One of the greatest battles of our generation may be coming to an end. Norway is proposing a truce in its moose statue war with Canada.
If you don't know the backstory, take a few minutes to get up to speed. Mac the Moose, a true Canadian patriot at 32 feet tall (9.75 metres), has stood in Moose Jaw, Sask. for over 35 years and proudly held the title of world's tallest moose statue — until 2015. That year, the city of Stor-Elvdal in Norway, stole the title with their statue, Storelgen or Big Elk, which is 33 feet tall (10 metres).
"There are some things that you just don't do to Canadians: You don't water down our beer, you don't tell us we can't put maple syrup on our pancakes and you don't mess with Mac the Moose," Moose Jaw mayor Fraser Tolmie said in an interview with the New York Times.
Now the Norwegians are reaching out to see if the two countries can find peace when it comes to the world record — for which Stor Elvdal's vice-mayor Lina Otnes Henriksen may travel to Moose Jaw.
"There's been a reach-out concerning a truce from the Norwegian people," Tolmie told CBC News. "I think they know we have the resolve to make Mac the bigger moose of the two, and so this is a change in tone from them."
It's unclear what form that white flag might take, but Moose Javians don't appear to be backing down on their quest to keep Mac at the top.
Canadian beer company Moosehead Breweries offered Moose Jaw $25,000 to improve the statue and also make it even taller so that it can regain its title. A GoFundMe has also raised over $12,000 so far to "Make Mac the Moose The World's Largest Moose Again."
A few ideas have been tossed around about how to give Mac an extra foot or two, including putting him on hockey skates, giving him a Mountie hat or just having him shed his antlers and grow them even longer, the Washington Post reported.
The feud has made international headlines, and even reached American comedian Stephen Colbert, who took the time to insult Mac on his late night show.
"Norway's got the T-1000 terminator moose, Canada has a papier mache dog from an abandoned theme park," Colbert joked.
Despite the olive branch extended by Norway, Moose Jaw isn't backing down now that it has the funding to restore Mac to his former glory.
"I rallied the nation and they've answered the call to making Mac bigger. So it would be very dishonourable of me to back down," Tolmie said