Released on January 17, 2005
For the first time in its history, the Royal Canadian Mint will invite the public to vote among three designs that could be featured on the commemorative 2005 Saskatchewan Centennial circulating 25-cent coin.Residents of Saskatchewan, and all Canadians who have a kinship with the province, will have the opportunity to vote among three designs specially commissioned to mark the 100th anniversary of Saskatchewan as a Canadian province.
Votes received between January 17th and February 17th, 2005, will be collected through the Mint's website (www.mint.ca) and the toll-free hotline at 1-877-884-5557. In addition, voting information will also be available at www.sask2005.ca.
"The Mint is enthused about engaging Saskatchewanians in the process of selecting a coin design to mark their 100th anniversary as a Canadian province," President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint David C. Dingwall said. "We hope to capture their memories and aspirations by offering a chance to participate in the creation of their coin."
"In 2005, the nation and world will celebrate 100 years of heart in Saskatchewan," Premier Lorne Calvert said. "Our centennial celebrations are about our people, our places and the great pride we have in this province we're all proud to call home. Our province's centennial quarter will be a reminder of the spirit of Saskatchewan and the thousands of volunteers working to make our centennial a year to remember."
"I would like to congratulate the Royal Canadian Mint for its innovative approach and all of artists who participated," said Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale. "Voting for those wonderful designs is an excellent way to engage Canadians and in particular the people of Saskatchewan and Alberta."
The three designs feature a prairie Aboriginal "Round Dance", a pair of geese flying above the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, and a Western Meadowlark with a grain elevator in the background.
The name of the artists will be kept confidential to ensure that the voting process remains equitable and design focussed, but will be released when the circulation coin design is unveiled. All of the submitting artists are residents of the province of Saskatchewan, and were selected by the Saskatchewan Arts Board.
The winning design will be submitted to the Government of Canada for approval, to be unveiled in the summer of 2005. The coins will begin to circulate at that time, when the demand for the quarter denomination is historically the highest. The Mint will produce up to 20 million Saskatchewan Centennial coins, subject to market demand. Various collector coins are also planned.
The Royal Canadian Mint, an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. In operation since 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Royal Canadian Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca.
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For More Information, Contact:
| Pam Aung Thin Royal Canadian Mint Ottawa Phone: (613)993-5092 Cell: (613)220-5096 | Chris Shauf Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 Regina Phone: (306)787-1254 Cell: (306)530-5775 |