Few images are as closely tied to Canada as the beaver that has appeared on the five-cent coin, the nickel, since 1937. The small animal is shown perched on a log at the edge of the water, and the design was the work of the English artist George Kruger Gray. The opposite face of the coin still bears a portrait of the reigning monarch, a reminder that Canada continues to belong to the British Commonwealth.

The beaver was no arbitrary choice. During the early days of European settlement, the demand for its thick fur drove the trade that opened up much of the country, and companies such as the Hudson's Bay Company built their fortunes on the pelts shipped back to Europe. Over time the industrious animal came to stand for the young nation itself, and in 1975 Parliament formally recognized the beaver as an official emblem of Canada.