Today, we read a wonderful biography called Meet Viola Desmond by Elizabeth MacLeod. Viola Desmond is considered by many Canadians to be a hero. The book tells the story of Viola’s rather famous moment in history when she bought a ticket to the movie theatre in 1946 in Nova Scotia. Viola bought a ticket and sat in the whites-only section of the theatre. She was told to move to the balcony where black people were supposed to sit. Instead, Viola was determined to sit where she wanted, and as a result, she was jailed, went to court, and found guilty. Viola died in 1965 at age 51. In 2010, the government of Nova Scotia pardoned Viola and apologized for what happened to her.

A few students connected Viola’s story to Rosa Parks from the U.S.A. Indeed, their experiences are very similar!

Years later, Viola’s sister, Wanda, shares her story and is proud to hold the new Canadian $10 bill where Viola’s portrait will be printed starting next week.

Check out this article from the London Free Press!

Who is someone else that you think should be on a Canadian bank note?