From lacrosse myths to kilts: 5 things you may not know about Canadian symbols
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OTTAWA — Parliamentarians likely will get a chance later this year to debate whether to adopt a livestock brand as an official national symbol.
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A bill to create the brand was introduced earlier in June by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Steven Bonk.
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If the bill passes, the brand will become Canada's 10th national symbol — joining O Canada, the coat of arms and the maple tree.
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Everyone knows the beaver stands for ingenuity, craftsmanship and hard work. For 50 years, the beaver has been an official national symbol of Canada.
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These bucktoothed builders have long been associated with Canadian history. They were the foundation of the 17th century fur trade and have appeared on totem poles.
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The beaver even predates the Maple Leaf as a Canadian symbol. The animal appeared on the first Canadian postage stamp issued in 1851.
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But the beaver isn't the only animal on the list. While the loon that graces the dollar coin and the Canada geese that can be found hissing at joggers near almost every body of water in the country never made it to the official list, one breed of horse did.
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In 2002, the National Horse Act became law, making the breed known as the 'Canadian horse' a national symbol of equine excellence.
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The breed dates back to 1665, when King Louis XIV sent mares and stallions from the royal stables to New France.
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The Canadian horse emerged as a distinct breed about a century later, through the mixing of Norman, Breton, Arabian and other breeds. They're well adapted to Canada's harsh winter conditions.
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The Canadian horse typically has a dark coat and is relatively small. The versatile breed has been used in agriculture and logging and some were used as cavalry horses in the American Civil War.
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CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
From lacrosse myths to kilts: 5 things you may not know about Canadian symbols
The Saskatchewan Rush celebrate their win over the Buffalo Bandits in game 2 of the National Lacrosse League finals in Saskatoon, Sask., on Sunday, May 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards OTTAWA — Parliamentarians likely will get a chance later this year to debate whether to adopt a livestock brand as an official national symbol. A bill to create the brand was introduced earlier in June by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Steven Bonk. If the bill passes, the brand will become Canada's 10th national symbol — joining O Canada, the coat of arms and the maple tree. Here are five things you may not know about the official symbols that say 'Canada.' 1. The beaver does not stand alone Everyone knows the beaver stands for ingenuity, craftsmanship and hard work. For 50 years, the beaver has been an official national symbol of Canada. These bucktoothed builders have long been associated with Canadian history. They were the foundation of the 17th century fur trade and have appeared on totem poles. The beaver even predates the Maple Leaf as a Canadian symbol. The animal appeared on the first Canadian postage stamp issued in 1851. But the beaver isn't the only animal on the list. While the loon that graces the dollar coin and the Canada geese that can be found hissing at joggers near almost every body of water in the country never made it to the official list, one breed of horse did. In 2002, the National Horse Act became law, making the breed known as the 'Canadian horse' a national symbol of equine excellence. The breed dates back to 1665, when King Louis XIV sent mares and stallions from the royal stables to New France. The Canadian horse emerged as a distinct breed about a century later, through the mixing of Norman, Breton, Arabian and other breeds. They're well adapted to Canada's harsh winter conditions. The Canadian horse typically has a dark coat and is relatively small. The versatile breed has been used in agriculture and logging and some were used as cavalry horses in the American Civil War. 2. This tartan is not just for Scots Canada's newest national symbol is the Maple Leaf Tartan, adopted through a ministerial decree in 2011. The tartan was first designed by Toronto businessman David Weiser in 1964, ahead of Canada's centennial in 1967. Weiser's design uses green, gold, red and brown to represent a maple leaf's life cycle. Canadian Forces pipers and drummers who don't belong to a specific military regiment wear the tartan when performing. The design is also officially recognized by Scotland in The Scottish Register of Tartans. 3. Red and white slight? What's more Canadian than red and white? The colours adorn the flag, athletes wear them proudly at international tournaments and many people will be wearing red and white face paint on Canada Day. But Canada has never formally adopted national colours. The belief that red and white are Canada's national colours comes from the Dec. 17, 1921 edition of the Canada Gazette, in which King George V issued a proclamation describing Canada's first national symbol — the coat of arms. The heraldic description of the shield talks about a wreath of maple leaves in 'argent and gules' — heraldic language used to describe white or silver and red respectively. The federal government says that while it was 'long believed' that this declaration made red and white Canada's national colours, the proclamation does not contain that language. While several countries do adopt their flag's colours as an official symbol, Canada never took that step. 4. National sport history obscured by Beers Contrary to popular belief, lacrosse was not Canada's national sport before hockey. In fact, both of them became national sports on the same day in 1994. For decades, many Canadians were convinced that lacrosse was the sole national sport — mainly because the father of modern lacrosse kept saying it was. William George Beers drafted the first known written rules for lacrosse in 1860, adapting them from games played by the Algonquin and Mohawk nations. Beers also established in 1867 the National Lacrosse Association of Canada — the country's first national sports governing body — and lobbied Parliament to adopt lacrosse as the national sport. The Canadian Encyclopedia says Beers began to claim lacrosse received this distinction but there is no evidence Parliament formally recognized the game as a national symbol. Almost 100 years later, a bill was introduced in April 1965 to make lacrosse Canada's national game. The text of that bill says 'there is an attempt' to appoint 'a lesser game' as Canada's national pastime. It does not identify that 'lesser game.' 'The purpose of this Bill is to rectify what was probably an oversight on the part of the Fathers of Confederation,' the bill reads. MPs debating the bill at the time noted the widely held belief that lacrosse was already the national sport, with sports publications and encyclopedias stating it as fact. The bill did not become law before Parliament was dissolved for an election later that year. It wasn't until 1994 that Parliament passed a bill making lacrosse Canada's national summer sport and hockey its official winter sport. 5. A Canadian icon doesn't make the cut Not all attempts to establish a new national symbol are immediately successful. Five versions of the National Horse Act went to the legislative glue factory between 1995 and 2002 before it finally became law. A bill to make the Maple Leaf Tartan a symbol was first introduced in the Senate in 2010 but did not make it past first reading. The tartan had to wait for the ministerial decree a year later. Two other national symbol bills never made it past first reading and it doesn't appear there was ever an attempt to revive them. A 1998 bill to adopt a 'symbol for the promotion of national unity' never passed. This apparently original symbol design, titled 'Canadian Unity Pledge,' shows two concentric circles, with the outer ring saying 'Canada' and 'strong free' in both English and French. The inner circle bears a maple leaf along with 'from sea to sea' in the official languages. Underneath the circles, a message reads 'Canada is Our Country, One Country, Strong and Free, From Sea to Sea.' A PDF version of the bill provided by the Library of Parliament only shows the symbol in black and white. There is no written description of what the colours were supposed to be, but the leaf was likely meant to be red. A legislative attempt to make the iconic dress uniform of the RCMP a national symbol also failed. A bill to make the red serge a 'symbol of Canadian sovereignty' was introduced in February 1990, but the Library of Parliament said it does not to appear to have progressed past first reading. While a Mountie wearing the red serge is an instantly recognizable Canadian image, the uniform is not in the roster of national symbols. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2025. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
There's no one way to be a Canadian: Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault
OTTAWA – Steven Guilbeault, federal minister of identity and culture, came to his new job just as the whole country was looking at itself in the mirror. Guilbeault took on the new ministry — which replaces the old heritage ministry and takes up responsibility for Parks Canada — as U.S. President Donald Trump was ramping up a ruinous trade war and talking about annexing his country's neighbour to the north. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Guilbeault said most Canadians probably hadn't reflected much on their own national identity before Washington changed its tone. Their reaction — ten years after Guilbeault's old boss, Justin Trudeau, described Canada as a 'post-national state' — has been a surge in national pride that culminates today in Canada Day celebrations across the country. 'What we're seeing is a … renewed sense of pride in being Canadian,' Guilbeault told the The Canadian Press. 'This year, it will take on a whole new role.' Guilbeault said he sees his role as a departure from the former heritage portfolio, which 'in its very definition implies that you're kind of looking backwards.' He said his task is to work out what Canadian arts, identity and culture might look like in the coming years — not to attempt to pin down anything like a singular Canadian 'identity.' 'I won't stand here and pretend that I can tell you what Canadian identity is or should be,' he said. 'My role in the coming months will be to work with people across the country … to help perhaps define and better promote our identity, and maybe rejuvenate a sense of unity. 'It would be pretty rich for one member of cabinet sitting in Ottawa to tell all of Canada, 'This is what Canadian identity should look like.' That's not how I roll.' He said he sees his job as one of identifying cultural markers 'that people can rally around' — a complex task in a country as big and diverse as this one. 'There's only one language in the United States, there's only one culture,' he noted. In the process, he said, he hopes to encourage Canadians to see themselves in each other. 'I've always been fascinated, for example, by how similar Quebecers and Albertans are,' he said in French. 'They are two peoples who are very proud, very autonomist, very independent, in the philosophical sense of the term.' He said those ties of culture and history are important to keep in mind as Canadians stare down American threats to Canada's identity, sovereignty and economy. 'There are a lot of things that bring us together, and this is true for the whole country. And that's what I'm going to work on, over the next few weeks and months,' Guilbeault said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.
Ottawa Citizen
4 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Six Ottawans tackle the question: What makes us Canadian?
Many Canadians are taking stock these days of what makes us unique. Bruce Deachman spoke to several Ottawans in advance of Canada Day to learn what being Canadian means to them. In their own words, here are their responses: Article content HELEN SOUTER, McKellar Park Article content Article content I'm a daughter of two immigrants, Italian and Ukrainian. They left their country to find a better life, and they did. They found each other. They found each other here at the Y (YMCA). My dad was playing a guitar with a few of his paisani, and she said, 'I like you. Let's dance.' Article content Article content Being Canadian is all I know, because I have the influence of them and why they left. Mom was Ukrainian, in a detention camp in Germany. And my dad, there was nothing there for him. Article content Article content I married military. We went all over the place in Canada, and we went to Washington, D.C. for a four-year diplomatic posting, before 9/11. They made me an honorary American. I was proud to be a Canadian, representing Canada. Article content When my son married a Chinese girl, we went to China for their second wedding ceremony. Her father said to us, 'When Jill told us she was going to marry Andrew, we were worried that he was going to be a loud American.' But they were very happy to see that he was a kind, gentle person. Article content It's a scary time with the threat of being part of (the U.S.) and losing what we have — our identity, our health care. But this recent phenomenon, with everyone sort of elbows up, I think it's going to stay. Article content Article content Article content I've always talked to my family, saying 'Be proud of where you're from. If you're not, then obviously that's a problem.' Article content I've met different people in different cultures all over, and most of them are pretty happy where they're from. Obviously, at the end of the day, we have to make sure that we take care of ourselves, but taking care of our people, too, is important to me. I think sometimes that's where we stray from the big picture of making sure that everyone is doing well where you are, and not adding extra things in to make life more difficult for people. Article content I've learned a lot from my concussion patients that have nothing. They've lost their jobs, they've lost what they can do, and yet I have one girl who continues to donate to special causes. I think it's incredible that she goes out and still gives money that she doesn't really even have to support herself, to help someone else's life. Those people are really inspirational to me.
