“Keep the beaver Canadian!”: The Passage of Bill C-373, 1975

“Keep the beaver Canadian!”: The Passage of Bill C-373, 1975

This post is the second in a series marking the 50th anniversary of the passing of Bill C-373, “An Act to provide for the recognition of the Beaver (Castor canadensis) as a symbol of the sovereignty of the Dominion of Canada,” edited by Blair Stein. In 1975, the consensus was clear in Canada: the beaver should remain Canadian, and the Americans should keep their hands off our animal. The precipitating incident occurred in late 1974 when New York…