O #Canada That Reflects & Includes all #Canadians Past, Present & Future.

O Canada

My Canada, Your Canada, Our Canada

Back in February of 2014 Sarah from Journeys of the Zoo asked me to write a guest post for her Canadian Feature series. I chose to write about the wording of the Canadian National Anthem. Since Canada Day is just around the corner, and the debate about the lyrics of O Canada is back in the news I thought it timely to share this post again. 

O Canada

What Makes Me Canadian, and Do I Feel Canadian?

I let these questions roam around my head for awhile, pondering the answers, thinking surely we are about more than saying Sorry, eh and maple syrup. This led me to thinking about O Canada, the Canadian National Anthem: shouldn't our National Anthem embody what it is to be Canadian, and therefor provide me some answers?

I am one of those Canadians who always stands on guard when O Canada is being played or performed. I stop in the halls of the schools, and make kids stop, and stand quietly "on guard" during the National Anthem. At sporting events, seeing fellow Canadians stand and sing our National Anthem, can bring me to tears with pride, and patriotism (in that quiet and understated way that is so Canadian). I believe a National Anthem should have meaning. I hope our anthem says something about the people of Canada, all the people of Canada.
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Yep, Just me Cathy thinking out loud about an O Canada that is reflective and inclusive of all Canadians; past, present and future.