Statement by Minister Joly on the National Anthem of Canada
OTTAWA, Feb. 7, 2018 /CNW/ - Today is a proud day for Canadians. This morning, the bill to make our national anthem more inclusive received Royal Assent.
The change, put forward by the late MP Mauril Bélanger in a private member's bill, changes the lyric "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command", thus ensuring that all Canadians can see themselves reflected in one of our most important national symbols. This revision returns the anthem to the spirit of the original gender-neutral English lyric written in 1908, "thou dost in us command."
This change takes place on the eve of the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Our athletes, who have trained so hard to represent their country at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will have the opportunity to sing the new lyrics to "O Canada" with pride.
This is an important and timely change that reflects the meaningful contribution of women in all aspects of our society. Every Canadian, regardless of gender, deserves to see themselves reflected in one of our most cherished national symbols.
From today onward, our sons and our daughters will sing an anthem that demonstrates inclusiveness, respect and our desire to work together for a brighter future.
I invite all Canadians to visit our website and download the sheet music and new poster with the revised lyrics.
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
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