Huron Expositor, 2016-07-06, Page 5Wednesday, July 6, 2016 • Huron Expositor 5
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Ten creatures that helped make Canada what itis
Thank you First
Nations, Metis and
Inuit, explorers and
pioneers, Fathers of Con-
federation and successive
waves of immigrants: You
made the nation we call
Canada.
But you couldn't have
done it without a
menagerie of iconic
beasts that supplied
food and clothing,
became economic sta-
ples, made it possible to
clear trees and till the
land -- then attracted
tourists and filmmakers.
Here are 10 animals --
though there are many
more -- that deserve
credit for the part they've
played in creating
Canada:
• Mammoth: These
woolly proboscideans,
extinct for millennia,
thrived across the Berin-
gian land bridge that
linked Asia to northwest
North America when the
glaciers were still
retreating. They were
chief among the big
game animals pursued
by ex -Asian hunters who
first peopled this
hemisphere.
• Seal: Some scientists
believe even earlier
migrations occurred
along the Pacific Coast
by maritime peoples
subsisting on marine
mammals such as seals,
whose skins were also
used to fashion the trail-
blazers' boats. Inuit who
followed thousands of
years later likewise
depended on seals.
• Bison: For thousands
of years before the near -
destruction of the spe-
cies in the 19th century,
the "buffalo" of the inte-
rior plains was central to
the existence of many
First Nations, providing
meat, hides and a sacred
symbol. The voyageurs
key to connecting Cana-
da's vast interior to the
east survived on pemmi-
can made from buffalo
and berries, and Metis
culture flourished
around this once -plenti-
ful species.
• Whale: Canada was
an oil superpower centu-
ries before Alberta struck
it rich. Basque whalers
established huge render-
ing operations in 16th -
century Labrador to sup-
ply fuel for Europe's
lamps. From Atlantic to
Pacific to Arctic, right,
bowhead and gray whales
have been hunted for oil
and baleen.
• Cod: Anglo -Italian
explorer John Cabot
famously described
Canadian waters so rich
with cod that brimming
baskets of the fish could
be scooped up from the
side of his ship. The
riches of the cod fishery
were a major spur to the
European settlement
and development of
Atlantic Canada. But
like other staple com-
modities sourced by
nature and relentlessly
exploited, the cod pop-
ulation eventually
crashed and the strug-
gle for recovery
continues.
• Beaver: It's a dam -
builder, yes, but it's also
recognized as Canada's
pre-eminent non -human
nation -builder. Its lush
pelt was so valued it
served as a substitute
currency. It's depicted on
Canada's first postage
stamp and is still on the
nickel.
• Horse: Transport
yourself to pioneer -era
Canada and try to imag-
ine hauling felled trees
from the bush, plowing
the land or getting to
church on time without
horses.
• Caribou: A key-
stone species in north-
ern ecosystems across
Canada and a key food
for many indigenous
nations throughout the
country's history. Like
the beaver, it has a
place of pride on a
Canadian coin -- the
quarter -- but is fre-
quently mistaken for
the moose.
• Wolf/dog: From the
husky teams essential
to traditional Inuit life
to today's service dogs
and family pets, we owe
Fido a pat and a head
scratch. Plus our long-
est -serving prime min-
ister, William Lyon
Mackenzie King,
The winners of the Mad Hackers Tee -Party Couples Invitationals
Bob Gorman and Gail Daer were first with a low net of 53.
Shaun Gregory Tom and Anne Utting won with a low gross of 73. About 50 competitors
participated in the golf event July 2.
couldn't have func-
tioned without his con-
fidant, an Irish terrier
named Pat.
• Passenger pigeon:
It's been gone for more
than a century, the
poster -bird of extinction
in North America. But
these pigeons, once so
numerous their flocks
blackened skies, were a
significant source of
food for many people in
early Canada. The name
of the popular Canadian
meat dish tourtiere is
believed to be derived
from the French term
for the species. But per-
haps the passenger
pigeon's most enduring
legacy is the cautionary
tale it tells about what
can happen when a
people fail to respect
and protect the animals
they live with and rely
on.
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