Coda the beaver revealed as official Canadian Paralympic Team mascot

Ottawa, March 10, 2020 – The Canadian Paralympic Committee revealed its official mascot on Tuesday, with Coda the beaver set to become the biggest supporter and cheerleader of the nation’s Paralympic athletes.

Coda was first introduced Tuesday morning to a group of school children in Ottawa, alongside wheelchair basketball star Patrick Anderson, Canadian Paralympic Hall of Famer Karolina Wisniewska, and retired Paralympic swimmer Benoit Huot. 

The beaver received the largest share of the votes from an online poll last year. The Canadian public was invited to select their choice between three potential mascots: grolar bear, beaver, and arctic fox. Classrooms from schools around the country also submitted their opinions through a colouring contest. 

“We are excited to have a mascot who can represent Canada’s Paralympians and help share the joy of Para sport with others,” said Tony Walby, chair of the Canadian Paralympic Athletes’ Council. “The beaver is a true emblem of Canada and is recognized worldwide and they have a lot of traits us Paralympians can identify with. We’re looking forward to having Coda cheer us on.”

Canada’s Paralympic athletes were invited to submit potential names for the mascot, with the final choice approved by the athletes’ council. Coda, who does not speak but is learning basic sign language, is named after a musical passage that extends a theme in a piece, giving it a sense of balance before bringing it to its conclusion. Coda is a Latin word that means ‘tail’. 

“The beaver is synonymous with Canadian culture and history and they definitely share their perseverance and hard-working attitude with our incredible Paralympians,” said Martin Richard, executive director, Communications and Brand, Canadian Paralympic Committee. “Having a mascot will help us to spread the Paralympic Movement and the power of Para sport to a larger audience while also elevating the sense of team and togetherness among our athletes.” 

Coda will be travelling to Tokyo in August to support the Canadian team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and will also be making several appearances at various school and community engagements throughout the spring and summer.  

For more information on Coda, please visit Paralympic.ca/mascot.