Loonie
Encyclopedia
The Canadian 1 dollar coin (commonly called Loonie) is a gold-coloured, bronze-plated, one-dollar coin
introduced in 1987. It bears images of a common loon, a bird which is common and well known in Canada, on the reverse
, and of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.
The design for the coin was meant to be a voyageur
theme, similar to the country's previous one dollar/silver dollar coin
, but the master dies were lost by the courier service while in transit to the Royal Canadian Mint
in Winnipeg
. In order to avoid possible counterfeiting, a different design was used.
The coin has become the symbol of the Canadian dollar; media often discuss the rate at which the loonie is trading against other currencies. The nickname loonie ( in French
) became so widely recognized that on March 15, 2006 the Royal Canadian Mint secured the rights to the name "Loonie". The name is so ubiquitous that, when it was introduced in 1996, the Canadian 2 dollar coin was nicknamed the "Toonie" (a portmanteau of "two" and "loonie").
The coin—an 11-sided curve of constant width
—is made of Aureate, a bronze
-electroplated
nickel
combination. In order to maintain a constant width of 26.5 mm the "sides" of the coin are not exactly straight, but curved in the same manner as the 7-sided British
twenty pence and fifty pence coins (the latter is comparable in size and value to the loonie). Its size was (and remains) nearly identical to that of the then-circulating Susan B. Anthony dollar
and its successors
in the United States. The total composition of the coin is 91.5% nickel and 8.5% bronze. The bronze is about 88% copper
and 12% tin
.
The coin has been met with a general public acceptance. The town of Echo Bay, Ontario, home of loonie designer Robert-Ralph Carmichael
, has erected an enormous loonie in his honour along the highway—similar to Sudbury's 'Big Nickel'
.
and curling
teams and has been viewed as a good-luck charm in international competition. The legend began during the 2002 Winter Olympics
, when a Canadian icemaker for the ice surfaces in the ice hockey tournament
, Trent Evans, buried a loonie under centre ice. The original reason for placing the loonie was to assist in the puck-drop: the centre ice at Salt Lake was emblazoned with a large logo, and was missing the customary circle used by the referee and face-off players as a target for the puck — so he needed to add some kind of a dot as a puck target that would not stand out, and a loonie buried under the ice served well. Both the Canadian men's
and women's
hockey teams won gold in the tournament, the men's 50 years to the day after their last gold medal victory. Following the Games, Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky
recovered the coin and gave it to the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
A loonie was also used at the IIHF World Hockey Championships between Canada and Sweden on May 11, 2003. This lucky loonie is known affectionately as the Helsinki Loonie. It was hidden surreptitiously before the Gold-Medal hockey game and saw Team Canada to victory. After forward Anson Carter
scored against Swedish goaltender Mikael Tellqvist in overtime to win the World Hockey Championship for Canada, Team Canada officials admitted they had placed a Loonie in the padding beneath the crossbar of the Swedish net.
The legend is also prevalent in curling
, as the Kevin Martin rink at the 2002 Winter Olympics had won silver medals on a sheet with silver-coloured quarters underneath the surface. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
, the Canadian icemakers in the curling tournament
buried two loonies, one at each end of the sheet — coincidentally, Brad Gushue
would win the gold medal there. In the same Olympics, the icemakers at the hockey tournament
announced that they would not bury a loonie under the ice. The men's team finished out of the medals while the women's team won gold. Likewise, for the 2010 Winter Olympics
, as part of the venue construction for the curling venue, three loonies were placed in the floor by the architect before the concrete was poured. Both the Canadian Men and Women's Ice Hockey team took home Gold.
This legend is kept alive by the Royal Canadian Mint
, which has since issued specially-designed "Lucky Loonies" for each year the summer and winter Olympics Games are held. Two new Olympic-themed loonies are due to be released in commemoration of the 2010 Winter Olympics
being held in Vancouver
-Whistler
.
Team Russia has also made use of the lucky loonie — in the 2008 IIHF World Championship
in Quebec City Alexander Ovechkin
famously dug out the "lucky loonie" from centre ice after Russia beat Canada 5–4 in overtime and gave it to Russian teammate Ilya Nikulin, who cut it in two and made two necklaces out of the souvenir. Capitals defenceman Mike Green, who was on the losing Canadian team in that game, says Ovechkin's jewellery still makes an appearance from time to time. Green would love to get a chance to steal that half loonie away from his tormentor, but the opportunity simply hasn't come up.
An episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
("Blaze of Glory
") also made mention of a lucky loonie – although the episode's air date (12 May 1997) predates the more-recent Olympic tradition, making it impossible for the scriptwriter to have intended a connection between the fictional coin and its real-world counterpart. The character, Michael Eddington, had a family heirloom in the form of a 22nd century Canadian one dollar coin that he called his "lucky loonie".
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
introduced in 1987. It bears images of a common loon, a bird which is common and well known in Canada, on the reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
, and of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.
The design for the coin was meant to be a voyageur
Voyageurs
The Voyageurs were the persons who engaged in the transportation of furs by canoe during the fur trade era. Voyageur is a French word which literally translates to "traveler"...
theme, similar to the country's previous one dollar/silver dollar coin
Voyageur Dollar
The Voyageur Dollar was a coin of Canada struck for circulation in silver from 1935 to 1966, and as a commemorative in 2003. A nickel version was struck from 1968 to 1987. In 1987, the coin was replaced by the loonie. The coin remains legal tender....
, but the master dies were lost by the courier service while in transit to the Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. In order to avoid possible counterfeiting, a different design was used.
The coin has become the symbol of the Canadian dollar; media often discuss the rate at which the loonie is trading against other currencies. The nickname loonie ( in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) became so widely recognized that on March 15, 2006 the Royal Canadian Mint secured the rights to the name "Loonie". The name is so ubiquitous that, when it was introduced in 1996, the Canadian 2 dollar coin was nicknamed the "Toonie" (a portmanteau of "two" and "loonie").
The coin—an 11-sided curve of constant width
Curve of constant width
In geometry, a curve of constant width is a convex planar shape whose width, defined as the perpendicular distance between two distinct parallel lines each intersecting its boundary in a single point, is the same regardless of the direction of those two parallel lines.More generally, any compact...
—is made of Aureate, a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
-electroplated
Electroplating
Electroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...
nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
combination. In order to maintain a constant width of 26.5 mm the "sides" of the coin are not exactly straight, but curved in the same manner as the 7-sided British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
twenty pence and fifty pence coins (the latter is comparable in size and value to the loonie). Its size was (and remains) nearly identical to that of the then-circulating Susan B. Anthony dollar
Susan B. Anthony dollar
The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States coin minted from 1979 to 1981, and again in 1999. It depicts women's suffrage campaigner Susan B. Anthony on a dollar coin. It was the first circulating U.S. coin with the portrait of an actual woman rather than an allegorical female figure such as...
and its successors
Sacagawea dollar
The Sacagawea dollar is a United States dollar coin that has been minted every year since 2000. These coins have a copper core clad by manganese brass, giving them a distinctive golden color. The coin features an obverse by Glenna Goodacre. The reverse design has varied, from 2000 to 2008...
in the United States. The total composition of the coin is 91.5% nickel and 8.5% bronze. The bronze is about 88% copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and 12% tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
.
Public reaction
The coin was released on June 30, 1987. The $1 note remained in issue and in circulation along with the coin for the next two years, until the note was finally withdrawn on June 30, 1989.The coin has been met with a general public acceptance. The town of Echo Bay, Ontario, home of loonie designer Robert-Ralph Carmichael
Robert-Ralph Carmichael
Robert-Ralph Carmichael is a Canadian artist who designed the loonie side of the Canadian one dollar coin.Robert-Ralph lives near the northern town of Echo Bay, Ontario in the scenic Sylvan Valley. The town has recently erected a large loonie statue in honour of Mr. Carmichael along the highway...
, has erected an enormous loonie in his honour along the highway—similar to Sudbury's 'Big Nickel'
Big Nickel
The Big Nickel is a nine-metre replica of a 1951 Canadian nickel, located at the grounds of Dynamic Earth in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada...
.
Commemorative editions
The design has been changed several times for commemorative editions:| # | Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Special notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1992 | 125th Anniversary of the Confederation Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces... |
Rita Swanson | 23,010,000 | Showing children and the Parliament Building Parliament Hill Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural... . The regular loon design was also minted that year bearing the double date "1867-1992". |
| 2 | 1994 | Remembrance Design | RCM Staff | 15,000,000 | Image of the National War Memorial National War Memorial (Canada) The National War Memorial , is a tall granite cenotaph with acreted bronze sculptures, that stands in Confederation Square, Ottawa, and serves as the federal war memorial for Canada.... in Ottawa. |
| 3 | 1995 | Peacekeeping Monument Peacekeeping Monument Reconciliation: The Peacekeeping Monument is a monument in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, commemorating Canada's role in international peacekeeping and the soldiers who have participated and are currently participating, both living and dead.... |
J.K. Harman, R.G. Enriquez, C.H. Oberlander, Susan Taylor | 41,813,100 (see note) | Included in 1995 Loon Mintage. |
| 4 | 2004 | Olympic Lucky Loonie | R.R. Carmichael | 6,526,000 | 1st Lucky Loonie. |
| 5 | 2005 | Terry Fox Terry Fox Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research... |
Stan Witten | 12,909,000 | Fox is the first Canadian citizen to be featured on a circulated Canadian coin. There are versions that exist without grass on the reverse of the coin. |
| 6 | 2006 | Olympic Lucky Loonie | Jean-Luc Grondin | 2,145,000 | 2nd Lucky Loonie. |
| 7 | 2008 | Olympic Lucky Loonie | Jean-Luc Grondin | 10,000,000 | 3rd Lucky Loonie. Part of the RBC Vancouver 2010 Coin Set. |
| 8 | 2009 | Montreal Canadiens Centennial Loonie | Susanna Blunt | 10,000,000 | To Commemorate the 100th anniversary celebration of the Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... professional hockey team. Circulated only in the province of Quebec at Metro(c) Grocery Stores. |
| 9 | 2010 | Olympic Lucky Loonie | RCM Staff | 11,000,000 | 4th Lucky Loonie with the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympic symbol ilanaaq, an inukshuk. Part of the RBC Vancouver 2010 Coin Set. |
| 10 | 2010 | Navy Centennial | Bonnie Ross | 7,000,000 | To commemorate the Centennial of the Canadian Navy Features a Halifax-class Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... below anchor, a 1910 naval serviceman and a modern-day female naval officer. |
| 11 | 2010 | Saskatchewan Roughriders Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor... Centennial |
Suzanna Blunt | 3,000,000 | To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Features the Roughriders logo along with a stylized 100. |
| 12 | 2011 | Parks Canada Parks Canada Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative... Centennial |
Nolin BBDO Montreal | To celebrate Parks Canada’s 100th anniversary. Features stylized land, air and aquatic fauna, varieties of flora, as well as a symbolic park building and the silhouette of a hiker framed by a snow-capped mountain range. |
Specimen set editions
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 15th Anniversary Loonie | Dora de Pédery-Hunt | 67,672 | $39.95 |
| 2004 | Jack Miner Jack Miner John Thomas Miner, OBE , or "Wild Goose Jack," was a Canadian conservationist called by some the "father" of North American conservationism.-Biography:... Bird Sanctuary |
Susan Taylor | 46,493 | $39.95 |
| 2005 | Tufted Puffin Tufted Puffin The Tufted Puffin also known as Crested Puffin, is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk family found throughout the North Pacific Ocean.... |
N/A | 39,818 | $39.95 |
| 2006 | Snowy Owl Snowy Owl The Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great... |
Glen Loates | 39,935 | $44.95 |
| 2007 | Trumpeter Swan Trumpeter Swan The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh... |
Kerri Burnett | 40,000 | $45.95 |
| 2008 | Common Eider Common Eider The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on... |
Mark Hobson | 40,000 | $47.95 |
| 2009 | Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England... |
Chris Jordison | 40,000 | $47.95 |
| 2010 | Northern Harrier | Arnold Nogy | 35,000 | $49.95 |
First strikes
| Year | Theme | Mintage | Issue Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Common Loon | 1,944 | $14.95 |
| 2005 | Terry Fox | 19,949 | $14.95 |
| 2006 | Lucky Loonie | 20,010 | $15.95 |
| 2006 | With New Mint Mark | 5,000 | $29.95 |
The lucky loonie
In recent years, the golden-coloured loonie became associated with Canada's winning hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
teams and has been viewed as a good-luck charm in international competition. The legend began during the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, when a Canadian icemaker for the ice surfaces in the ice hockey tournament
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
, Trent Evans, buried a loonie under centre ice. The original reason for placing the loonie was to assist in the puck-drop: the centre ice at Salt Lake was emblazoned with a large logo, and was missing the customary circle used by the referee and face-off players as a target for the puck — so he needed to add some kind of a dot as a puck target that would not stand out, and a loonie buried under the ice served well. Both the Canadian men's
Canadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
and women's
Canadian national women's hockey team
The Canadian women's national ice hockey team is controlled by Hockey Canada. Canada has been by far one of the two most dominant teams in international competition. They have won the majority of major ice hockey tournaments, while their losses have only been against the United States and Sweden...
hockey teams won gold in the tournament, the men's 50 years to the day after their last gold medal victory. Following the Games, Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
recovered the coin and gave it to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
A loonie was also used at the IIHF World Hockey Championships between Canada and Sweden on May 11, 2003. This lucky loonie is known affectionately as the Helsinki Loonie. It was hidden surreptitiously before the Gold-Medal hockey game and saw Team Canada to victory. After forward Anson Carter
Anson Carter
Anson Carter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger of Barbadian descent who last played for HC Lugano in the Swiss Nationalliga A. In the past, he has played for eight different National Hockey League teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver...
scored against Swedish goaltender Mikael Tellqvist in overtime to win the World Hockey Championship for Canada, Team Canada officials admitted they had placed a Loonie in the padding beneath the crossbar of the Swedish net.
The legend is also prevalent in curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, as the Kevin Martin rink at the 2002 Winter Olympics had won silver medals on a sheet with silver-coloured quarters underneath the surface. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, the Canadian icemakers in the curling tournament
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...
buried two loonies, one at each end of the sheet — coincidentally, Brad Gushue
Brad Gushue
Bradley Raymond "Brad" Gushue, ONL is a Canadian curler from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gushue, along with teammates Russ Howard, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, represented Canada in curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where they won the gold medal by defeating Finland...
would win the gold medal there. In the same Olympics, the icemakers at the hockey tournament
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
announced that they would not bury a loonie under the ice. The men's team finished out of the medals while the women's team won gold. Likewise, for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, as part of the venue construction for the curling venue, three loonies were placed in the floor by the architect before the concrete was poured. Both the Canadian Men and Women's Ice Hockey team took home Gold.
This legend is kept alive by the Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...
, which has since issued specially-designed "Lucky Loonies" for each year the summer and winter Olympics Games are held. Two new Olympic-themed loonies are due to be released in commemoration of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
being held in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
-Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
.
Team Russia has also made use of the lucky loonie — in the 2008 IIHF World Championship
2008 IIHF World Championship
The 2008 IIHF World Championship was played between May 2 and May 18, 2008 in the Canadian cities of Halifax and Quebec City . The two venues were the Halifax Metro Centre and the Colisée Pepsi...
in Quebec City Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
famously dug out the "lucky loonie" from centre ice after Russia beat Canada 5–4 in overtime and gave it to Russian teammate Ilya Nikulin, who cut it in two and made two necklaces out of the souvenir. Capitals defenceman Mike Green, who was on the losing Canadian team in that game, says Ovechkin's jewellery still makes an appearance from time to time. Green would love to get a chance to steal that half loonie away from his tormentor, but the opportunity simply hasn't come up.
An episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
("Blaze of Glory
Blaze of Glory (DS9 episode)
"Blaze of Glory" is an episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the twenty-third episode of the fifth season. It has an average fan rating of 4.1/5 on the official Star Trek website as of September, 2009....
") also made mention of a lucky loonie – although the episode's air date (12 May 1997) predates the more-recent Olympic tradition, making it impossible for the scriptwriter to have intended a connection between the fictional coin and its real-world counterpart. The character, Michael Eddington, had a family heirloom in the form of a 22nd century Canadian one dollar coin that he called his "lucky loonie".
Saskatchewan Roughrider Loonie
On September 2, 2010 at Regina, Saskatchewan the Royal Canadian Mint launched a commemorative one-dollar circulation coin honouring the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders' 2010 centennial. The coin's reverse features the Roughrider logo and is dated 1910-2010. The circulating mintage was limited to 3,000,000 coins. However due a production oversight, the obverse of the Roughrider loonie does not bear the mandated Royal Canadian mint logo. On July 21, 2006, the Royal Canadian Mint announced its policy and unveiled its new privy mark to be displayed below the monarch's effigy on the obverse of all circulation and numismatic coinage beginning in 2006.Multimedia
- CBC Archives News item talking about the introduction of the Loonie.
- The loonie's American trade secret revealed
- Loonie 20 years old