Justin Trudeau’s newly elected Liberal government has been praised for overhauling Canada’s approach to immigration, the environment and relations with the First Nations.
Canada considers changing national anthem to include country's women
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: Now it is seeking to change the country’s national anthem – but just by four words, The Guardian reported.
Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger introduced a bill on Wednesday to change two words of O Canada so it recognises the country’s women as well as its men.
If passed, the third line of the anthem will change from “True patriot love in all thy son’s command” – to “all of us command”.
“With my bill, I want to pay tribute to all the women who have worked and fought to build and shape the Canada that we know today,” Bélanger said in a statement. “I want to at long last honour their sacrifices and contribution.”
Bélanger, who was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and can no longer speak, introduced the bill using an iPad speech app. “By the way Mr Speaker, it is 2016,” he said in closing.
Women’s groups have been trying to change O Canada ever since it replaced God Save the Queen as the country’s official anthem in 1980. Ten previous legislative attempts have all failed after opposition from conservatives who have variously called the move “grammatically unnecessary” or pointed out that most Canadian soldiers are male.
