LETTITOR

Paper or plastic?

 
    

canon
hange is a comin’ Canada.
While, as an indebted twenty-
something, carrying anything
more than a pair of wrinkly $20 bills
at a time means I’m probably on my
return trip from the biannual voyage to
the bottle depot, there are people who
have the prominence—or lofty line of
credit—to make it rain C notes at the
drop of a hat. And so, to those who are
first in line to feel the effects of the
“technological advances” being made
by the bigwigs over at the Bank of
Canada I ask: paper or plastic?

With a new line of plastic notes
on the way, first announced back in
March of this year, it seems regardless
which side of the fence you find
yourself on, you don’t really have
much of a choice. As alluded to at
the beginning of this article, the first
paper pesos on the chopping block
is the almighty $100 bill. Given that
many businesses are already refusing
to accept the note in its current form,
it’s the obvious guinea pig for a much

 

 

needed facelift. The new polymer
incarnation, rolling out sometime
next month, is for all purposes the
Robocop of the currency world. No,
not dangerous, well-spoken and sexy:

   

impressive, futuristic and secure. With
more bells and whistlers worked into
this sci-fi inspired slip of plastic than
you can shake a stick at—its unibody
design, raised ink, security windows,

hidden numbers, and images—the
next generation of counterfeiters most
certainly have their work cut out for
them. The plastic treatment starts at
$100, but it won’t stop there.
Expected sometime in March of
next year, the new $50 note will make
its debut before you know it; with
$20, $10, and $5 bills following suit
in late 2013. If you remember a time
when our pockets were significantly
lighter thanks to having a few more
bills in our roster, and fewer coins,
you’re aware that refreshing currency
on a national level isn’t a new concept
in Canada. That said, while this
announcement pales in comparison
to the impact that the toonie had on
the nation when it first hit the scene
back in 1995—is anyone else still
fascinated at the obvious laziness in
the name toonie?— this change from
cotton-blend to chic frou-frou plastic
is, well, worth note.

Later days,
Cody Klyne

Editor in chief
The Other Press

 

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