Canada has a new $20 bank note, and it’s the kind of design story worth pausing for even if you’re not a currency nerd. On September 3, 2026, the Bank of Canada officially unveiled the new vertical $20 note at an event in Ottawa, featuring the first-ever Canadian bank note portrait of King Charles III. It won’t start showing up in your wallet until late February 2027, but the design has already been fully revealed, and it’s packed with details worth knowing before it lands in Metro Vancouver tills.
Here’s a full breakdown of what’s on the note, why it looks the way it does, and when you can expect to actually spend one.
Why a New $20 Note at All
The $20 is Canada’s most-used denomination, so it gets extra attention when it comes to design and security. This note is the second release in the Bank of Canada’s “Vertical series,” following the $10 note featuring civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond. Beyond the portrait update, the Bank says the note introduces security features never before used on Canadian currency, aimed at staying ahead of counterfeiters while remaining easy for everyday people to check at a glance.
A First: King Charles III on Canadian Currency
This is Canada’s first bank note to feature a portrait of King Charles III, and the first time in more than 70 years that a new monarch has appeared on the $20 bill. The portrait sits within a tapestry of botanical detail, a nod to the King’s long-standing focus on environmental sustainability. The ink on the portrait is raised, so it can be identified by touch as well as sight.
The Front: Provinces, Territories, and Indigenous Plant Life
The front of the note is built around two major design elements:
- Thirteen floral emblems, one for each province and territory, connected by stems and leaves patterned after the Books of Remembrance on Parliament Hill.
- A circular window, visible from both sides of the note, featuring four plants recommended by the Bank’s Indigenous Advisory Circle: wild strawberries, western red cedar, braided sweetgrass, and arctic cotton. Together they represent sustenance, gratitude, and healing.
The Back: Vimy Ridge and Remembrance
The back of the note keeps the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France, marking Canada’s role in the First World War and honouring the country’s military sacrifices more broadly. Poppies appear throughout the design as a symbol of remembrance, referencing the flowers that grew across the battlefields of the Western Front.
Security Features to Know
The most distinctive change is the note’s purple security stripe, a colour never used before on Canadian currency. Within the stripe, look for:
- A maple leaf that appears to pulse when the note is tilted
- A poppy surrounded by bands that appear to spin
- A colour-shifting maple leaf elsewhere on the note
- A bubble effect containing magnified “20” numerals
The note also carries accessibility features for people who are blind or partially sighted, including a tactile marker, large high-contrast numerals, and the note’s signature green plus a contrasting purple stripe that helps distinguish it from other denominations.
Canada‘s new $20 bill is here and it’s vertical! It will anti-circulation in late February 2027. What do you think of the new design? pic.twitter.com/ARVYfNa9Ge
— Active Vancouver (@ActiveYVR) September 3, 2026
Note Specifics
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Portrait | King Charles III |
| Size | 152.4 x 69.85 mm |
| Signatures | Carolyn Rogers (left), Tiff Macklem (right) |
| Circulation start | Late February 2027 |
When Will You Actually See One in Vancouver?
Not yet, and not for a while. The Bank of Canada says the note will “gradually enter circulation” starting in late February 2027, with banks and retailers across the country — including here in Metro Vancouver — updated ahead of time on the design and security features so cash-handling equipment and staff are ready for the transition.
Until then, current $20 notes remain fully valid, so there’s no need to change how you’re using cash today. But the next time you’re paying for parking at Kitsilano Beach or grabbing a coffee in Gastown, keep an eye out come next spring for that purple stripe.
Sources: Bank of Canada press release | Vertical $20 note design elements