why is queen elizabeth on the canadian coin?

12 Comments

1. Knowzilla says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   Because Her Majesty is the Queen of Canada

   See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada

   To understand how this is, it’s best to look at important dates in Canadian history. The following are the three most important dates for Canadian independence:

   *1867 - Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick unite to form the Dominion of Canada, the self governing country within the British Empire. The UK still would control Canada’s foreign policy however.

   *1931 - The Statue of Westminster means that nearly all leftover powers are transferred to Canada. However the British Parliament retains the right to be the only entity which can amend Canada’s Constitution. It is not clear also whether the British Crown was removed from Canada or not.

   *1982 - the date many consider the Independence day of Canada. The Canadian Constitution was put fully into the hands of Canada. The British Crown & the British Parliament gave up all power in Canada. The Canadian Crown & Canadian Parliament took the powers they used to exercise in Canada instead. All ties to Britain were cut on this day.

   Today Canada is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, as well as Federation. It’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. Britain no longer has any power over Canada and the British Monarch does not reign over Canada, it is as the Canadian Monarch that Queen Elizabeth II reigns in Canada.

   So the Queen of Canada, as she is Head of State and Sovereign of Canada, is on Canadian Coins and the $20 bill.
2. ♥-Megan-isz-amazzing-♥ says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   because canadians is her culture derrrr hahaha idk sorry
3. Mrs Sasuke Uchiha says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   Because she is the queen of Canada!
   Canada is best friends with the U.K that’s how we get to share a Queen
4. Tom2009 says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   She is the queen of canada aswell, and im british and i LOVE canada.
5. sal :o) says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   because canada is nice enough to still accept the british queen as their queen =]
   we LIKE canada =]
6. Paco says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   Of the countries that are populated primarily by people of European descent, only the United States does not recognize The Queen as their head of state. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand still recognize The Queen as their head of state. The prime minister is only the "head of government".
   ——————————-
   Surprisingly to those people used to the USA President, well over 100 countries around the world have different people to head the state, and to head the government.
   ——————————-
   For those countries where they are different people, the most common name for the "head of government" is "prime minister". The two notable exceptions are Germany and austria where the head of government is called a chancellor.
   ——————————-
   Germany has President Horst Köhler, and Chancellor Angela Merkel
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   China has President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao
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   It has been suggested that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand still have the sovereign of the UK as their head of state largely because of the personal popularity of Queen Elizabeth. After her death the movement to elect a president will become stronger. Many people in those countries don’t want the expense of an elected office of the president.
7. een Nederlandse kerel (michael) says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   She is the Queen of canada & many other Countrys
8. The Dark Side says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   Because she is the Queen of Canada. Canada used to be a British colony, and while over the years it gained its independence, it never changed its head of state to be anyone else. The same is true of Australia, New Zealand and a number of Caribbean islands. When she visits Canada, she visits there as their own Queen, not ours (I’m British) and, for example, if the Canadian Parliament opens its session while she is there, she will perform the ceremony.

   It may be that in time, Canada decides it wants to be a republic. There doesn’t seem to be any popular move to do so. Australia had a referendum on the subject a few years ago and the result was that Australians voted to keep the Queen.
9. Dude says:

   December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   Because the Canadians are very generous and decided to share their monarch with us Brits.
10. liberty 911 says:

    December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    This answer is for Paco: the entirety of Europe is "populated primarily by people of European descent" who mostly do not recognize the British queen as their head of state.
11. blondie103 says:

    December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    because she owns canada
12. Hamzah says:

    December 25, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    Because she is Queen of Canada and it is usual for monarchies to have an image of their head of state on the reverse of their coinage.