Viola Desmond91裸聊视频檚 trailblazing act of defiance 91裸聊视频� overlooked for decades by most Canadians 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� the first vertically oriented bank note issued in Canada 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淚t was long past time for a bank note to feature an iconic Canadian woman,91裸聊视频� Poloz told the large crowd gathered at the Halifax Central Library on International Women91裸聊视频檚 Day despite a blustery snowstorm and flickering power. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 been a goal of mine since I became governor.91裸聊视频�
Morneau said the deck was 91裸聊视频渄oubly stacked91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an important story because it shows that standing up for what we believe, whether it91裸聊视频檚 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,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淗er legal challenge galvanized the black community in Halifax91裸聊视频檚 north end and paved the way for a broader understanding of human rights across our country.91裸聊视频�
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 Desmond91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淚 was speechless,91裸聊视频� she said describing her reaction to the bank note. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 beyond what I ever thought. It91裸聊视频檚 beautiful.91裸聊视频�
Desmond becomes the first black person 91裸聊视频� and the first non-royal woman 91裸聊视频� on a regularly circulating Canadian bank note.
The bill marks a growing recognition of Desmond91裸聊视频檚 refusal to leave the whites-only section of a Nova Scotia movie theatre on Nov. 8, 1946 91裸聊视频� nearly a decade before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Alabama 91裸聊视频� and the seminal role it played in Canada91裸聊视频檚 civil rights movement.
Desmond91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淰iola Desmond carried out a singular act of courage,91裸聊视频� Saney said. 91裸聊视频淭here was no movement behind her, she was ahead of the times.91裸聊视频�
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 doesn91裸聊视频檛 have the authority to take it back.
91裸聊视频淵ou just can91裸聊视频檛 spend it between now and the end of the year,91裸聊视频� he told her.
Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press
