The beaver is probably Canada’s strongest symbol after our flag. This mammal has had a great influence on Canada’s history. The first Europeans to land on Canada’s shores prized the valuable beaver pelts that they obtained by trapping.
Champlain extended his exploration to Canada’s west in the 17th Century due to the lucrative beaver trade. Pelts were exported to England where manufacturers used them to make the fur hats that were the fad of the era.
In 1929, Canada’s beaver population had been reduced to such an extent that the animal was in danger of becoming extinct. Maud Watt, who had accompanied her husband, James, to James Bay in 1921, realized the beaver was about to vanish forever. She and James, who was employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, asked for help in protecting the beaver. They company refused and reminded James that if he went against their regulations, he would be terminated.
The Watt’s decided to appeal to the Quebec government. Because James couldn’t leave his post at St. Rupert’s House in mid-winter, Maud decided to make the journey herself. She fashioned a crate on a dogsled for her children and set out from her home accompanied by two Cree guides.
Maud trudged through drifts on snowshoes in minus 50-degree weather and rode on sled runners. Finally, she and her party arrived at Moose Factory. They proceeded to Cochrane Ontario, where they boarded a train to Quebec. Maud arrived at her destination one month after leaving home. Maud pleaded her case before the Quebec government and a reserve consisting of 200 square miles was approved. Within its boundaries, the beaver would be safe.
While Maud was thankful for the reserve, she realized that it was far too small. She pleaded with the government to allot a larger portion of the wilderness around James Bay for the protection of the beaver. Maud was relentless in her efforts. Her persistence paid off and she was given a lease of 7,200 square miles for a beaver reserve. One of the stipulations of the lease was that the reserve be managed for the benefit of Cree hunters who depended on the beaver population for food and clothing for their people.
The beaver multiplied from 162 animals in 1933 to over 4,000 in 1939. Maud continued pushing for beaver reserves. By 1951, an area consisting of 187,100 square miles had been designated to eleven linked beaver reserves. Maud had won her battle and brought the beaver back from extinction.
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