Royal Canadian Mint Director of Communications Christine Aquino presents artist Robert Ralph Carmichael a framed 1987 Loonie and a 2012 one-dollar fine silver collector coin in recognition of his role in creating an enduring Canadian icon at a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Loonie at the Echo Bay, Ontario Post Office on July 31, 2012. Over 40 people attended the presentation, and asked Robert to sign their coins.
In an interesting tidbit revealed by Wawa historian, Kaireen Morrison this afternoon, Robert Carmichael was born in Parkhill, the gold mining community that existed along what we now think of as the Surluga Road. The Surluga Road is a mere 2 kms east of Wawa, and many of the homes in Parkhill housed longtime residents of Wawa. Many residences were also brought down the hill and became a physical part of Wawa, when the gold mines and the community of Parkhill was abandoned.
