The most common Canadian banknote is the Canadian $20 Bill. On the front of the bill there is a picture of the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, a picture of the Royal Arms of Canada, and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse of the bill has the art of Bill Reid and a quote from Gabrielle Roy. In 2005, the 2004 $20 bill got the Bank Note of the Year Award by the International Bank Note Society.

Security features on the front of the bill include a holographic stripe on the left side, which depicts the number 20 alternated with maple leaves, there is also a watermark of the Queen’s portrait, and last, there is a broken-up number 20, which goes back together when backlit. The security feature on the reverse is a interleaved metallic strip, which has “20 CAN” along it length. The 2004 bills also have yellow dots which represent the EURion constellation and a tactile feature which similar to braille dots for the blind to identify the bill.