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Canada's new $5 bank note will be launched Wednesday, 27 March, in Montréal.

In January 2002, officials from the Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada sought views of Government Securities Distributors and investors on a number of issues related to the domestic debt program as part of the development of the Debt Strategy 2002-03 and in keeping with the Government's ongoing commitment to consult with market participants.

In particular, the Governor discussed how the Bank of Canada aims to promote economic growth by means of a monetary policy symmetrically focused on a 2 per cent inflation target. "We pay equal attention to any significant movement away from 2 per cent - whether above or below," Mr. Dodge said. In contrast, the European Central Bank has an inflation-control ceiling of 2 per cent, he noted.

Over the years, both Canada and France have had to make decisions about the framework guiding monetary policy. The authorities in the two countries have made choices that reflect the differences in our economies.

The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 2 per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate is unchanged, and the Bank Rate remains at 2 1/4 per cent.

In a speech to the Canadian Society of New York, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said today that Canada's monetary policy framework, based on an explicit inflation-control target and a flexible exchange rate, "has contributed importantly to putting the Canadian economy back on the right path to longer-term prosperity."

The Canadian economy has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade. And it has emerged as a low-inflation economy, with declining levels of public and foreign debt and a private sector that is more cost-conscious, productive, and efficient, thanks to restructuring and investments in new technology.

The immediate impact and the fallout from last September's events introduced new layers of uncertainty into the economic picture, compounding the effects of a deepening global economic slowdown that had become more evident during the summer.

In a speech to the Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said today that Canada's inflation-targeting system has led to many benefits for the Canadian economy. The Governor detailed those benefits, which were confirmed when the Bank and the Government of Canada renewed their inflation-control agreement last year.

One of the main benefits of the targets is that they help the economy to run more smoothly when there are surprises in the level of demand for Canadian goods and services.