Birds of Canada Series $5 Note

The face of the $5 note features a portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier engraved by Yves Baril. Beside the portrait is the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings as it appeared in Laurier’s day. The flag on the tower is the Red Ensign, which would have flown at that time. Because many Canadians born after 1965 were unfamiliar with the Red Ensign some assumed that the flag on the new note was American, precipitating what was known as the “flag flap.” The bird featured on the back of the note is the belted kingfisher, depicted against a landscape typical of its habitat. The $5 note was the first in the series, issued in April 1986 and initially printed by Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd.