OTTAWA — The Washington Nationals have the racing presidents. Now the Ottawa Senators will have the racing prime ministers.
On Thursday the team announced that mascots depicting Sir John A. MacDonald, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, William Lyon MacKenzie King and Sir Robert Borden would take part in races at some games this season.
Ottawa Senators on Twitter: “The gang’s all here. http://t.co/5dL8td82w9”
Senators president Cyril Leeder told reporters at a flag-raising ceremony at city hall that the "racing prime ministers" would also make trips to local schools as part of teaching students about national history.
MacDonald was Canada’s first prime minister, serving six terms, dying in office in 1891.
Laurier, who served from 1896 to 1911, was Canada’s first Francophone prime minister.
King remains the longest-serving prime minister with 22 years in office.
Borden was prime minister during the First World War, gave women the right to vote in Canada in 1918 and helped draft the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war.
The racing prime ministers join primary mascot Spartacat with the Senators.
