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Vimy Ridge fundraisers try to give ‘Vimy’ nickname to $20 bill

Vimy Ridge fundraisers try to give ‘Vimy’ nickname to $20 bill

We already have a loonie and a toonie, why not a Vimy? That question is at the centre of a well-intentioned campaign to bring attention to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a key moment in Canada's growth as a nation.

The Montreal-based Vimy Foundation is urging Canadians to adopt the nickname "Vimy" for our $20 bills. The new polymer $20 bills are adorned with an image of the Vimy Ridge memorial in France, so the nickname has some merit.

After all, Canadians quickly started calling our one dollar coin a “loonie” after it was released to the public, thanks to the image of a loon that adorned it. But that was a natural decision, not one that came from on high.

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The Vimy Foundation launched on Monday the "Give a Vimy for Vimy" campaign that collects donations to fund the construction of an education centre in France. The centre is set to be unveiled on April 9, 2017, and the foundation wants to raise $5 million in donations to fund its construction.

Celebrities such as Rick Mercer and Don Cherry have supported the project, as have countless elected officials. It is not clear how many of these people support the bid to force a nickname onto our $20 bill. Because there is a well-known adage that goes like this: You can't choose your own nickname.

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A campaign to have a cumbersome nickname foist upon another piece of our currency is about as likely to succeed as my personal campaign to secure the nickname "The Troubadour." Both are well-intentioned, harmless and just not likely to catch on.

Hey, I hate to be the one to say it. But that's just the way it is.

All of this shouldn't discount from the Vimy Foundation's fundraising campaign. As a Canadian, I am proud of what our troops accomplished in April 1917. In fact, I will be donating $20 to get that education centre built.

I just won't call it a "Vimy" when I do it.

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