Canadian Beaver - An Icon In Canadian History

The Canadian beaver was Canada’s first natural resource which was traded with the Europeans. The fashion of the day was fur topped beaver hats so the demand for beaver pelts continued to grow. The demand was so great that by the 1930s the beaver had almost become extinct. Conservation has returned them to healthy levels.

King Henry IV of France recognized the opportunity of the fur trade and he was quick to establish a North American Empire which was soon selling beaver pelts to the Europeans far above the original prices.

The first North American coat of arms to depict a beaver appeared in 1621 for the area now known as Nova Scotia. The Hudson’s Bay Company wanted to honor the beaver, after all it had created a lucrative market for them, and so they placed the little rodent on the coat of arms in 1678.

They even created a coin that depicted the beaver. This coin was equal to one beaver pelt. And then in 1920 The Bay also produced their first issue of the magazine called “The Beaver” which is still on the market today.

In 1833 The City of Montreal included the beaver in their armorial bearings when it incorporated, and in 1851 the beaver debuted on the first Canadian postage stamp and since then it has appeared on seven stamp issues.

The beaver could be considered the oldest icon related to Canadian history. In 1975 the beaver became the official emblem of Canada an rightly so, who better to choose than the beaver who had been part of Canadian history since day one. The beaver became the symbol for the sovereignty of Canada.

Now are you up for some beaver trivia? Let’s see what you really know about the Canadian beaver. During the 1700s a silver coin was made in the shape of the beaver, with a value of 10 beaver pelts. The Nova Scotia Assoc of Architects has celebrated the National Beaver Day since 1974. In the 1976 Summer Olympics the beaver named Amik became the mascot. The beaver appears on the back of the current Canadian nickel. The beaver is also the state animal for Oregon.

So what do you know about the beaver? The beaver is a large semi aquatic rodent that has webbed feet, and a wide flat tail which acts like a rudder when he swims. His tail also allows him to use it as a prop to stand upright , as a lever to drag logs, and as a warning signal by slapping it on the water.

The beaver’s fur is brown and they weigh from 44 pounds on average to as much as 77 pounds. They are 12 inches tall and their tail is about 10 inches long. The beaver has very sharp teeth that are so powerful it can cut down a large healthy tree. They live around 20 years.

You’ll find beavers living along water sources such as rivers, lakes, and ponds. Beavers build dams that move the flow of the water. And what’s so incredible is they build these dams from logs they cut down themselves. They will also use twigs, mud, and other materials to build their dam. The beaver dam is located is entered from underwater giving them excellent protection from predators.

Every beaver home will have an entire family – two adults and anywhere from 2 to 5 young. Beavers eat pond weeds, soft woods, cattails, and other vegetation. Their enemies include the fox, coyote, wolf, weasel, eagle, and owl.

The beaver is quite fitting to the Canadian people. Besides it’s history that ties its recognition to the fur industry, the beaver is symbolic of independence, creativity, and determination, also characters of the Canadian people. The Canadian Beaver certainly deserves to be an icon in Canadian history!

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory.