As a new coin collector, Wesley Klassen enjoys keeping an eye out different types and trying to find them in his pocket change.

The idea that one of those Royal Canadian Mint coins may bear a design of his own in the future is amazing.

"To get this far, I feel like a winner already," said Klassen, who was announced as a finalist Tuesday in the Royal Canadian Mint's My Canada, My Inspiration coin design contest.

The 49-year-old St. Catharines man's design featuring iconic images from across the country is one of 25 chosen from over 10,000 entries.

He found out in early August he was a finalist but had to keep it secret until Tuesday's announcement.

"I have not been able to share this until today and it has been agonizing keeping it to myself, but for good reason," he laughed.

"Today, it's been an emotional roller coaster with it going public on the internet. It's just amazing."

Klassen, an electrician with Ontario Power Generation, has no formal art training but enjoys painting, sketching and photography as a hobby. He credits his parents with instilling the gift of creativity in their children - his father, John Klassen, designed the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake crest in 1971 with no formal training either.

About a year ago, Klassen said a friend got him interested in coin collecting and he learned about the mint's contest from an email.

The idea for his coin featuring Canada's achievements started with Sir John A. MacDonald's 200th birthday anniversary this year and his promise to connect Canada from coast to coast by railroad. Klassen based the sketch around the train idea but wanted to tie it together so it represented as much of Canada as possible. Starting from east to west, he added fishing boats, a lighthouse and Peggy's Cove, Chateau Frontenac, the CN Tower, Prairie grain elevators and Lions' Gate Bridge in B.C.

To read the complete article, see:
St. Catharines man's design right on the money (www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/01/st-catharines-mans-design-right-on-the-money)