by Bill Moses

I believe that Catharine Parr Traill is the best choice for a woman on a Canadian Banknote. Here are some reasons why.

We should remember that all of us except for First Nations peoples were immigrants or else our forebears were. (For example, Catharine Parr Traill came to Canada in 1832 while my great grandfather came in 1849.) Catharine made the point that in Canada every person regardless of their background had to start at the same level and that their advancement depended on hard work and that they had to take a long term view, understand that things would get better and that their children would have a better life. To me this relates so much to the immigrant experience of today. Canada has always had, and still does offer, a stable environment within which a person, despite initial deprivation, can improve their lot through hard work. Having Catharine Parr Traill on a banknote will remind us of that.

Catharine was an amateur botanist and loved nature. She spoke of how lonely many people were in this newland (especially women), being isolated from friends and family. She found that she could always distract herself from these thoughts by immersing herself in the wonders of nature. She delighted in discovery of new plants and animals. Natural landscapes soothed her. Getting our new immigrants out into nature would surely have a beneficial effect as well

Catharine Parr Traill in her book. The Backwoods of Canada, tells of her contacts with First Nations peoples who lived in her area. There was much more interaction between the new immigrants and first Nations people at that time. She spoke very highly of First Nations peoples and gave a good description of their way of life. Both sides, knowing this history would surely be helped in moving forward.

For all of these reasons I believe that Catharine Parr Traill should be the person chosen to be on a Canadian Banknote.