Sen. Eaton wants to boot the beaver!

Conservative Senator Nicole Eaton wants the polar bear to replace the beaver as one of Canada's official emblems.


Apparently, the beaver — chosen for its strong work ethic, devotion to family and its role in the exploration of Canada (albeit without the beavers' permission, since they were being killed, skinned and turned into top hats) — is nothing by a "defective rat" that causes havoc with its dam-building and tree-felling, she says. As well, Sen. Eaton says, the beaver is a symbol of the past and a "nineteenth-century has-been."


She thinks Canada would be better represented by the polar bear, which she calls noble.


"The polar bear is the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore and Canada’s most majestic and splendid mammal,” she said.

Bad idea, Sen. Eaton. Big and beautiful and wild, yes. But noble?

Male polar bears will hunt down, kill and even eat polar bear cubs, including their own. Polar bears will hunt, kill and eat people, too, given the chance. They are apex predators that fear nothing. True, they are beautiful animals, but why choose them to represent us?

Besides, the bear already is a symbol of Russia. Not a good choice for Canada!

If enough Canadians actually agree that think the beaver has to go (which frankly would surprise me), what other alternatives are there?

1. The Blue Jay. Loud, raucous, annoying, doesn't do much except steal from other birds. Oh, wait, that would be a symbol of the government, not Canada. Scratch that idea.

2. The Newfoundland Dog. Big, loveable, likes to save lives, but its bark is worse than its bite. Mind you, that can be a good thing. Canada is not an aggressive nation trying to take over other countries or their resources, but it does go in to try to save the day. A Newfoundland dog would be good, except for its name. Somehow I don't thing the rest of the provinces and territories would appreciate it.

3. The Canadian Horse. No, not any old Canadian horse, THE Canadian Horse. This is Canada's native horse breed. It has been here since the arrival of the French in Quebec in the 1600s and helped develop this country. It's a hard-working, calm, intelligent breed of horse that can do anything: plough fields, pull buggies, chase cattle, compete in jumping events, and so on. Canadian Horses contributed to the development of other breeds such as the Morgan, Saddlebred, Standardbred, Missouri Fox Trotter and Tennessee Walker. Canadian Horses served as mounts in the American Civil War and Boer War, and were exported to work on the sugar plantations in the West Indies. And the Canadian Horse has an advantage over the polar bear: it won't try to eat you!

But really, what's wrong with the beaver anyway? It's cute, it's intelligent, it works hard and it is resilient enough to have survived near-extinction by fur traders and trappers. I agree with NDP MP Pat Martin, who objects to Sen. Eaton's idea. He says, "You can't beat a beaver for stoic hard work and industry, a perfect metaphor for our pioneering Canadian spirit."

Let's just keep the beaver. Sen. Eaton can go up north and cuddle a polar bear if she wants. Of course, if she tries, there could be one less senator coming up with silly ideas to change a Canadian tradition.