New Canadian $1 coin honouring Elsie MacGill unveiled at Calgary's Hangar Flight Museum

Elsie MacGill's image is stamped on the newest Canadian $1 coin along with the Hawker Hurricane, which she oversaw Canadian production of during the Second World War as chief engineer at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ont.

Marie Lemay, who is president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint and holds an engineering degree, says MacGill was an amazing trailblazer.

"She actually broke down barriers for me, so it's a very special moment to be able to unveil this beautiful coin that tells her story," she said.

"You have to remember that she graduated from electrical engineering in 1927. That's almost 100 years ago and she never stopped."

The Royal Canadian Mint chose to unveil its newest limited collector coin in Calgary because the Hangar Flight Museum has a restored Hawker Hurricane in its collection.

"It's very much a sense of pride to be chosen (by the Mint) and that we have one of very few Hawker Hurricanes left in the world," said Brian Desjardins, the museum's executive director.

"So for us to offer a restored Hurricane for the event celebrating Elsie MacGill and the coin, we couldn't be happier."

Desjardins says the museum has a historical display of the aircraft and includes information about MacGill.

"If you come to the museum, you can see our display that talks about her wonderful contributions to the Second World War and to women," he said.

Rohan Soulsby is representing MacGill's family at the event.

He's her grandson and says the family is honoured but Elsie didn't ever want to be put in the spotlight.

He's happy with how the coin turned out.

"Looks great," he said.

"I was surprised that the Queen's on the back. I thought maybe (it would) be a King now (but) it's great and I really appreciated the input that the Mint gave to the family, and for me for the design of the coin."

Crystal Sissons, who is a doctor of history and started putting Elsie MacGill's biography together in 2003, quickly learned MacGill didn't see herself as a "woman" engineer.

"She actually hated the term, so when it came to someone saying, 'Oh, you're a woman,' she's like, 'I'm an engineer. What's your engineering problem? Let's deal with that,'" said Sissons.

"Any special treatment her colleagues tried to give her, whether it was because she was a woman or because she was a polio survivor and had a disability, she just wouldn't hear of it, so they learned really quick, ignore that, ignore the woman part, ignore the disability part and see the engineer."

Sissons says the new $1 coin will help other Canadians learn about MacGill and her achievements.

"It means that the average Canadian has the chance to learn about her story just by going out shopping and getting some change," she said.

"Because I can tell you, if I'm looking at a loonie and suddenly, I see a woman and a plane on the back of my coin, (I'd ask) what's that about? So I'm going to ask those questions and I think a lot of other people will, too."

The Mint says the artwork appearing on the reverse of the 2023 $1 circulation coin celebrating MacGill is the creation of Tofino, B.C., artist Claire Watson.

The coin is limited to a mintage of three million coins where two million will be coloured and it begins circulating on Tuesday.

It will reach Canadians through their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of $1 coins.

You can learn more about MacGill at https://www.mint.ca/en/discover/canadian-commemorative-circulation-program/2023/elsie-macgill.