Canadian senator wants polar bear as new emblem. So which animal do you think would better serve as Canada's national emblem?
Does it not! How about the snowy owl, wolverine, brown bat, walrus, caribou, moose? Flying squirrel, Canada goose, Atlantic puffin, great blue heron? Porcupine? Bison, fisher, sea otter, wild horse, wolf? Insects---ladybug, grasshopper, black widow spider? Garter snake? (Not to mention hockey fans...often confused with the Pacific loon.)
I'm pretty sure that Michael F was referring to the definition of endemic that refers to an animal that is restricted to Canada, not just native. That would leave out all of the animals mentioned by Togata57. A brief search of the Internet only found 2 mammals endemic to Canada: the Vancouver Island Marmot, as mentioned by Daniel, and the Maritime shrew. There are plenty of endemic fish and insects, but none of the edemic species is likely to attract much interest from the general public.
Endemic to Canada means it can only be found in Canada -- I think everything on that list can be found in other places. Here's a resource on endemic Canadian organisms
I vote for the Lynx as an animal that is more widely distributed than the polar bear and much smarter than the beaver.
As the article mentioned, the beaver had a part in history. The trade in beaver pelts by the Hudson's Bay Company played a big role in opening up Canada. The significance of the beaver is recognized in ceremony:
But we have so much invested in the beaver - for instance, there's the Arrogant Worms' song "We are the Beaver". What would become of that!
The video posting reminded me of something. Canadians of a certain age will certainly remember this vignette with its distinctive opening music: Hinterland Who's Who - Beaver. Factsheet for the beaver at Hinterland Who's Who.
I wasn't here then, but I've just learned from the Hinterland factsheet that "This animal ... has influenced the history of Canada more than any other animal". So there. These were TV "commercials"? They remind me of the Mark Trail comic strips.
Hmm. Appears that the beaver is not endemic to Canada. However, despite this fact, it has served as an official national emblem since 1975. Why then should endemicity now be demanded?
No one said that the national emblem had to be endemic. Michael F just asked if there were any animals endemic to Canada.
I was crediting Michael with making an excellent point. Seems as though endemicity should be a prerequisite for emblem status. The beaver was chosen for its economic importance: this is at least sensible and realistic. Senator Eaton wants the polar bear because she thinks it's cute and is irked by beavers gnawing on her boat dock. Is she up for re-election, getting her name in the news? Shall an issue of this magnitude be decided by one senator's whim? I'm with the beaver. For economic reasons: I am opposed to the taxpayers and citizens of Canada having to finance this sure-to-be expensive and unneeded scheme. (Marmot a close second.)
That would be nice, but that would mean the USA choosing something other than the bald eagle. Can you imagine changing that? Hooray for the beaver. Beavers are so industrious, one was trying to make its home in the Native Garden here at UBCBG earlier this year. It was not harmed, but shipped far, far away to a wild area.
Not now, certainly. No more than I can imagine removing and replacing the beaver in Canadian coinage and everywhere else it appears in its official guise. I take as my precedent in endemic advocacy the august Ben Franklin, who was less than thrilled with the bald-eagle bandwagon. Ah, how different things might have been! http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/turkey.html If no emblem existed and the selection process was being started from scratch, I would be a 100% endemic supporter. However, the beaver/bald eagle have the heft of tradition behind them---if there is no urgent reason to change their status, let 'em be!
Endemicity isn't a prerequisite, but it is nice if the option exists. I'm always amazed at how much time and money US state legislatures seem to waste on this sort of thing! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_United_States_state_insignia Britain doesn't have any such emblems at all, apart from a few informal (non-statutory) ones chosen by newspaper campaigns.
Hang on, Micheal, Britain has the emblems that appear on its national heraldry - the Lion and the Unicorn. You just don't use them the same way that North America does theirs.
If media reports are to be believed the polar bear is under threat from the quickly disappearing ice in the north. The beaver seem to be thriving and the marmot are now doing well. We really do have better things to spend our money on than changing our emblem but it is fun speculating.
Beaver be dammed: A proposal to replace the beaver with the polar bear as our national emblem causes fur to fly.
Thanks Junglekeeper for some light relief in the continual gloomy news I was wondering what triggered your poll!
