What should be the official Bird and Flower of Canada?

[Omicron]

Then we'd have to go with canola.

Okay! That's thinking! Just as it is, the Canola blossom should be the official Canadian flower.

But... that gave me an idea!

How about if we fiddle with canola genes to produce two new strains of canola:

One to produce Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 all-cis-4,7,10,13,16,10-docosahexaenoic acid), aka DHA

And another to produce Eicosapentaenoic acid (all-cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid), aka ETA

Those are the two Omega-3 fatty acids (there are other Omega-3 fatty acids, but those are the two with the health effects... a lot of commercial products advertising themselves as sources of Omega-3 are actually using alpha-Linolenic acid; 18:3 (n−3) all-cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, aka ALA, which does *not* have the health benefits, which means those ones are a scam).

Now... change the Canola color genes so that the strain producing DHA has a red flower, and the strain producing ETA has a white flower.

With that, the strains of Canola producing the best oils also have Canadian colours in the blossom, and it enables a farmer to more easily see with his eye what strain of Canola he's growing, and to visually inspection the colour of the blossoms to more easily see if there's been hybridization that will correlate to what the percentage of Omega-3 will be from his crop.

We should do it now, or Monsanto (Americans gave Monsanto a "Most Evil US Corporation" award earlier this year) will get the idea, and they'll patent it and insist on strongarming farmers using their seed, and that's sad for American farmers, but we have a border so we might as well use it to ensure that Canadian farmers are not subject to corporate bullying over seed.

 

[petros]

Here you go. These are the folks you need to contact. When it comes to food science the U of S is the place that could pull it off.

Research | Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission

 

[YukonJack]

"Okay! That's thinking! Just as it is, the Canola blossom should be the official Canadian flower."

Don't forget the the former name of canola is RAPE SEED.

 

[petros]

"Okay! That's thinking! Just as it is, the Canola blossom should be the official Canadian flower."

Don't forget the the former name of canola is RAPE SEED.

CANola is the Canadian name of a cultivar developed here and is different than the European rape.

Canola is one of two cultivars of rapeseed or Brassica campestris (Brassica napus L. and B. campestris L.).[1] Their seeds are used to produce edible oil that is fit for human consumption because it has lower levels of erucic acid than traditional rapeseed oils and to produce livestock feed because it has reduced levels of the toxic glucosinolates.[2] Canola was originally naturally bred from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R. Stefansson in the early 1970s,[3][4] but it has a very different nutritional profile in addition to much less erucic acid.[5] The name "canola" was derived from "Canadian oil, low acid" in 1978.[6][7] A product known as LEAR (for low erucic acid rapeseed) derived from cross-breeding of multiple lines of Brassica juncea is also referred to as canola oil and is considered safe for consumption.[8]

"Canadian oil, low acid"

For those who think driving through the prairies is boring and lacks scenery need to take a second look sometime.

 

[karrie]

I could get behind canola (mind you that's not what we called it growing up), if it weren't for the fact that it stinks so damn bad.

Tiger lily, indian paint brush, or fireweed would have to be my choices in the absence of the wild rose

 

[AnnaG]

Hmm... not really, so I'll keep my eyes open...

But still, it's not found in Quebec nor the Atlantic region.

Yeah, them weird little things love to obey provincial borders.
Funny map, Karrie. lol

I haven't picked a flower yet. I only stated that the majority of people around the world think that the maple leaf on our flag is a cannabis leaf.

I like moss.

Moss is everywhere. It even grows on some of the forum members.

I suppose one can turn it into flour, but as far as I know it doesn't flower.

Canola? Is is Canada wide?

 

[petros]

Canola? Is is Canada wide?

Yes! it's one of the most widely grown and used oil seeds in Canada and is very import to the entire country's economy. There are a lot of jobs that depend on canola from one end of the country to the other.

 

[AnnaG]

Yes! it's one of the most widely grown and used oil seeds in Canada and is very import to the entire country's economy. There are a lot of jobs that depend on canola from one end of the country to the other.

Funny. The only time I've ever seen Canola grown was when we travelled to the prairies.

Anyway, there are 3 or 4 plants native to Canada that grow from one end to the other. I think 2 of them are goldenrod and columbine. I still like Indian paintbrush and fireweed.

 

[Omicron]

"Okay! That's thinking! Just as it is, the Canola blossom should be the official Canadian flower."

Don't forget the the former name of canola is RAPE SEED.

As a child I used to wonder why rape seed was called rape seed, when I could tell that it was an upsetting name.

Where did that original name come from?

 

[L Gilbert]

I'd be okay with the columbine and raven.

 

[Omicron]

I'm new to this forum. How does one set up a vote/poll?

Okay I'm being lazy and dumb. It's a beautiful long weekend where I live.

*sipp* *hick*

Allow me to play a tune.

http://tunes.digitalock.com/cheaptrickseeyoucrying.mp3

 

[CDNBear]

1) The Crow, which would correlate, in that the flock-name for crows is "a Parliament of Crows".

Being a stickler for facts, that would be a "Parliament of Owls" and a "Murder of Crows".

Funny. The only time I've ever seen Canola grown was when we travelled to the prairies.

It's planted all over Ontario and Quebec as well. I think I've even seen it in the Annapolis Valley in NS.

Anyway, there are 3 or 4 plants native to Canada that grow from one end to the other. I think 2 of them are goldenrod and columbine. I still like Indian paintbrush and fireweed.

I'd go with the Paintbrush and the Raven, myself.

 

[#juan]

We have had bird feeders for the last 25 years or so. One bird that always shows up is the Nuthatch. Lots of birds can run up a tree but the Nuthatch is one of the birds that can run down a tree. I would pick the Red Breasted Nuthatch.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Red-breasted_Nuthatch_%28Sitta_canadensis%2910-4c.jpg

 

[Machjo]

Absolutely!

The Maple TREE can be the official FLOWER of Canada. You should nominate that.

Cripes...

A tree is just an unusually big flower, Smacky.:lol:

 

[#juan]

For the flower, take your pick:

Provincial and Territorial Flowers of Canada

 

[Machjo]

Do we need an official bird or flower? What benefit would that give us?

We already have the beaver as our mascot (something Canadian males very much appreciate).

 

[CDNBear]

We already have the beaver as our mascot (something Canadian males very much appreciate).

How right you are Mach, nothing can be better than Canadian Beaver.

 

[AnnaG]

Another bird I like is the chickadees (5 or 6 types I think). They're across Canada, very friendly, and as far as I know the only ones inventive enough to hang upside down to spot prey normally hidden.
A tree is not a flower. A tree may have flowers but it isn't one.

 

[Kathie Bondar]

Absolutely!

The Maple TREE can be the official FLOWER of Canada. You should nominate that.

Cripes...

That's right, let's make a tree the natinal flower and maybe then people will stop bleeding it to death. Then let's make the canada geese the national bird so people would stop hunting it to extinction

 

[Cliffy]

That's right, let's make a tree the natinal flower and maybe then people will stop bleeding it to death. Then let's make the canada geese the national bird so people would stop hunting it to extinction

I don't think the Canada Goose is in danger of extinction (except in New York City, where it looks like it might be extirpated.)