"O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command." Soon the opening to O Canada will read "in all of us command."
The Canadian House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a private member's bill from Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger in 2016. The change was designed to make the national anthem gender neutral. The extensive delay came from conservative senators who delayed the passing for some time. After 18 months languishing in the Canadian Senate, a motion was introduced to shut down debate to vote on the bill.
The bill doesn't become law until Governor General Julie Payette gives the bill formal royal assent.
O Canada became the country's national anthem in 1980. Some of the lyrics were changed by the government in the 1960s. The original version of O Canada is the French version with the English language version being a variation of the French version.
Bélanger had tried to push for the gender-neutral change for some time. The MP was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease after the 2015 federal election. The House of Commons passed the bill in June 2016. Bélanger passed away on August 15, 2016.
You might recall that shortly after the bill passage in the House, Hedley lead singer Jacob Hoggard sang O Canada with the new lyrics before the Toronto Argonauts debut at BMO Field. The old words became dominant in part because the Senate hadn't passed the bill.
The changes should become legal before the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
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Here is O Canada en Francaise:
Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Here is the new version of O Canada in English:
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
photo credit: me
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