What if...? Studios: Canada's February 1990 Millenium Quarter Phone Conversation

The Phone Call

Thursday, November 5, 1998

It was 10:45 a.m. and I had just returned to my office from a meeting when the phone starting ringing. "Instructional Materials Centre, Lonnie Springer speaking," I said using my standard school board telephone opening.

An excited voice said, "Hi Lonnie, this is Louise de Jourdan calling from the Royal Mint of Canada! I got your number from your wife. I hope you don't mind me calling you at work?"

"No, that's OK," I said desperately trying to figure out who was Louise de Jourdan and why someone from the Royal Mint was calling me. The first thing that came to mind was that it had something to do with taxes or some kind of survey.

She continued, "I am calling to let you know that your design has won the millennium coin contest!"

(long pause) "You've got to be kidding…," I said falling into my chair in a complete state of shock.

Louise went on to inform me that my coin design, depicting the petroglyphs from Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, was going to be on the February 1999 millennium quarter.

It was all starting to make sense. At the end of August I had submitted 12 designs to the Royal Canadian Mint's "Create a Centsation" contest and with the start of a very busy school year I had forgotten all about it. As the contest entry form indicated, this was an opportunity "to make your mark in history by designing Canada's new 25 cent coins for the years 1999 and 2000".

All my submitted designs were for the year 1999. According to the entry form, 12 winning designs for that year would be selected. One coin for each month. The designs were to portray some important event, discovery or achievement that captures the essence of Canada's past millennium. My winning coin design depicted three petroglyphs (rock carvings) from Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park in southern Alberta: the human figure, the horse and the shielded warrior. These images had been carved on the sandstone cliffs in that area by aboriginal peoples hundreds of years ago to record important events, like the arrival of the horse on the prairies, and to communicate with the spirit world.

As Louise continued to talk, the realization of the significance of what I had won was beginning to sink in. It was unbelievable! My coin design would soon be in circulation throughout Canada and the world. Just think … people would be carrying my creation in their pockets and my initials, LS, would be on that coin. Like the Writing-On-Stone petroglyhs that have long outlasted their story-tellers, this coin would outlive me. Canadians for generations to come would use my coin and be reminded of this unique place in Alberta, which provides a vivid glimpse of native history and spiritual life.

While pondering these implications, I was awakened by the sound of Louise's voice. "33,000 designs were submitted for the 1999 coin contest," said Louise, "and your design was one of twelve winners. Like I said before, it will appear on the February coin."

She wanted to know if I would be willing to appear in a TV commercial to help promote the coin. I told her that I would be more than happy to do whatever the Royal Mint wanted and, besides, being in a commercial sounded like it would be fun. She also said that there would be an official launch of the coin on February 1, 1999 at Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park. Before hanging up, Louise said that the people from the ad agency, which the Royal Mint hired, would be setting up a telephone conference call to ask me questions about how I came up with the design, what it means, where I did the original drawing, etc. They wanted to use this as an opportunity to develop some ideas for print advertising and the TV commercial.

Next, Louise advised me not tell anyone about winning the contest except for my family. I found this request very hard to honor because I wanted to share this great moment with everyone I knew. Consequently, when I got off the phone, I could only tell my colleagues at work that something amazing had just happened and I would let them know all the details as soon as I could. One very inquisitive person asked if I had just won a million dollars. "No," I said, "better than that!" This remark just added fuel to the office speculation that slowly developed around this secretive event.

As soon as I had finished talking to Louise, I phoned my wife, Janice, who was at home that day because she was sick. As a result, she had answered the phone when Louise called and became the first one to learn about my winning the contest. After hearing the news she said that she just sat down and cried.

Next I called my parents and then my oldest son Blake at his office. My other son, Aaron, and my daughter, Sarah, heard about the great news after I got home from work. Later that evening I called my two sisters who both live in Colorado.

Lonnie's Coin Journal