Search PrinceGeorgeNow
Account Login/Registration
Access PrinceGeorgeNow using your Facebook account, or by entering your information below.
OR
A brand new coin from the Royal Canadian Mint features an aeronautical trailblazer, and champion of women’s rights.
During World War II, Elsie MacGill supervised the production of over 1,450 Hawker Hurricane aircraft, earning her the nickname “Queen of the Hurricanes.”
Born in 1905 in Vancouver, she was a woman of many firsts, and the new coin puts some of her accomplishments on display.
She studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and then entered the aviation industry at Fairchild Aircraft in Quebec.
She contributed to various aviation projects including the Fairchild Super 71—the first aircraft designed and built in Canada to feature a metal fuselage. She also worked on the Fairchild 82 and the Fairchild Sekani.
Four years later, Elsie was elected to the Engineering Institute of Canada and once again made history as their first woman member.
“Throughout her career, Elsie advocated for equality in the workplace. She did not see herself as a ‘woman engineer,’ but simply as an engineer. Because of this school of thought, she made great strides for women’s rights while still pursuing her dreams,” said the Mint.
The coin is made even more exciting as it was designed by Vancouver Island artist Claire Watson.
Watson made a post about the commission on social media, saying she has designed three commemorative coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, but this fourth coin is “extra special.”
Watson has worked with clients such as Patagonia, BC Ferries, Surf Canada, the District of Tofino, Pacific Wild and more.
The new coin features a Hawker Hurricane aircraft, as well as a Maple Leaf Trainer II, which MacGill designed, marking the first aircraft in the world designed by a woman.
You’ll also see the “Engineer’s Iron Ring” on the coin to reflect her becoming the first woman elected to the Engineering Institute of Canada, and a lapel pin in honour of her time at the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs—both as a member and later as the provincial and national president. Lastly, MacGill holds some engineering blueprints.
