Canadian Senator Nicole Eaton has moved for a nation to undergo a national “emblem makeover.” “It is high time that the beaver step aside as a Canadian emblem or, at the least, share the honor with the stately polar bear,” she said in the Senate last Tuesday. Senator Eaton believes this is powerfully important, and the debate is getting downright nasty. Calling the beaver a “dentally defective rat,” she hails the polar bear as “strong, majestic, and brave.”
Senator Eaton
The change is needed, she says, because the beaver does not represent the country well. Canada’s no longer a lowly beaver. “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 National Post offers this handy comparison guide.
I actually believe that symbols are important and that this is a debate worth having. So which shall it be. What animal best represents Canada? Vegetarian or carnivore? Rodent or killer? Beaver or Beast?
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