Manitoba to add polar bear to emblem

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/10/2021 (1133 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Move over, Manitoba bison. The province may soon add a polar bear to its “designated mammal emblems.”

On Friday, Premier Kelvin Goertzen introduced Bill 76 (The Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Amendment Act).

The bill amends the act to add the polar bear as one of Manitoba’s officially emblematic animals. The plains bison was designated in 2014.

“The reality is that polar bears are pretty synonymous with Manitoba,” Goertzen told reporters.

He said he’s concerned about the lack of international travel to the so-called polar bear capital of the world, Churchill, during the pandemic. Adding the polar bear as an official emblem would help to promote the northern community.

“We need to ensure that Churchill remains vibrant,” said Goertzen.