Polar bear should replace beaver as Canada’s emblem: Senator

Conservative Sen. Nicole Eaton says the beaver should be replaced by the polar bear as part of a national “emblem makeover.” (FILE PHOTO)

A Canadian senator is calling for the beaver to step aside for a new official national emblem: the polar bear.

Slamming the beaver as a “dentally defective rat,” Conservative Sen. Nicole Eaton urged that the beaver be replaced as part of a national “emblem makeover.”

“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,” Eaton told the Senate on Oct. 27.

“The polar bear, with its strength, courage, resourcefulness and dignity, is perfect for the part. The polar bear is the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore and Canada’s most majestic and splendid mammal, holding reign over the Arctic for thousands of years.”

Currently, the beaver sits on a list of Canada’s national emblems that also includes the maple tree and the maple leaf.

“I believe that it is high time that the beaver step aside as a Canadian emblem, or at the least share the honour with the stately polar bear,” Eaton said.

“The polar bear has been and continues to be a powerful figure in the material, spiritual and cultural life of the indigenous people of the Arctic.

And contrary to unsubstantiated accusations, Canada is a world leader in its exemplary system of polar bear management. Our approach features co-management involving aboriginal groups and government, and a strict system of quotas and tags.”

with files from Postmedia News