National Bird of Canada Bill
Third Reading
June 11, 2026
Moved third reading of Bill S-221, An Act to provide for the recognition of the Canada jay as the national bird of Canada.
She said: Honourable senators, I rise today as the sponsor of Bill S-221, An Act to provide for the recognition of the Canada jay as the national bird of Canada, also known as the national bird of Canada act.
Nations are constantly being described in statistics, headlines, speeches and history books. Every nation also chooses a few symbols through which it describes itself, and that choice matters.
A national symbol is a statement to future generations. It tells them that, of all the things that surround us, this is the one we considered worthy of carrying forward the story of our land and our peoples.
The maple leaf tells a story. So does the beaver. Today, with Bill S-221, I ask colleagues to let the Canada jay tell another.
Many countries have chosen birds that soar at great heights, dominate the landscape or command attention the moment they appear. The Canada jay takes a different path.
It is a bird woven into the background of Canadian life. It inhabits the boreal forest that stretches across our country. It is familiar to hikers, campers, hunters, naturalists and countless Canadians who venture into the woods. It is hardy, intelligent and loyal. It is a bird that stores food for leaner days, a bird that stays with us through bitter-cold winters, a bird so friendly that it approaches humans instead of flying away from them. Clearly, it is a bird that lives with grace and resilience, just like Canadians.
There is a quiet wisdom in choosing a bird like that. Long after this debate is forgotten, schoolchildren will learn that Canada chose a national bird that symbolizes what we stand for. They may never read this bill. They may never know our names. But they will know what we chose to honour.
I believe that, with the Canada jay, we have chosen well. It is a choice supported by numerous organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Canadians, 35 of which submitted briefs to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology during the study. Even well-known Canadians, such as Anne Murray, Roy MacGregor, James Raffan and Robert Bateman, to name a few, expressed their support for the Canada jay.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the people behind the Canada jay project, without whom I would not have had the opportunity to work on this bill: Dan Strickland, Ryan Norris, Alain Goulet, Aaron Kylie, Mark Nadjiwan, Michel Gosselin, Colleen Archer and former MP Brenda Shanahan.
I would also like to thank Senator Duncan for being a friendly critic. As well, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Senator McNair for giving me a singing Canada jay plush toy. It now occupies a place of honour on the artificial tree in my office, together with the black-capped chickadee plush that also came from Senator McNair. The two seem very happy together as they spend their days looking over my desk, silently judging my workload. My staff enter my office every morning expecting to find a third plush to appear and form a coalition government against me.
But most especially, I wish to thank my friend Dr. David Bird. Different people have different passions, and Dave and I share a passion for birds, but his has been a lifelong passion, and his advocacy for the Canada jay has spanned many years.
Last week, I was interviewed by a journalist who asked me, “Why a bird?”
“Because they can fly,” I responded. “They soar high and sail beyond our imagination, treating the sky as a canvas.”
One of my favourite poets — whom you’ve heard me quote many times — Rumi used birds as metaphors to represent the human spirit, the pursuit of freedom and the sacred bond between humanity and the divine.
On that note, allow me to conclude my speech by quoting Rumi, who said, “I want to sing like the bird sings, not worrying about who hears or what they think.” These words speak to qualities that make birds enduring symbols across cultures: freedom, confidence and the unconstrained spirit.
As Canada continues to redefine itself, let us choose a symbol that aptly reflects these qualities. Let us choose a bird that reminds us of who we are as a nation: resilient, trusting and staunchly Canadian. Let us choose the Canada jay as the national bird of Canada.
Thank you. Mahsi’cho.
Honourable senators, I would like to express my thanks to Senator Ataullahjan for her tireless dedication to this bill. I would like to offer my remarks as the critic at third reading of Bill S-221. As Senator Ataullahjan has pointed out, it is an act to provide for recognition of the Canada jay as the national bird of Canada.
It has been a year and a day since I first spoke on this initiative. Allow me to quote the bird lover in our chamber, the sponsor of this bill, Senator Ataullahjan, from our committee hearings.
She said:
Every country . . . chooses symbols to reflect its values, beliefs and aspirations. . . . It’s not just branding; it’s nation building. . . .
. . . all provinces and territories have an official bird. . . .
. . . it is critical that we choose a bird that doesn’t just represent our geography but our spirit.
The other day in this chamber, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour said, “We don’t think we are perfect, but we believe we are pretty well on the way there.”
It is critical when we choose our national symbol that we choose carefully, and that it reflects who we are and what we can be.
Dr. Bird, professor emeritus of wildlife biology at McGill University, said:
First Nations folks highly revere the whisky jack as an omen of good fortune and a warning of danger in the forest. . . . neither hunted nor killed as a nuisance species and also not an endangered species. . . . it’s arguably one of the smartest birds on the planet. . . . this intelligent bird demonstrates an impressive amount of economic skill by hiding and relocating as many as 100,000 food items in a single season. . . .
. . . an extremely tough and hardy species, this bird actually elects not to leave our country during our harsh Canadian winters.
The most important point for me and what makes the whisky jack, or the Canada jay, the perfect symbol of Canada is that it breeds in every province and territory.
A year ago, I urged senators to pass Bill S-221 to demonstrate to our colleagues in the other place that we can listen and act in the spirit of collegiality on the simple request of millions of Canadian birders and, indeed, Canadians to recognize the Canada jay as Canada’s national bird.
Again, colleagues, in these nation building times, as we build Canada strong, let us add another perfect symbol to reflect our strength as a nation. I urge support for Bill S-221, the declaration of the Canada jay as Canada’s national bird.
Thank you.
Honourable senators, I thank Senator Duncan and Senator Ataullahjan. The Canada jay symbolizes resilience. As we’ve heard, it is found everywhere, in every province and territory. It’s true that it enjoys the company of humans. In the olden days, it accompanied all the loggers who cleared our land to build Canada.
I don’t know if it understands English and French, Canada’s official languages, but I can tell you that, every time I’ve ventured out into nature and offered up a few crumbs of the granola bar stashed in my pocket, a Canada jay has eaten them right out of my hand. It did not discriminate on the basis of language.
I encourage you to accept this bird as a symbol of Canada.
Thank you.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
(Motion agreed to and bill read third time and passed.)
