# Canada to move to plastic banknotes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344 "2010-03-04T23:21:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/81 "2011-06-16T17:15:56Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > It’s worse, they’re going to a points system with _sobs_ no more bills. > > Collectors are very upset about the change. What? Nooo… :: sky falls :: _ahem_ Canadian Tire “money” is/was discount coupons issued by Canadian Tire stores; as far as I know, it had nothing to do with the Canadian Tire Bank. We had CT money in the seventies when I was a kid, and CT Bank only came about around 2000. But at the store, CT money is dispensed from a completely-separate set of cash drawers under the regular ones that held Canadian money; that has to add up to a significant extra infrastructure and labour cost for each store. The real problem with CT money is that the amounts given out have decreased as a percentage of each purchase. It’s not worth a lot anymore; they’re still giving out amounts of 5c, 10c, and 25c, when they should be giving out amounts in the range of $1 and even $2. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/82 "2011-06-17T00:41:33Z")
More details! Canadian Tire money is the most successful loyalty program in Canada. It was introduced in 1958 and the idea came from the wife of one of the founders. It was originally only for the gas bars and was extended to the stores in 1961. CTM is only issued on cash purchases. You can already earn “points” instead of bills by using the Canadian Tire Mastercard instead of cash so the future is here it just hasn’t quite taken over yet. [Here](http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/end-may-near-iconic-canadian-tire-money-20110210-080052-961.html) is the announcement from earlier this year when the company suggested that the change was coming. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/83 "2011-06-17T02:04:57Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Longer circulation life, reduced counterfeiting, a bit more colour and pizzaz for branding purposes etc , so using [Securency](http://www.securency.com.au/) makes the decision a bit broader than an austerity measure … and a nice little earner for our Reserve Bank. > > Securency notes are issued 29 countries. > > •Australia > •Bangladesh > •Brazil > •Brunei > •Chile > •China > •Guatemala > •Honduras > •Hong Kong > •Indonesia > •Kuwait > •Malaysia > •Mexico > •New Zealand > •Nepal > •Nicaragua > •Nigeria > •Northern Ireland > •Papua New Guinea > •Paraguay > •Romania > •Singapore > •Solomon Islands > •Sri Lanka > •Taiwan > •Thailand > •Vietnam > •Western Samoa > •Zambia I don’t see the D.R. The Dominican Republic switched its lowest denomination note to polymers two years ago. They are beige though, the same color as the old paper note. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/84 "2011-06-17T02:12:55Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I don’t see the D.R. The Dominican Republic switched its lowest denomination note to polymers two years ago. They are beige though, the same color as the old paper note. It must have been an old list: their site now lists the D.R. and Vanuatu. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/85 "2011-06-20T19:09:21Z")
And here’s the official [unveiling announcement](http://www.bankofcanada.ca/2011/06/press-releases/bank-of-canada-unveils-polymer/). A [backgrounder](http://www.bankofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/spencer.pdf) (PDF). The main banknote page, which has a [description](http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/) of the new banknotes, complete with video. What do you think of the design? ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/86 "2011-06-20T19:18:29Z")
I wonder how long till we see the first news story of a gas bar or convenience store not accepting a new 100 or 50. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/87 "2011-06-20T19:21:34Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > I wonder how long till we see the first news story of a gas bar or convenience store not accepting a new 100 or 50. Probably not till November. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/88 "2011-06-20T19:53:41Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I personally have laundered many bills and they were fine… Same here. It’s funny to say that you are spending laundered money, pretending that you are talking about the criminal offense and not about putting Jackson through the Permanent Press cycle. How long are the old bills going to be usable? I still have “Canadian Journey” bills from my last trip to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/89 "2011-06-20T20:12:09Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > So in the interests of science and international understanding, I’ve just spent the last 5 minutes trying to destroy my own money. I folded a five back and forth, obtaining as sharp a crease as possible, scoring the fold each time using my desk and a fingernail. I did this twenty times back and forth on one line (ie forty times in total). At the end of this, there was a slight undulation (I’d hesitate to call it a wrinkle) at the point I had been folding. I then tried tearing the note at the point where the “wrinkle” met the edge of the note. By applying considerable force I was able to get the note to stretch very very slightly at the point of maximum pressure. I couldn’t induce a tear. > > Edited to add: I suppose if I \*had \*actually damaged the note, I would have committed a crime, in which case I would have had to refrain from posting about it. You’ll just have to trust me that this didn’t occur. So, no more tearing a bill in half and meeting with your unknown undercover operative someplace after midnight and matching the halves to establish identity? That’s gotta suck. What is this world coming to! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/90 "2011-06-20T21:58:12Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > I just want to know if they’ll still call it the ‘luney’. Personally, I was hoping for a new name. > > (How about the ‘Slinky’? Hey, its fun for a girl and a boy… ) It’s “loony” and they do have a loon on them. Inevitably the two dollar coins, when they came out were called “twonies” (or maybe “toonies”, hard to tell). ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/91 "2011-06-20T22:12:34Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > How long are the old bills going to be usable? I still have “Canadian Journey” bills from my last trip to Canada. I expect that they will still be valid currency. Just like previous design changes. They will just be taken out of circulation by the banks as they come in. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/92 "2011-06-20T22:43:45Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > It’s “loony” and they do have a loon on them. Inevitably the two dollar coins, when they came out were called “twonies” (or maybe “toonies”, hard to tell). “Loonie” and “toonie” seem to have become the most common spellings. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/93 "2011-06-20T23:06:41Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > “Loonie” and “toonie” seem to have become the most common spellings. “Moonie” is still slightly preferred for the two-dollar coin. ('s got the queen on the front, with a bear behind.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/94 "2011-06-20T23:32:09Z")
I still say that when Canada eventually introduces a $5 coin, they need to put an albatross on it. You know, a gooney. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/95 "2011-06-20T23:46:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I still say that when Canada eventually introduces a $5 coin, they need to put an albatross on it. You know, a gooney. I like that. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/96 "2011-06-21T00:07:54Z")
I just looked at the “B-roll” video, which is freely downloadable from the Bank of Canada website. The images on the website make the $100 banknote look too solidly-coloured or something; I wasn’t thrilled with it initially. There’s also something about the lack of rectangularity around the large window. And they need to use the older font on the word “Canada”. But it looks a lot better in the video, where you can see the fine details. And it’s nice to see different themes. The themes have been announced as follows: $100: Medical innovation. (currently, communication). $50: Arctic exploration (currently: human rights) $20: the Vimy memorial (currently: arts and culture) $10: the transcontinental railway (currently: war veterans) $5: space (currently: sports) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/97 "2011-06-21T01:05:07Z")
Nah, keep the hockey theme and call the $5 coin a puck. The scene can be a hockey fight. You know, five for fighting! ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/98 "2011-06-21T01:35:26Z")
Hmmm… washable, non-microwavable plastic money. Wonder how that would go over in the US :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/99 "2011-06-21T03:37:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I still say that when Canada eventually introduces a $5 coin, they need to put an albatross on it. You know, a gooney. Or a scene of tundra or muskeg. You know, the boonies. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/100 "2011-06-21T04:02:14Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Or a scene of tundra or muskeg. You know, the boonies. Or a summer scene. Set in the sixth month. They could call them “joonies”. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344.md?page=6)