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March 16, 2005
Got Change For A Terry?
The Royal Canadian Mint is following a tradition of keeping the loon off the dollar coin and replacing it with various commemorative designs. This year they're dropping the loon in favour of a picture of Canadian hero, Terry Fox. For any non-Canadians reading this blog, Fox was an 18-year-old Canadian diagnosed with cancer, and had his right leg amputated. In his determination to raise money for cancer research, he pledged to walk from the east coast of Newfoundland to the west coast of British Columbia. Unfortunately, he died before finishing.
This coin will be the first in Canadian history to actually feature the image of a Canadian (that should indicate how few national heroes we actually recognize). Fox's family is asking that this year, Canadians don't refer to the coin as a "Loonie", but rather a "Terry".
Comments
I think I saw a made-for-TV movie about him many years ago. It was rather riveting, much like this comment.
Posted by: Kat at March 16, 2005 4:17 PM
When I lived in Thunder Bay, I must have gone past the Terry Fox memorial countless times, as well as having visited the statue and the park in which it resides. That was where he had to quit his run, I believe, as his illness overwhelmed him. Still, BC to Thunder Bay, that's a pretty impressive run for a dying man, wouldn't you say? I think it's a good choice to stamp the loonie with. It's true, we don't seem to have many national heroes. I hope we're never desperate enough to stamp Paul Gross or Leslie Nielson on the loonie. And...I highly doubt I will start calling it the "Terry".
Posted by: Rew at March 17, 2005 4:48 AM