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O Canada!

Happy Canada Day! Sunday being Canada Day – some of you may remember that it was once called "Dominion Day" – I feel duty-bound to expound upon my love of this great country of ours.


Happy Canada Day!


Sunday being Canada Day – some of you may remember that it was once called "Dominion Day" – I feel duty-bound to expound upon my love of this great country of ours.

What I find truly remarkable about Canada is that so many people have come here from so very many different regions, each bringing with them aspects of their language, culture, religion, and traditions, and have been welcomed as a part of Canada’s cultural mosaic.

Yes, there are a few whose prejudices and even intolerance has caused some problem, but overall we have welcomed immigrants into our midst, embracing them for the diversity they bring to our great nation. And why not, for this is a country of immigrants.

Every one of us can trace our ancestry back to another country, on another continent. Even our First Nations people, so the evidence suggests, came here from other lands, however long ago that may have been.

So we live here, together, perhaps not in perfect harmony, but certainly in a more harmonious fashion than do the people in many other countries. We may have our squabbles and differences, but I can’t help think that this, our Canadian way of life, is very much to be envied by others around the world.

Is it any surprise that so many people around the world want to emigrate to Canada? Over the past ten years 2,258,270 became "Permanent Residents" of Canada, an average of just over a quarter-million people annually.

Canada is well-respected world-wide for many things. We are described as being polite to a fault, generous, and having a remarkable sense of humour. Who doesn’t like Canadians, eh?

We pioneered the UN Peace-keeping mission. We are a leader in many frontiers of research, including medical and space technology. Who among us wasn’t bursting with pride the first time the "Canadarm" was deployed from the space shuttle Columbia, with the Canada word mark logo emblazoned on it for all the world to see?

One way in which people display their pride for their country is through patriotic music. Of course, Canada doesn’t have quite as much of this compared to our American cousins, but what we do have speaks volumes, I believe, of our love for our country.

Our national anthem, ‘O Canada,’ is a song written by Calixa Lavallée, and based on a poem written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier, a Quebec judge. Interestingly, it was commissioned for the "Congrès national des Canadiens-Français" in1880, which coincided with St. Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations.

While the melody has remained unchanged, there have been several incarnations and versions of the lyrics over the years. The version we sing today was not formally adopted as Canada’s National Anthem until July 1, 1980, a full century after it was first performed.

Until then, "The Maple Leaf Forever," which was written by Alexander Muir in honour of Canada's confederation in 1867, was regarded as our national song, though it was never officially proclaimed as such.

Actually, it was the English lyrics of "O Canada" which evolved over the years. The French version has remained consistent. Those of you who speak or read French will know that the English words are not simply a translation of the French, which reads (in English) as follows:

O Canada! Land of our forefathers
Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious garland of flowers.
As in thy arm ready to wield the sword,
So also is it ready to carry the cross.
Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits.


Rather stirring, isn’t it?

The "official" English version is based on a poem by R. Stanley Weir, also a Quebec judge. What I find most interesting are the second, third and fourth verses, ones which we normally don’t hear:

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!

Chorus

O Canada! Beneath 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!

Chorus

Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion, in 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.

Chorus God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

That, to me, is inspiring stuff! As I mentioned earlier, our American cousins have way more patriotic songs, but ‘bombs bursting in air’ and flags flying on ramparts doesn’t convey to me the same sense of majesty and awe for their country the way O Canada does.

I know a number of readers and posters on this site scoff at the very notion of religion, but as the preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms declares:

"Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law."

The third verse of Weir’s lyrics acknowledge this relationship in what, especially for the time, is a very ecumenical manner: "Ruler supreme."

So on Canada Day I will take a moment to thank God for bringing us together in this great land, where pines and maples grow, great prairies spread, and lordly rivers flow. Where stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise, as also do gentle sons and stalwart maidens.

I will thank God for the diversity that is Canada, and the mosaic that is Canadian culture.

God keep our land, glorious and free.

Happy Canada Day!



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