovative collaborations, several new works and thematic programmes will be performed by TSO and several other orchestras across Canada

Canada on Screen – Toronto International Film Festival – TIFF will showcase Canada’s history and screen masterworks including films, TV shows, commercials, music videos etc.

Dreamcatcher – Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust – This initiative will look at Canada’s past. Present and future through the dreams of the next generation of Canadians

Edges of Canada – NYO Canada – will be a tour undertaken by the National youth Orchestra in 12 cities across Canada

Explore 150 – will engage 1,00,000 Canadians in discovering, sharing and reflecting on the cultural, natural and historic places in their communities across Canada

Here’s My Canada – Historica Canada – will be a multilingual nation-wide contest in which Canadians will present 30-second videos on what Canada means to them

Indspire Youth Laureates Cross Canada Tour – Indspire – This initiative focuses at highlighting exceptional accomplishments by indigenous people who will interact with Canadians and tell their stories

Innovation 150 – Perimeter Institute – 5 of Canada’s top science organisations will participate in this initiative to offer cutting-edge opportunities for youth, families and communities across the country to experience innovation first-hand.

Le Grande Traversee – Les Productions Rivard and Zone3 Producteurs (in French) – This is a TV series that will follow the adventures of 10 persons chosen from more than 1,200 candidates from across Canada who will cross the Atlantic Ocean in the same conditions their ancestors did in the 17^th and 18^th centuries during the settling of New France

LandMarks2017 – Partners In Art – is a national contemporary art project that will inspire people to reconnect with the through a series of new multi-disciplinary art projects

Lost Stories – Concordia University – This Project seeks to find out little known stories about the Canadian past from across the country which will be brought to light and transformed into public works of art. This process is going to be documented through a series of short films

National Canadian Film Day 150 – Reel Canada – NCFD 150 is a huge celebration of Canada’s cinema showcasing more than 600 screenings, with free events in every Province and Territory

Pan-Territorial Celebration – Music Yukon – This project brings together performing artists, visual artists, mixed media artists and Dene, Inuit and Arctic sport athletes from the 3 Territories to celebrate Canada’s North. The show will tour Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Iqaluit, Ottawa and Vancouver and showcase the distinct cultures of each Territory

ParticipACTION -150 Play List – encourages all Canadians to join the 150 Canada celebration

Possible Canadas – 4Rs Youth Movement – The 4 Rs Youth Movement is engaging young Canadians in an authentic dialogue and relationship building highlighting contributions of indigenous people over the last 150 years

Project Tessera – Vox Pop Labs – is a civic engagement initiative combining digital media and data science to serve Canadians

Reconciliation in Action: A National Engagement Strategy – Reconciliation Canada -  This project will examine and document perceptions, actions and aspirations of Canadians in relation to reconciliation and highlight common history, current achievements and create hope for the future

RDV2017 – Rendez-vous naval de Quebec -  More than 40 tall ships will sail trough ports in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes to celebrate the 150^th Anniversary of the Confederation and provide an opportunity to Canadians to look at the majestic beauty of these “Cathedrals of the Seas”

SESQUI – SESQUI INC. – is a multi-media dome village, which will give visitors visuals from around the country and the dome will feature live performance, inter-active multi-media etc. It is designed to give visitors a 360 degree view of Canada.

Sharing Dance Canada 2017 – Canada’s National Ballet School – will engage thousands of enthusiasts during “Sharing Day Dance” across communities

Travelling Through History – The Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation – provides an opportunity for thousands of persons to discover and share their history through essay writing contests on history, heritage, cultural diversity etc

The Walrus Talks Conversations about Canada:  will put together a national tour for six months focussing on the future of the country with 50 members of the Order of Canada and 50 Youth leaders

Canadian 150^th Anniversary/Sesquicentennial Circulation Coins which will be issued in 2017:

The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) too is participating in the 150 years of Canada celebrations with the issue of a 150^th Anniversary new coin set designs  on their 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent loonie and toonie coins.

National Design Contest:

The designs for these coins were selected after a keenly contested National Design Contest titled “My Canada, My Inspiration” which started in March 2015 when the RCM asked Canadians to create new designs from five theme perspectives – “Our Wonders, Our Character, Our Achievements, Our Passions and Canada’s Future”.

The process:

The public cast more than one million votes for the designs that numbered in thousands. The finalists in each category were determined by the RCM and a panel of eminent Canadians. The public then voted and selected a final design for each category in September 2015.

On 02.11.2016, the unveiling ceremonies of the winning designs took place in the home towns of each winning coin designer.

 The winning designs - all shown together. Individual detailed explanations follow

The winning designers were also asked to mention the concept and inspiration which into their designs.

The new coins which will be released into circulation in Spring 2017:

    Reverse of the 5 Cents circulation coin showcasing the theme "Living Traditions"

On the Reverse of the 5 Cents Circulation coin, a solitary beaver is depicted in the water. On the upper periphery is the country name “CANADA”. The years of celebration are mentioned below the country name “1867-2017”. On the bottom periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin “5 CENTS”. Gloade’s initials “GG” appear below the beaver’s image.

This image was digitally created by graphic designer Gerald Gloade and the theme celebrates “Our Passions”. Gloade’s illustration, called “Living Traditions” was influenced by his North-Eastern Woodland Algonkian heritage and the Wildlife theme of Canada’s 1967 Commemorative Centennial coins.

Gloade has described the inspiration for his design “As a proud Mi’kmaw, I was inspired to re-imagine the beaver of our traditional five-cent coin through the eyes of my own First Nations culture”.

 Reverse of the 10 Cents circulation coin showcasing the theme “Our Character”
On the Reverse of the 10 Cents Circulation coin, is seen an air-borne maple leaf that forms the wings and tail of a dove. On the upper periphery is the country name “CANADA”. The years of celebration are mentioned below the country name “1867-2017”. On the bottom periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin “10 CENTS”. Choi’s initials “AC” appear on the side of the image.

This image was designed by Amy Choi and celebrates the theme “Our Character”.

Choi’s design illustrates what she felt Canada achieved in its first 150 years through her work titled “Wings of Peace”.

Says Amy “My coin design expresses the hope that, one day, the offering of the maple leaf will be as symbolic as the offering of an olive branch. Since Canada is known world-wide for its desire to promote peace, cooperation and diversity, I was moved to combine the maple leaf and the dove as my way of showing what I admire most about my country”.

Reverse of the 25 Cents circulation coin showcasing the theme "Canada's Future"

On the Reverse of the 25 Cents Circulation coin, is seen a turtle, bird and beaver, all decorated with aboriginal patterns, reaching for a plant growing out of a pair of hands.  

This design symbolises how Canadians are all connected together in protecting their nature.

On the upper left periphery is the country name “CANADA”. The years of celebration are mentioned on the lower right periphery “1867-2017”. On the upper right periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin “25 CENTS”. Wong’s initials “JW” appear on the side of the image.

This image was designed by Joelle Wong and celebrates the theme “Canada’s Future”.

Wong created this design when she was 8 years old and worked with one of her teachers to research Canadian Wildlife and indigenous Art techniques to develop her painting of animals commonly represented in aboriginal culture.

About her design Wong said – “I love animals and green spaces and that gave me the idea of showing my hope for Canada’s future in a painting that celebrates the importance of our nature and native Canadian culture”.

 Reverse of the One Dollar circulation coin showcasing the theme "Our achievements"
On the Reverse of the eleven-sided One Dollar Circulation coin, is seen major landmarks like Lion’s Gate Bridge, a Prairie Grain Elevator, the CN Tower, Quebec City’s Majestic Chateau Frontenac Hotel, a Steam engine and a Diesel Engine driven train, a steamer plying in the waters and an East Coast Lighthouse.

This design symbolises the iconic engineering achievements which dominate the Canadian landscape from East to West.  

On the upper periphery is the country name “CANADA”. The years of celebration are mentioned below the country name “1867-2017”. On the bottom periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin “DOLLAR”. Klassen’s initials “WK” appear on the right side just below the image.

This image was designed by Wesley Klassen and celebrates the theme “Our achievements”.

Klassen said about his design – “ I chose images that are in one way or another connected to the railroad, for which all Canadians are forever grateful, and I’m touched that my design appealed to so many of them”.

 Reverse of theTwo Dollars circulation coin showcasing the theme "Our wonders"
On the Reverse of the Two Dollars Circulation coin, are seen the Northern Light two paddlers dwarfed by a night sky that is alive with the ever-shifting movement of the Aurora Borealis. The paddlers pause and gaze awe-struck in wonder of the mesmerizing scene unfolding above them.

This design symbolises the theme “Our Wonders”.  

On the left periphery is the country name “CANADA”. The years of celebration are mentioned on the upper periphery “1867-2017”. On the bottom periphery moving towards the right periphery is mentioned the denomination of the coin “2 DOLLARs”. Hsia’s initials “TH” appear on the right side just below the image.

Hsia said about his image – “The northern lights are a true Canadian wonder, one that all Canadians from sea to sea can appreciate and call their own. To me, this radiant light display embodies Canada’s unity and beauty. I titled my design ‘Dance of the Spirits’ after how the Cree people attribute the northern lights to the special moment when the spirits manifest themselves, dancing, to the human eyes and minds below”.

                              The Obverses of all the five coins

The Obverse Design of all the 2017 coins feature Susan Blunt’s effigy of the Queen with the inscriptions of “ELIZABETH II” on the left periphery and “D.G. REGINA” (meaning “By the Grace of God Queen”) on the right periphery.

On the lower periphery is the logo of “Canada 150”.

The Canada 150 logo:

                                         The logo of Canada 150

The logo is composed of a series of diamonds, or “celebratory gems”, arranged in the shape of the iconic maple leaf. The four diamonds at the base represent the four original Provinces that formed the Confederation in 1867 – Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Additional diamonds extend out from the base to create nine more points – in total representing the 13 Provinces and Territories that for the Confederation of Canada.

The Canada 150 logo will become an evocative symbol and an enduring reminder of one of Canada’s proudest moments. The maple leaf motif is recognised across the globe as being distinctively Canadian and it fosters a feeling of pride, unity and celebration.

The formulation of the 150! Canada Programme/initiative:

150!Canada is an initiative of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) to conceptualise, plan and celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial in 2017.

Beginning with a conference of public servants, business leaders and non-governmental organisations that took place at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on 11-12.03.2010. Attended by over 300 delegates, the conference was addressed by 25 eminent speakers for the purpose of formulating an action plan to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial.

The concept is based on the Canadian Centennial year celebrations which helped define Canada’s modern identity. Planning for Canada’s Centennial celebrations in 1967, took place in the 1950s as an initiative by private organisations.

In 1992, a similar commemoration took place to celebrate Canada’s 125^th anniversary.