On January 31st, 2018, the Canadian National Anthem was changed. The words “True patriot love in all thy sons command” was changed to “True patriot love in all of us command” ensuring gender parity for a song that is to represent all Canadians. Portions of the country were outraged. How dare politicians dare change such an iconic national symbol! A symbol that has represented our country in that form for so long! How short the public’s memory is. Or perhaps (myself included) how little we actually know of our own history.
In 1880, Government officials decided Canada needed a national hymn, and it was decided it should be ready for the first National Congress of French Canadians which was to fall on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day (June 24th) and was to celebrate all francophone communities across North America. The government at first thought they might hold a public competition to find the perfect song, but in January of that year the committee in charge decided there wouldn’t be enough time to hold such a competition, so Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, Théodore Robitaille, commissioned Judge Routhier to write a hymn with Calixa Lavallée asked to compose the music. The two came up with a song originally titled “Chant National”. It was first performed on schedule, June 24, 1880 at the Pavillon des Patineurs, in Quebec City. The song was well received but never seemed to make a lasting impression with the greater public. It isn’t even listed among the accomplishments in Calixa Lavallée’s 1891 obituary or in a biography written about Judge Routhier published in 1898.
The song, now called “O’ Canada” had started to pick up steam and was widely sung across French Canada. It is believed the song was first introduced to English speaking Canada when it was performed in 1901 for the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (later King George V and Queen Mary) when they were touring Canada. In 1906, Whaley and Royce publishers in Toronto released the music and French lyrics with an English translation included. The lyrics were translated by Dr. Thomas Bedford Richardson and read:
“O Canada! Our fathers’ land of old
Thy brow is crown’d with leaves of red and gold.
Beneath the shade of the Holy Cross
Thy children own their birth
No stains thy glorious annals gloss
Since valour shield thy hearth.
Almighty God! On thee we call
Defend our rights, forfend this nation’s thrall,
Defend our rights, forfend this nation’s thrall.”
The English translated version was not very popular, perhaps the “forfend this nation’s thrall” line just didn’t roll of the tongue very well. In any case, in 1908 Collier’s magazine held a contest to write new lyrics for “O’ Canada”. The winner was Mercy E. Powell McCulloch, but her version never really caught on either. Her version read:
“O Canada! in praise of thee we sing;
From echoing hills our anthems proudly ring.
With fertile plains and mountains grand
With lakes and rivers clear,
Eternal beauty, thou dost stand
Throughout the changing year.
Lord God of Hosts! We now implore
Bless our dear land this day and evermore,
Bless our dear land this day and evermore.”
Ewin Buchanan wrote a version that became very popular on the West Coast:
“O Canada, our heritage, our love
Thy worth we praise all other lands above.
From sea to sea throughout their length
From Pole to borderland,
At Britain’s side, whate’er betide
Unflinchingly we’ll stand
With hearts we sing, “God save the King”,
Guide then one Empire wide, do we implore,
And prosper Canada from shore to shore.”
Poet Wilfred Campbell wrote a version, Augustus Bridle, wrote a version and multiple versions were written for the 1908 Tercentenary of the City of Québec. The most popular of the versions to come from the Quebec City Tercentenary celebrations was one written by Stanley Weir.
Weir’s original version read:
“O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North, strong and free!
And stand on guard, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
From East to Western Sea,
How dear to us thy broad domain,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!
Refrain
O Canada! Beneth thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
Refrain
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
Refrain”
This version looks very familiar doesn’t it? But it still wasn’t a national anthem, and in fact a song called “The Maple Leaf Forever” written 13 years before “O’ Canada”, and “God Save the Queen” were still the most popular songs sung at events. By 1914, “O’ Canada” had passed “The Maple Leaf Forever” as Canada’s favourite patriotic song.
In 1927, Weir’s lyrics were shortened to the version we know today, and an official version was released to celebrate Canada’s Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. In 1942, Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King was asked about making “O’ Canada the national anthem of Canada” to which he replied “There are times and seasons for all things and this time of war when there are other more important questions with which parliament has to deal, we might well continue to follow what has become the custom in Canada in recent years of regarding “God Save The King” and “O Canada” each as national anthems and entitled to similar recognition.” During his time as Prime Minister (1948-57) Louis St. Laurent took the same stand.
In 1964 the government formed a joint committee to look at the status of “O’ Canada” and “God Save the Queen”. In 1967, two years after the Maple Leaf design was adopted as the flag of Canada, the committee came back with their recommendations. “God Save the Queen” was to be the royal anthem of Canada, with “O’ Canada” being designated as the national anthem with minor changes to the lyrics. Two of the “stand on guard” phrases were replaced with “from far and wide” and “God keep our land”. The rights to the lyrics were acquired by the government in 1970 from Gordon V. Thompson Music for $1
FINALLY, in 1980, “O’ Canada” became our national anthem with the passage of the National Anthem Act. Once again minor changes were made to the lyrics. Two of the repetitions of the phrase “We stand on guard” in the English lyrics were replaced, as had been proposed by the committee. Traditionalists were outraged and for years afterwards would sing the original version. Sound familiar? Even though the anthem has been around since 1880, the only version of the song that has remain unchanged, is the French version.
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