commemorative toonies

Via friend of the blog par excellence Nag on the Lake, we learn that the Royal Canadian Mint will honour the centenary of the birth of Haida Gwaii (see also here and here) artist Bill Reid (*1920 – †1988)—whose artwork had previously graced the 2004 series of the $20 banknote with a special two dollar coin featuring two versions grizzly bear (Xhuwaji) motif, one in traditional colours and the other uncoloured specie.
The name of the coin itself—first going into circulation in 1996—is a reference to the 1987 introduction of the one-dollar coin, the loonie, featuring the bird found through Canada on the reverse—although during the roll-out of the $2 coin, one parliamentarian hoped that the nickname Nanuq (Inuit for polar bear) might become popular as a way of acknowledge the culture of First Nations. The launch of the coin was to coincide with Reid’s January birthday but was delayed due to the pandemic outbreak.