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In 1975, after a concerted public campaign, the beaver became a national symbol of Canadian sovereignty. In the space of a few weeks, following reports that New York might claim the semiaquatic rodent as its state symbol, over 13,000 letters, postcards and signatures on petitions poured in to support a young Progressive Conservative MP’s bid to save the beaver for Canada. Passing the House of Commons through all-party support, it became law on March 24, 1975. Official recognition has been accorded to a limited number of symbols in Canada; among others, the national flag and anthem (by definition) and the country’s summer and winter sports (lacrosse and hockey). While the party in power proposed some of these laws, such as the national flag, others resulted from private members’ bills – rarely a source of successful legislation in the Canadian parliamentary system. In this article, the author explores how this legislative campaign reveals features of Canadian nationalism in the volatile 1970s, as well as some of the vernacular understandings of the potential scope of government action.
