There’s a good chance a connection to Prince Edward County is right there in the change in your pocket.

The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a new Toonie March 31. It was designed by the County’s own Carl Wiens. 

The $2 commemorative coin celebrates Canada’s tallest freestanding structure, the CN Tower, on the 50th anniversary of its official opening. It also glows in the dark. If you hold the coin under an ultraviolet light source, it will activate its photo luminescence. In a dark room, the CN Tower and the Toronto skyline will appear to be lit up at night.

Mr. Wiens said he wanted to create a visual tribute to the CN Tower within a growing and changing city. The 1976 skyline is shown in dark profile around the base while the current skyline rises above in grey.

“I loved working with glow-in-the-dark ink in the design, because the tower shines like a beacon at night, brightly lit in different hues and colours,” he said. “I incorporated blue tones to reflect Toronto’s franchises like the Leafs, Jays, and Argos, because we all know how passionate Toronto sports fans are.”

Three million newly minted coins

While the well known graphic artist and illustrator now lives in Belleville, we aren’t letting the small matter of a bridge take Mr. Wiens away from us. He spent two decades raising a young family on Picton’s Queen Street. 

He’s been sitting on the news that his artwork would be stamped onto three million commemorative toonies for over a year. The Royal Mint launched a competition in January 2025, commissioning three different artists to produce images commemorating the CN Tower’s anniversary. Mr. Wiens submitted four concepts. The winning design was further refined through multiple edits and reiterations involving the Mint, the Crown Lands Corporation, and CN Tower executives.

“It can be a complicated process but it’s also very a interesting project to work on. Something of this scale really challenges you as an artist and brings your best work to the surface,” Mr. Wiens said. He will be checking his change more frequently in the coming days, anticipating that “a-ha” moment.

“It’s going to be pretty exciting.”