Nothing is more patriotic to a country than its national anthem; for Canada, this is no different with our national anthem “O Canada”. Whether it is being sung at the start of a hockey game, before the start of an assembly, or after a Canadian wins a gold medal at the Olympics, the song is an important symbol of Canada for Canadians. Despite this, “O Canada” has only been the official national anthem for our country for less than 40 years.
Since Confederation, “God Save the Queen” (the national anthem of the United Kingdom) and “The Maple Leaf Forever” competed for the unofficial national anthems of Canada. However, both were unpopular among French Canadians, who searched for another national song. This is how “O Canada” came to be.
The tune to “O Canada” was written in 1880 by Calixa Lavalléeby and the lyrics were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. Originally called “Chant National”, the song was first performed on June 24, 1880, to a banquet in Quebec City.
After that, the song continued to gain popularity within Quebec. The first known performance of the song outside of Quebec occurred in 1901 by a group of school children for the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall on their tour of Canada.
The first English version was translated in 1906 by Thomas Bedford Richardson, and the lyrics were as follows:
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 most popular English translation of “O Canada” was created by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908. The current and final version was based on his translation, which was originally:
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love thou dost in us command.
We see thee rising fair, dear land,
The True North, strong and free;
And stand on guard, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
Over the following decades, “O Canada” was believed to have become the de facto national anthem of Canada, however, regional bylaws and practices continue to vary.
In the mid-1960s, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson created a committee to begin the process of establishing one song as the official national anthem of Canada. The proposed motion was to establish “O Canada” as Canada’s national anthem, and “God Save the Queen” as the Royal Anthem of Canada. Despite this, it was not until July 1 of 1980 that the National Anthem Act was passed, which finally established “O Canada” as Canada’s national anthem.
Unknown to most people and rarely sung, there are three additional stanzas to “O Canada”, they are as follows:
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:
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
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
“O Canada” has played a critical role in shaping Canada’s identity for the last 150 years, despite only officially being the national anthem for less than a third of that. In the future, “O Canada” will continue to be a symbol of Canada. You can enjoy our national anthem below.
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