Embracing change

 In Opinion

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.

Such a fuss has been made over two little words in the National Anthem, when really the whole thing is problematic.

The lyrics to O Canada are being changed to replace the words, “in all thy sons command” with “in all of us command”, to make in gender neutral.

It is understandable that people don’t want to mess with tradition but the song has been tweaked and altered several times over the years.

O Canada was officially adopted as the National Anthem in 1980, but the version we sing was written in 1908.

The song we all know is riddled with divisive references, not only in relation to gender. It may also strike a nerve with people who don’t believe in God and who feel it is Colonial.

It is good to recognize this. No one is saying we should trash the whole anthem but as times change, so does language – especially when done through a legitimate parliamentary process.

The demand for gender parity has reached new heights with high-profile women demanding equal pay for equal work and a spotlight having been shone on sexual misconduct in the workplace.

It may take time for the new lyrics to stick but there will be a generation that doesn’t know any different.

It will be awkward at first, as the old version will inevitably slip off the tongue as they have for decades. We have seen Olympic athletes this week both embrace the change and fumble the words. But the sentiment is there.

There is a certain pride in coming from a country that can change the words of its anthem to be more inclusive, now if we can only take that a few steps further to address reconciliation with Indigenous people, that will be real progress.

(Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger put forward a private members Bill C-210 received royal assent in Ottawa Feb. 7.)

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