# So what is Canada's Icon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072 "2001-09-21T19:28:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/1 "2001-09-21T19:28:03Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=88655), Osiris makes a casual remark: “Does Canada have an icon like our Uncle Sam who might be female and we could hook up with ol Sam? I’d bet they’d have gorgeous kids.” Which got me to thinking… The USA has Uncle Sam or, in other cases, a Bald Eagle The USSR/Russia is often personified as a large bear. England is sometimes depicted as a bulldog. France is depicted as a rooster… Seriously, what icon is representative of Canada? ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/2 "2001-09-21T19:31:23Z")
the answer is wayne gretzky, the answer to every canadian problem. ---
**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/3 "2001-09-21T19:38:05Z")
The Maple Leaf? A Polar Bear? As far as I have ever heard, there is no personnage like John Bull, although if it isn’t Wayne Gretzky, it might be the McKenzie Brothers, eh? Maybe it’s time for them to get one. I’d like to see someone like the woman who personnifies France. Does she have a name? I understand Brigette Bardot once was used as a model for her. ---
**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/4 "2001-09-21T19:44:41Z")
In additon to the maple leaf, we also have the Beaver. Yes, that’s right. The magestic, proud, noble…beaver? ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/5 "2001-09-21T19:48:08Z")
Our icon is the beaver. Which made me grin when I read Osiris’s question about is our icon female, and whether Uncle Sam could hook up with her. Maybe Scylla could write a story about that whenever he finishes the damn ewes thread in MPSIMS =:D ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/6 "2001-09-21T19:49:42Z")
The beaver’s a mascot, not an icon. It’s equivalent to the U.S. eagle. There’s no equivalent to Uncle Sam. Maybe Laura Secord. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/7 "2001-09-21T19:50:55Z")
The personification of France is named Marianne. Marianne has existed as an icon since the French Revolution, but since 1972 has become associated with actual actresses and models. See [http://www.unb.ca/web/bruns/9900/issue20/nuts/france.html](http://www.unb.ca/web/bruns/9900/issue20/nuts/france.html) ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/8 "2001-09-21T19:54:31Z")
The Queen. Personally, I think her and Uncle Sam would have butt-ugly kids. At least it’d slow down the inbreeding though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/9 "2001-09-21T19:57:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*…Maybe Laura Secord. \*\* Whozat? ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/10 "2001-09-21T20:09:53Z")
Here’s some information about [Laura Secord](http://www.histori.ca/historica/eng_site/minutes/minutes_online/secord.html) for ya, Screech. Keith ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/11 "2001-09-21T20:11:22Z")
Definitely not Laura Secord, unless you really like the chain of candy stores names after her. She was a hero in the 1812 war against the _Americans_; I think the story was that she overheard a surprise attack being plotted and then walked thru the wilderness for four days straight to warn the Canadians. But today – despite silly news reports to the contrary – Canadians support the USA 100%. I’m outside Toronto, and American flags have popped up everywhere, as well as charity & blood drives (which I have contributed to myself.) ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/12 "2001-09-21T20:15:35Z")
Canadians have Laura Secord, Americans have Dolly Madison. What’s behind this strange connection between female figures of the War of 1812 and sweet snacks? Where’s Oliver Stone when you need him? ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/13 "2001-09-21T20:18:42Z")
Whoops, Odieman beat me to it. But I forgot to mention that the Mountie is probably the best Canadian icon. Among living people, Geddy Lee might be a good one (and I don’t even like Rush.) ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/14 "2001-09-21T20:23:36Z")
If you’ve ever seen a Molson commercial, I’d say hands down Joe Canadian is our Uncle Sam counter-part. ---
**Author:** ![labradorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@labradorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labradorian)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-canadas-icon/83072/15 "2001-09-21T21:16:01Z")
Joe Canadian? Oh, puh-lease. If the Brits can have the bulldog, I see nothing wrong with the beaver. But they also have John Bull. What other countries have true icons?