(http://www.walkerslegacy.com)
(http://www.walkerslegacy.com)
Viola Desmond: The First Woman toGrace a Canadian BanknoteDECEMBER 9, 2016 by DANIELLE HOLLAND (HTTP://WWW.WALKERSLEGACY.COM/AUTHOR/DANIELLE-HOLLAND/)
LATEST BUZZ (HTTP://WWW.WALKERSLEGACY.COM/CATEGORY/LATEST-BUZZ/)
Canada’s Finance Minister Bill Morneau stands with Wanda Robson, sister of Viola Desmond, during a ceremony at the Museum
of History in Gatineau, Quebec, Dec. 8, 2016.
How One Woman’s Broken-Down Car Changed the Course ofHistory for Women’s and Minorities’ Rights
Civil rights activist Viola Desmond, who challenged racial segregation in Canada in the 1940s, will be the first
Canadian woman to be featured on the country’s $10 banknote as announced by Finance Minister Bill Morneau
announced Thursday, December 8, 2016. Viola Desmond will grace the ban note in 2018.
On the evening of November 8, 1946, Viola Desmond’s (https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-
minutes/viola-desmond) car broke down. When told it would take a day for the parts to become available to
fix the issue, Mrs. Desmond decided to pass her time by seeing a movie at the local theater in New Glasgow.
After purchasing her ticket and claiming her seat on the main floor, she was notified by a manager that it was
against their policy to provide main floor seating to blacks. The manager proceeded to redirect her to the
balcony seating, to which she refused.
Mrs. Desmond, who is often referred to as the Canadian Rosa Parks (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-
scotia/viola-desmond-money-bill-dollar-civil-rights-community-reaction-new-glasgow-family-1.3867262),
was then forcibly removed, causing bodily injury, jailed overnight, and subsequently charged with tax evasion
(and fined the equivalent of $276.00) over the one-cent difference between the balcony and the main-floor
seat tickets. Mrs. Desmond attempted to fight the case, however, the opposing attorneys redirected the
matter from an issue of civil rights to one of tax evasion and thus were able to enforce a local statute to
convict her despite her attorney and later Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
(http://www.courts.ns.ca/History_of_Courts/history_site.htm) Frederick William Bissette’s best efforts.
It wasn’t until sixty-four years later that Mrs. Desmond was posthumously granted an official free pardon
by the Canadian government by way of invoking the Royal Prerogative – the first instance
(http://novascotia.ca/news/smr/2010-04-15-pardon.asp) of such in Canadian history.
“Her story will remind all of us and future generations that bigchange can state with small moments of dignity and bravery.”
BILL MORNEAU, CANADA’S FINANCE MINISTER
