Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize the 20th anniversary of a significant day in our history. Twenty years ago today Bill C-373 received royal assent, officially proclaiming the beaver as the national Canadian symbol.
The beaver appeared on Canada's first postage stamp, on our five-cent piece and was generally considered a symbol of industry and the sovereignty of the nation.
My predecessor, Mr. Stan Darling, tells the story of a call he received 21 years ago from Kearney resident Mr. Ralph Bice. That set the ball rolling for Stan who worked diligently with Bill C-373's originator, Mr. Sean O'Sullivan, to safeguard the beaver as a Canadian symbol. As the story goes New York State was trying to beat us to it.
In the words of the originator: "There must be things to touch one's soul, heart and emotions if we are to be complete persons and a whole nation". "That", he said, "is the importance of symbols".
Please join me today in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beaver as the national symbol.