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The 5 Best Things To Buy With That Crisp New Viola Desmond $10 Bill

In celebration of Canada's newest banknote, here's how I'd spend my Desmond dollars.
Viola Desmond 10 dollar bill Image courtesy Bank of Canada.

We may not yet have equal pay (women still take home 31 percent less than dudes every year, women of colour even less than that), but I'm in the mood to make it rain $10 bills.

To mark International Women's Day, the Bank of Canada unveiled its very first wide-circulation bank note to feature the face of a woman other than the Queen. The legacy of civil rights activist Viola Desmond — arrested in the 1940s for refusing to vacate her seat in the "whites" section of a Nova Scotia movie theatre — is finally being recognized and will soon be stuffed in the wallets of Canadians coast to coast to coast.

But since I am not Drake and therefore not in a position to pass out stacks of cold hard cash, I've had to scale back my ambitions to dream up what I'd do with just one of those 10 buckaroo notes. Still, I would be excited to spend my Desmond dollars in these ways:

One ticket to see A Wrinkle In Time

With just $10 in hand, I'd have to skip the VIP reclining-massage-chair seats and go on cheap night, smuggling in my own snacks. But I'd like to think Desmond would be down to check out this empowering fantasy flick made by Ava DuVernay — the first black woman to direct a movie with a $100 million budget — and starring Oprah and Storm Reid.

An hour of childcare

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Except if you live in Quebec, of course, where 10 bucks will buy an entire day. But in urban centres like Toronto, where the median monthly fees for daycare hover in the $1,700 zone for an infant, a tenner will really only get you care for an eighth of the day. Sigh.

A box of tampons for homeless women

Being on your period sucks at the best of times. But imagine not having enough money to eat, let alone purchase feminine hygiene products? I'd spend my Desmond dollars buying a box of tampons, and I'd get them in the hands of homeless women in my community. Projects like The Period Purse, which delivers purses filled with tampons, pads, and wellness items directly to homeless, abused and impoverished menstruators across Ontario, can help with that.

A donation to a women's organization

Yes, women's organizations just got promised $100 million in the 2018 federal budget. But that doesn't mean these hardworking, severely underpaid and overworked feminists on the ground don't still need donations from the public to do the daily work of making life better for women. I'd look for organizations such as the YWCA or the Native Women's Association of Canada or for efforts that strive to improve the lives and daily experiences of women of colour. A little goes a long way.

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A celebratory latte with Wanda Robson

Desmond's sister has pushed for YEARS to have her sister's legacy recognized, her efforts dating to 2006 and earlier. It was so moving to see her speechless as she received a sneak peek of the bank note featuring her sister's face. I'd love to treat her to a cuppa at her favourite café and hear her talk all about her sister's legacy, what she thinks has changed for the better and what still needs to be done to make Canada a more equitable place. Wanda, how do you take your tea?

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