Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The new $50 bill is becoming more prominent in the wallets of some and the Bank of Canada felt it was time to tell people about it in Yellowknife.

It's made of polymer and has a plastic feel to it, but there are new security features on the surface, such as transparent areas on the right side of the bill from top to bottom and one in the shape of a maple leaf.

The bank's senior regional representative for the prairies, Nunavut and the NWT, Ted Mieszkalski, said the other reason the bill is important is because of the Northern theme, which is prominent.

“There’s the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen on the back and also, written in Inuktitut, there is the word ‘Arctic’, reflecting the Northern theme of this bill,” he said.

Mieszkalski said the Northern theme was actually chosen by some focus groups during the design process.

“The theme of the North came out rather strongly,” he said. “It was from people who either had connections or had no connections to the North. They really felt the North was a critical part of the Canadian identity.”

Mieszkalski also said while they're trying to get the polymer bills readily available, he knows the paper versions will still be out there, but people will hold on to them because of sentimental value or for collectables.

There’s also the warning about putting the new bill in a very hot location.

Mieszkalski said the bills can withstand heat to between 60 to 65 degrees Celsius but any hotter and the bills will begin to break down.

The $100 bill is already out in polymer form and he added the $20 bill will be switched to a polymer design by the end of this year.

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