The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) celebrated International Women's Day by unveiling the new $10 bill today. 

The bill will be the first ever to depict a Candian woman. 

The Bank of Canada put out an open call for nominations of who should go on the bill and received approximately 26,000 submissions from across the country, with Nova Scotia civil rights activist Viola Desmond being selected. 

Desmond was arrested, tried, convicted and jailed in 1946 for sitting in an all-white section at a movie theatre and refusing to leave. It wasn't until after her death that she was officially pardoned. 

The official unveiling was in Desmond's hometown of Halifax. It included a large group of people, including her sister Wanda Robson, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz and CMHR CEO and President Dr. John Young. 

Here in Winnipeg, a group of people gathered at the museum to watch a live-stream of the event and view Viola Desmond's exhibit and a large depiction of what the bill will look like. 

CMHR Vice President of Public Affairs and Programs, Angela Cassie, said not long ago few people knew about Desmond's story, and now they can take it with them in their wallets. 

"Her story is going from 'I heard this once, but it was never taught in school and I can't quite remember her name' to being a story that will be known broadly and will hopefully pique people's interest about what Viola Desmond represents, the challenges she faced and what her legacy can teach us today," Cassie said. "It's an opportunity for us to keep the conversation going." 

Bank of Canada Senior Analyst Michelle Marselle says the bill will have a vertical orientation, which represents "standing up for human rights." 

"The first time I saw it, it has such an impact visually," Cassie said. "I found the bank to be so thoughtful in every element of her story and you see that in every detail of the design." 

On the other side of the bank note is a picture of the CMHR building. Marselle says while Desmond's portrait represents overcoming struggles of the past, the museum represents the future. 

The new bill will be in circulation towards the end of 2018.