09 February 2018 - Canadian National Anthem Becomes Gender Neutral
O Canada now officially gender neutral after bill receives royal assent
John Paul Tasker (CBC News, 07/02/2018)
The national anthem is now officially gender neutral after legislation altering the lyrics received royal assent Wednesday morning, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters.
Joly, standing alongside Catherine Bélanger, the wife of the bill's original sponsor Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger who died of ALS in 2016, said the line "in all thy sons command" has now been officially replaced with "in all of us command."
"His long advocacy for the subject has actually changed the course of our history. Now, women across this country will be well-reflected in their own national anthem," Joly said as she looked at Bélanger's widow.
The women who fought to make Canada's national anthem gender-neutral
(BBC News, 09/02/2018)
After decades of hailing its sons but not its daughters, Canada's national anthem has been amended. It took years of pressure from a group of determined women, writes Alex Marshall.
It was in 1997 that Frances Wright first noticed something was missing from O Canada.
She had started a campaign to build monuments to the Famous Five - women who fought for equality in Canada in the 1920s - and during one of their first events, everyone sang the anthem, belting out its opening lines:
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
O Canada, revised version sung officially in parliament
Carmel Kilkenny (Radio Canada International, 07/02/2018)
O Canada, the revised edition was sang first by the Canadian Olympians in Pyeongchang early this morning during a flag-raising ceremony at the athletes’ village.
Then it was sang in Canada’s parliament.
“This is a wonderful day. My granddaughters and I are on cloud nine”.
Joly, accompanied by Catherine Bélanger, the widow of the bill’s original sponsor, Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger who died of ALS in 2016, said the line “in all thy sons command” has now been officially replaced with “in all of us command.”
Olympic athletes sing new, gender-neutral lyrics to O Canada at flag-raising
Geordon Omand (National Post, 07/02/2018)
Canadian athletes in Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the Winter Olympics sang the new, gender-neutral lyrics of O Canada while raising the flag ON WEDNESDAY, said Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly.
“Today is a really good day,” she said.
“Now, women across this country will be well reflected in their own national anthem.”