The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
March 06, 2010
OH, CANADA.COM
All the talk about changing the words to our national anthem got me thinking. I sing it on a regular basis and rarely think of the words as I sing it. Maybe the old tune is due for a slight upgrade.
First off I'd change the name. 'O Canada' sounds like something said back in the days of King Arthur so I propose a more contemporary spin to the name. Something in tune with today's world. I think it should be called
'O Canada.com' or maybe more accurately 'O Canada.ca' providing some American hasn't already snatched up those domains.
I'm not too fond of the line, 'our home and native land' either. I think it's not politically correct enough to include those of us who are non-natives. It's just so very, very wrong. Not that I have anything against our natives, First Nations or Aboriginal peoples, but I think for those of us who aren't any of those singing
'our home and native land' just doesn't sound right.
I think the line should be changed to 'our home on Canadian soil,' or 'our home on native land.'
I also dislike the line 'True patriot love.' It discriminates against those who aren't patriotic. I'm not talking that kind of
'right to bear arms and wave my flag in your face' kind of patriotic spirit that one finds in every corner of the country below the 49th parallel but those of us who may flip flop between cheering the Canucks or the Penguins depending on who has the best team that week kind of non-patriot.
I think the line should be changed to 'true passionate love', which is more reflective of the overly-tolerate nature of your average Canadian.
The line referencing the 'true north strong and free' is so flawed I'm amazed it's still in the song.
It sends the wrong message from the very beginning.
All I picture when I hear that line is a frozen landscape of tundra and igloos and if there's any truth to this rumour I keep hearing about climate change I think we better do all we can to erase that image from the minds of Canadians from far and wide (another line I'll get to).
Therefore I propose 'true north strong and free' be changed to 'deeper in debt, not free' and when I sing
'from far and wide' I picture Canada long before it was stolen from the First Nations people when it was pretty much two day ride on a very angry buffalo before you encountered another human.
The line should be changed to the more accurate 'limited space available' to better reflect the growing population through immigration.
It also annoys me when you often find only half of the song sung in English with the rest being in French. Who's idea was that?
At least in church if someone's speaking in tongues there's someone else interpreting. How do I even know if the French stuff is even about Canada?
Imagine what little Banjit or Sven are thinking when they can barely understand the English parts and now they get to hear French?
Yep. Our National Anthem is one huge mess in need of a major overhaul.
No doubt about it.
(Editor's Note: Late last week the federal government decided to back off of plans to change some of the words to
'O Canada' citing public feedback as the main reason).
