Terry Fox has been chosen to appear on the next $5 banknote, as announced by the federal government in its fall economic statement Monday.
Fox became a symbol of hope and perseverance through his 1980 Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise funds for cancer research. Having lost his leg to cancer, Fox’s effort raised over $24 million — $1 for every Canadian at the time.
Before his death in 1981, when his cancer spread to his lungs, Fox was named the youngest Companion of the Order of Canada. His legacy continues through the annual Terry Fox Run, which has raised more than $850 million for cancer research.