A Conservative senator is urging the country to dump the iconic beaver in favour of the polar bear as an official emblem of Canada, saying the rodent has had its day.
Senator Nicole Eaton, apparently unmoved by the pride of place that Canada has accorded the furry rodent over the years, announced in a statement that it’s time to trade in a “19th-century has-been for a 21st-century hero.”
The Ontario senator, appointed in 2009 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, says the polar bear should replace the beaver as a chief symbol for Canada.
“The polar bear, with its strength, courage, resourcefulness, and dignity is perfect for the part.”
She said it’s time for Castor canadensis to step aside.
“The beaver was named an official emblem of Canada on March 24, 1975. After 31 years, it is time for an emblem makeover.”
While Ms. Eaton’s proposal is serious, she used a statement in the Senate Thursday to take several light-hearted potshots at the beaver, noting the creature isn’t universally beloved.
“Many accuse the dentally defective rat of being a nuisance that wreaks havoc on farmlands, roads, lakes, streams and tree plantations,” the senator said.
Her staff explained the Toronto-based senator is a fan of Canada’s North, having visited several times, and noted her office features several photos of polar bears.
NDP MP Pat Martin, whose home province of Manitoba is a habitat for both beavers and polar bears, said the senator’s proposal leaves him cold.
He said the rodent – or the drive to hunt its fur, more precisely – has a unique role in Canada’s early beginnings.
“Polar bears are cool but the beaver played a pivotal role in the history of Canada. It was the relentless pursuit of beaver that opened the great Northwest.”
“A country’s symbols are not constant and can change over time as long as they reflect the ethos of the people and the spirit of the nation.”
The senator said the polar bear is more noble and rugged.
“The polar bear is the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore and Canada’s most majestic and splendid mammal,” she said, noting it “survives in the harshest climate and terrain in the world.”
Mr. Martin, however, said the beaver more perfectly captures the ethos of a nation of immigrants.
“You can't beat a beaver for stoic hard work and industry, a perfect metaphor for our pioneering Canadian spirit.”
