PRPG:
Canadian Spock Tribute

3 Noteworthy Tributes to Leonard Nimoy

March 4, 2015

Star Trek icon Leonard Nimoy succumbed to pulmonary disease last week. The beloved, influential actor has since been honored in a number of creative ways.

“Spocking” Canadian Currency

Canadian Spock TributeThe man on Canada’s five-dollar bill is the country’s seventh prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Laurier looks sort of like Nimoy, which is why Star Trek fans north of the border have decided to “Spock” their bills. In honor of the late actor, they’ve modified Laurier with ballpoint pens in order to make him look like a certain Vulcan. They’ve added Spock’s distinctive haircut, pointy, ears, and eyebrows along with the Star Trek insignia and his catchphrase, “live long and prosper.” While defacing currency isn’t technically illegal in Canada, it’s really annoying the executives at the Bank of Canada. Spokeswoman Josianne Menard has urged Trekkers to knock it off because for, among other reasons, it reduces the lifespan of the bills.

A Salute From Outer Space

Nimoy and Star Trek have helped inspire countless people to go into the sciences and/or apply for a gig at NASA. Among them: American astronaut Terry Virts, who’s currently serving on the International Space Station. After learning of Nimoy’s passing, Virts posted a photo of his left hand giving the Vulcan salute to the earth below.

Shatner’s “Snub”

Many Trekkers were upset with actor William Shatner’s decision not to attend Nimoy’s funeral. Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in various Star Trek films and its original TV series, was later dubbed “Captain Jerk” in a New York Daily News cover story. As Shatner later explained on Twitter, he was already booked for a charity event in Florida and wouldn’t have time to fly all the way to California afterward for the ceremony. He’s since tweeted several tributes to Nimoy and has discussed his life and career with fans via social media…and was spotted running through an airport at warp speed last weekend, trying to reach the service after all.