The federal government is paying tribute to one of Canada’s greatest heroes by adding Terry Fox to the next $5 bill.
The decision to replace Sir Wilfrid Laurier on the $5 bank note was announced in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement released Monday afternoon.
The document briefly outlines Fox’s legacy, noting the young Port Coquitlam, B.C., resident’s Marathon of Hope – which saw him run 42 kilometres per day on his prosthetic leg – raised $24.7 million for cancer research by the time he was hospitalized in early 1981.
“His run was interrupted just past the halfway point when the cancer reached his lungs, and ultimately took his life,” it reads. “Through his efforts, the 22-year-old showed Canadians the difference that an ordinary person could make through sheer willpower and determination.”
The annual Terry Fox Runs that have been held across Canada and in several other countries since have raised roughly $800 million more, according to the Terry Fox Foundation.
The federal government also suggested adding Fox to the currency might “inspire more Canadians to give” to the cause.
On social media, Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West applauded the move to celebrate Fox on Canada’s currency.
“His courage and determination continues to inspire and unite not just his hometown of Port Coquitlam, but people from all over the world,” West posted on social media following the announcement.
Laurier will be added to the next version of the $50 bill, according to the Fall Economic Statement. It’s unclear whether William Lyon Mackenzie King, who is currently featured on the bank note, will be added to a different bill.
