ISLAND-DWELLING ARTIST'S 'SYMBOLIC CANADA' COIN

A design created by a Moncton-born artist and teacher will be stamped into a limited-edition silver coin.

"As an artist, you're always creating and doing things, but this is on a bigger scale. It's like a little piece of history," said Adam Young in a telephoneinterview from his current home in Fogo Island, NL.

Last week, the Royal Canadian Mint announced the release of a $50 silver coin with Young's design called "Symbolic Canada." The January release also includedseveral other new coins including one commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Young's design features several icons of Canadian heritage, most notably a canoe and inunnguag (inuksuk) stack of stones. The design features trees and layers of stonesymbolizing the Canadian provinces and territories, with ripples of water representing the ocean coastlines. The canoe pays homage to the indigenous peoples and earlytransportation.

Young said the design was inspired by symbols of Canada arranged in the shape of a maple leaf. The tip of the canoe paddle forms the stem of the leaf. The obverse side of thecoin features an image of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

He studied finance and art at Mount Allison University, and received his teaching degree from Crandall University.

While at Crandall, he met his future wife, Jennifer, who is from Joe Batt's Arm in Fogo Island, NL. The tiny community (pop. 778) is home to a world-renowned resort thathas hosted such celebrities as David Letterman and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Youngs moved to Fogo Island shortly after graduation in 2006 and work as teachers in a school that has 180 students from kindergarten to Grade 12. Adam teaches art androbotics. The couple converted an old barn as their home where they now live with daughters Isabella and Scout. Young took a year off to pursue his art and will return to teachingfull-time in September.

His artworks are mainly landscapes featuring the brightly-coloured houses found along the Newfoundland coast in blues, reds and yellows, along with puffins, polar bearsand cod.

"I live in the middle of it and we're surrounded by the ocean. People live in houses on the edge of the water, so if you were to come here and see it you would see myinspiration," he said. "After living in Moncton and Halifax, this is a pretty isolated place but I like it."

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Design by N.B. artist featured on new coin(https://www.telegraphjournal.com/times-transcript/story/100819895/moncton-artist-adam-young-coin-royal-canadian-mint)