Released in 1998, this $20 sterling silver coin is the eighth release in the RCM's second aviation series, Powered Flight in Canada: Beyond World War II. Celebrate Canada's aviation heroes and their groundbreaking achievements.

This piece honors the CL-215 Waterbomber and Paul Gagnon, the first director general of the Quebec Air Services whose leadership significantly contributed to the development of Canso-type water bombers and the Canadair CL-215. 

The Design

The reverse features the CL-215 along with a 24-karat gold plated cameo portrait of Paul Gagnon. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Dora de Pédery-Hunt.

The CL-215 Waterbomber 

When it first took to the skies in 1967, the CL-215 waterbomber made history as the only aircraft in the world custom-designed exclusively to battle forest fires. This twin-engine amphibian features specialized hull probes capable of scooping 5,455 liters of water in just ten seconds while skimming a lake's surface at 110 km/h. During a standard day of operations against a fire 160 kilometers from its base, the CL-215 can execute up to 75 pick-ups and drops with only a single refueling stop. Under peak conditions, individual aircraft have surpassed 100 drops in a single day, delivering over 545,500 liters of water.