View source for O Canada

{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Short description|National anthem of Canada}}
{{About|the national anthem of Canada|other uses}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox anthem
| title         = "O Canada"
| image         = O Canada bilingual sheet music.pdf
| caption       = Official bilingual sheet music
| alt_title     = {{langx|fr|link=no|Ô Canada|italic=no}}
| prefix        = National
| country       = Canada
| composer      = [[Calixa Lavallée]]
| music_date    = 1880
| author        = [[Adolphe-Basile Routhier]] (French, 1880), [[Robert Stanley Weir]] (English, 1908)
| adopted       = July 1, 1980
| until         = 
| sound         = "O Canada"-«Ô Canada», performed by the National Band of the Naval Reserve.oga
| sound_title   = Instrumental rendition by the [[Royal Canadian Navy]]'s [[National Band of the Naval Reserve]] in [[E-flat major]]
}}
{{Contains special characters}}
"'''O Canada'''" ({{langx|fr|Ô Canada|italic=no}}) is the [[national anthem]] of [[Canada]]. The song was originally commissioned by [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]] [[Théodore Robitaille]] for the 1880 [[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day]] ceremony; [[Calixa Lavallée]] composed the music, after which French-language words were written by the poet and judge Sir [[Adolphe-Basile Routhier]]. 

The original French lyrics were translated to English in 1906.<ref name="DCHOCanada">{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/anthems-canada/history-o-canada.html|publisher=[[Department of Canadian Heritage]]|title=Full history of 'O Canada'|date=January 5, 2018|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912201613/https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/anthems-canada/history-o-canada.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Multiple English versions ensued, with [[Robert Stanley Weir]]'s 1908 version (which was not a translation of the French lyrics) gaining the most popularity; the Weir lyrics eventually served as the basis for the official lyrics enacted by Parliament.<ref name="DCHOCanada"/> Weir's English-language lyrics have been revised three times, most recently when ''An Act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender)'' was enacted in 2018.<ref name=BBCGenderNeutral>{{cite news|last=Marshall|first=Alex|title=The women who fought to make Canada's national anthem gender-neutral|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-42977303|date=February 9, 2018|access-date=February 9, 2018|work=BBC News|archive-date=February 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209021245/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-42977303|url-status=live}}</ref> The French lyrics remain unaltered. 

"O Canada" had served as a ''[[de facto]]'' national anthem since 1939, officially becoming the country's national anthem in 1980 when Canada's ''National Anthem Act'' received [[royal assent]] and became effective on July 1 as part of that year's [[Canada Day|Dominion Day]] (today's Canada Day) celebrations.<ref name=DCHOCanada/><ref>{{cite book|last=DeRocco|first=David|title=From sea to sea to sea: a newcomer's guide to Canada|year=2008|publisher=Full Blast Productions|isbn=978-0-9784738-4-6|pages=121–122}}</ref>

==Melody==
"O Canada" is a 28-[[bar (music)|bar]] song originally written in the key of F major for four voices and piano, as a [[march (music)|march]] in [[4/4 time]] to be played "{{lang|it|[[maestoso]] e [[risoluto]]}}" ("majestic and resolved"). The original manuscript has been lost.<ref name=CE />

<score sound="1">
{
\clef treble \key f \major \tempo 4=100 \set Staff.midiInstrument = "clarinet" {
      \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t
      \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t
      \time 4/4
      \transpose c c'
      \relative
      { a2 c4. c8 | f,2. g4 | a bes c d | g,2. r4 | a2 b4. b8 | c2. d4 | e e d d | c2. \bar"" \break
      g8. a16 | bes4. a8 g4 a8. bes16 | c4. bes8 a4 bes8. c16 | d4 c bes a | g2. g8. a16 | bes4. a8 g4 a8. bes16 | c4. bes8 a4 \bar"" \break
      a | g c c8 b a b | c2. r4 | a2 c4. c8 | f,2. r4 | bes2 d4. d8 | g,2. r4 | \break
      c2 cis4. cis8 | d4 bes a g | f2 g | a2. r4 | c2 f4. f8 | d4 bes a g | c2 e, | f1 \bar "|."}
    }
  }
</score>

==Lyrics==
The National Anthem Act established set lyrics for "O Canada" in Canada's two official languages, English and French. However, the two sets of lyrics are not translations of each other.

The lyrics are as follows:<ref name=DCHOCanada/><ref>{{cite web| url=http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1443808632931#a11| author=Department of Canadian Heritage| author-link=Department of Canadian Heritage| title=Patrimoine canadien – Hymne national du Canada| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| access-date=June 26, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226163345/http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1443808632931#a11| archive-date=February 26, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=House of Commons debates, official report |last=Canada. Parliament, House of Commons. |year=1964 |publisher=Queen's Printer |volume=11 |page=11806 |url=http://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.debates_HOC2602_11/458?r=0&s=1 |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817033538/http://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.debates_HOC2602_11/458?r=0&s=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<poem style="float:left; margin-left:1em;">
'''English lyrics'''<br />
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us <!-- "All of us" has been the official lyric since February 2018. Please do not change back to "all thy sons". --> command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, 
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
𝄆 O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. 𝄇</poem>
<poem lang="fr" style="margin-left:1em; float:left;">'''French lyrics'''<br />
{{lang|fr|Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
𝄆 Protégera nos foyers et nos droits. 𝄇|italic=no}}</poem>
<poem style="float:left; margin-left:1em;">'''English translation by the parliamentary<br />[[Translation Bureau]]'''<br />
O Canada!
Land of our ancestors
Glorious deeds circle your brow
For your arm knows how to wield the sword
Your arm knows how to carry the cross;
Your history is an epic
Of brilliant deeds
And your valour steeped in faith
𝄆 Will protect our homes and our rights. 𝄇</poem>
<poem style="margin-left:1em; float:left;">'''[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] transcription'''{{efn|See [[Help:IPA/French]], [[Canadian French]] and [[Quebec French phonology]].}}<br />
[o ka.na.da]
[tɛ.ʁə də no.z‿a.jø]
[tɔ̃ fʁɔ̃.t‿ɛ sɛ̃ də flœ.ʁɔ̃ glɔ.ʁi.ø]
[kaʁ tɔ̃ bʁa sɛ pɔʁ.te l‿e.pe.ə]
[il sɛ pɔʁ.te la kʁwa]
[tɔ̃.n‿is.twa.ʁ‿ɛ.t‿y.n‿e.pɔ.pe.ə]
[de ply bʁi.jɑ̃.z‿ɛks.plwa]
[e ta va.lœʁ də fwa tʁɑ̃.pe.ə]
𝄆 [pʁɔ.te.ʒə.ʁa no fwa.je.z‿e no dʁwa] 𝄇</poem>
<poem style="margin-left:1em; float:left;">'''Bilingual version 1'''<ref name=OCanada>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/celebrate/pdf/national_anthem_e.pdf|title=O Canada our national anthem|year=2017|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027164325/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/celebrate/pdf/national_anthem_e.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
{{lang|fr|Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.|italic=no}}
God keep our land glorious and free!
𝄆 O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. 𝄇</poem>
<poem style="margin-left:1em; float:left;">'''Bilingual version 2'''<ref name=OCanada-fr>{{cite web |url=https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/francais/celebrer/pdf/hymne_national_f.pdf |title=O Canada – Notre hymne national (version bilingue) |lang=fr |access-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126015154/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/francais/celebrer/pdf/hymne_national_f.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
{{lang|fr|Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.|italic=no}}
God keep our land glorious and free!
𝄆 O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. 𝄇</poem>{{Clear|left}}

{{listen
| type         = music
| filename     = O Canada English Weir 1928.ogg
| title        = 1928 orchestral and vocal recording in English (two verses)
| description  = [[Edward Johnson (tenor)|Edward Johnson]] singing [[Robert Stanley Weir|Weir's]] original lyrics
| filename2    = O Canada French lyrics 1918.ogg
| title2       = 1918 orchestral and vocal recording in French (two verses)
| description2 = First and fourth verses sung by the Quatuor Octave Pelletier
| filename3    = O Canada instrumental 1916.ogg
| title3       = 1916 band instrumental recording (three verses)
| description3 = Performed by the Victor Military Band
| filename4    = O Canada and God Save the King instrumental 1927.ogg
| title4       = 1927 bell tower instrumental recording (two verses) (followed by "God Save the King")
| description4 = Performed by Percival Price using [[carillon]] bell at the [[Peace Tower]] in [[Ottawa]]
| title5       = "O Canada"
| filename5    = Irving Gillette singing "O Canada" (1914).oga
| description5 = Sung by [[Henry Burr]] in 1914
}}
The line "The True North strong and free" is based on [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson|Lord Tennyson's]] description of Canada as "that true North, whereof we lately heard / A strain to shame us". In the context of Tennyson's poem ''To the Queen'', the word ''true'' means "loyal" or "faithful".<ref name="colombo">{{cite book|last=Colombo|first=John Robert|url=https://archive.org/details/colombosalltimeg0000unse|title=Colombo's All-Time Great Canadian Quotations|date=February 1995|publisher=Stoddart|isbn=0-7737-5639-6|author-link=John Robert Colombo|url-access=registration}}</ref>

The lyrics and melody of "O Canada" are both in the [[public domain]],<ref name=DCHOCanada/> a status unaffected by the trademarking of the phrases "with glowing hearts" and "{{lang|fr|des plus brillants exploits}}" for the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in Vancouver.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/olympic-mottoes-borrow-lines-from-o-canada-1.697013| title=Olympic mottoes borrow lines from O Canada| date=September 25, 2008| publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]| access-date=September 25, 2008| archive-date=January 6, 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106174018/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/olympic-mottoes-borrow-lines-from-o-canada-1.697013| url-status=live}}</ref> Two provinces have adopted Latin translations of phrases from the English lyrics as their mottos: [[Coat of arms of Manitoba|Manitoba]]—{{lang|la|Gloriosus et Liber}} (Glorious and Free)<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 27, 1993|title=The Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Amendment Act|at=Schedule A.1 [subsection 1(3)]|location=Winnipeg|publisher=Manitoba Government|url=http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/1993/c04393e.php|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914042842/http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/1993/c04393e.php|url-status=live}}</ref>—and [[Coat of arms of Alberta|Alberta]]—{{lang|la|Fortis et Liber}} (Strong and Free).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://culture.alberta.ca/about/emblems/motto.aspx |title=Alberta Culture and Community Spirit – Provincial Motto, Colour and Logos |publisher=Culture.alberta.ca |date=June 1, 1968 |access-date=April 15, 2011 |archive-date=July 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725184008/http://culture.alberta.ca/about/emblems/motto.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, the [[Canadian Army]]'s motto is {{lang|la|Vigilamus pro te}} (we stand on guard for thee).

===Translations===
The lyrics have been translated into several [[indigenous languages of Canada]], including [[Inuktitut language|Inuktitut]], [[Ojibwe language|Ojibwe]],<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/foundation_gr3/blms/3-1-2b.pdf|title=Canadian National Anthem - Translations|publisher=Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning|access-date=2023-04-05|archive-date=November 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110033849/https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/foundation_gr3/blms/3-1-2b.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Cree language|Cree]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://calgary.citynews.ca/2022/07/26/cree-o-canada-anthem-pope-canada/ | title=CityNews | date=July 26, 2022 | access-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110033846/https://calgary.citynews.ca/2022/07/26/cree-o-canada-anthem-pope-canada/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Mi'kmaq language|Mi'kmaq]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://firstnationhelp.com/ali/okanata.php | title=Aboriginal Language Initiative - O' Kanata | access-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110033846/https://firstnationhelp.com/ali/okanata.php | url-status=live }}</ref> There is also a trilingual version, in English, French and Inuktitut.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh8kTzWByIs | title=O Canada in Inuktitut, French, and English | website=[[YouTube]] | date=November 10, 2021 | access-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110033845/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh8kTzWByIs | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Second, third and fourth stanzas: historical refrain===
[[File:O Canada Original Lyrics.png|thumb|right|A page from ''Hymns of the Christian Life'', 1962, depicting then long-standing refrain lyrics to "O Canada", but not the original]]
Below are the second, third and fourth stanzas.<ref name=DCHOCanada /> These are rarely sung.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/document/canada(long).pdf| last=Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta| author-link=Lieutenant Governor of Alberta| title=O Canada| publisher=Queen's Printer for Alberta| access-date=April 17, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413191251/http://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/document/canada(long).pdf| archive-date=April 13, 2008}}</ref>

<poem>'''II'''
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!

{{small|'''Chorus'''}}
God keep our land glorious and free!
𝄆 O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. 𝄇

'''III'''
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!

{{small|'''''Chorus'''''}}

'''IV'''
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.

{{small|'''''Chorus'''''}}</poem>

===Original French version===
The first verse is the same. The other verses follow.

<poem lang="fr" style="float:left;">'''II'''
Sous l'œil de Dieu, près du fleuve géant,
Le Canadien grandit en espérant.
Il est né d'une race fière,
Béni fut son berceau.
Le ciel a marqué sa carrière
Dans ce monde nouveau.
Toujours guidé par sa lumière,
𝄆 Il gardera l'honneur de son drapeau. 𝄇

'''III'''
De son patron, précurseur du vrai Dieu,
Il porte au front l'auréole de feu.
Ennemi de la tyrannie
Mais plein de loyauté,
Il veut garder dans l'harmonie,
Sa fière liberté;
Et par l'effort de son génie,
𝄆 Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité. 𝄇

'''IV'''
Amour sacré du trône et de l'autel,
Remplis nos cœurs de ton souffle immortel!
Parmi les races étrangères,
Notre guide est la loi&thinsp;:
Sachons être un peuple de frères,
Sous le joug de la foi.
Et répétons, comme nos pères,
𝄆 Le cri vainqueur&thinsp;: «&thinsp;Pour le Christ et le roi!&thinsp;» 𝄇</poem>
<poem style="margin-left:2em; float:left;">'''II'''
Under the eye of God, near the giant river,
The Canadian grows hoping.
He was born of a proud race,
Blessed was his birthplace.
Heaven has noted his career
In this new world.
Always guided by its light,
𝄆 He will keep the honour of his flag. 𝄇

'''III'''
From his patron, the precursor of the true God,
He wears the halo of fire on his brow.
Enemy of tyranny
But full of loyalty,
He wants to keep in harmony,
His proud freedom;
And by the effort of his genius,
𝄆 Set on our ground the truth. 𝄇

'''IV'''
Sacred love of the throne and the altar,
Fill our hearts with your immortal breath!
Among the foreign races,
Our guide is the law:
Let us know how to be a people of brothers,
Under the yoke of faith.
And repeat, like our fathers,
𝄆 The battle cry: "For Christ and King!" 𝄇</poem>{{Clear|left}}

==History==
The French lyrics of "O Canada" were written by Sir [[Adolphe-Basile Routhier]], to music composed by [[Calixa Lavallée]], as a [[French Canadian]] patriotic song for the [[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society]] and first performed on June 24, 1880, at a [[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day]] banquet in [[Quebec City]]. At that time, the "Chant National", also by Routhier, was popular amongst Francophones as an anthem,<ref name=QHE>{{Cite book|last=Bélanger|first=Claude|title=The Quebec History Encyclopedia|chapter=National Anthem of Canada|place=Montreal|publisher=Marianopolis College|chapter-url=http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/Anthem.htm|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919114337/http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/Anthem.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> while "[[God Save the Queen]]" and "[[The Maple Leaf Forever]]" had, since 1867, been competing as unofficial national anthems in [[English Canada]]. "O Canada" joined that fray when a group of school children sang it for the 1901 tour of Canada by [[Duke of Cornwall|the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall]] (later [[George V|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]).<ref name=DCHOCanada/> This was the first known performance of the song outside Quebec.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kuitenbrouwer|first1=Peter|title=The Strange History of 'O Canada'|url=https://thewalrus.ca/the-strange-history-of-o-canada/|access-date=July 7, 2017|work=[[The Walrus]]|date=June 27, 2017|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817071426/https://thewalrus.ca/the-strange-history-of-o-canada/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:"O Canada!" sheet music, 1906.png|thumb|Sheet music for an English-language version of "O Canada" published in 1906]]
Five years later, the Whaley and Royce company in [[Toronto]] published the music with the French text and a first translation into English by Thomas Bedford Richardson and, in 1908, ''[[Collier's|Collier's Weekly]]'' magazine held a competition to write new English lyrics for "O Canada". The competition was won by Mercy E. Powell McCulloch, but her version never gained wide acceptance.<ref name=QHE/> In fact, many made English translations of Routhier's words; however, the most popular version was created in 1908 by Robert Stanley Weir, a lawyer and Recorder of the City of [[Montreal]]. Weir's lyrics from 1908 contained no religious references and used the phrase "thou dost in us command" before they were changed by Weir in 1913 to read "in all thy sons command".<ref name=DCHOCanada/><ref>{{Cite book| url=https://archive.org/details/commonschoolbook00unse_0 | title=The Common School Book of Vocal Music: A One-Book Course of Song and Study for Use in Schools of Mixed Grades| publisher=W. J. Gage & Co| year=1913| location=Toronto}}</ref><ref name=CE /> In 1926, a fourth verse of a religious nature was added.<ref name=Hansard2002>{{Cite journal| journal=[[Hansard]]| url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamber/371/Debates/091db_2002-02-21-e.htm#29| title=Bill to Amend—Second Reading—Debate Adjourned| access-date=October 10, 2014| volume=1st Session, 37th Parliament| date=February 21, 2002| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| location=Ottawa| archive-date=October 2, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002060537/http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamber/371/Debates/091db_2002-02-21-e.htm#29| url-status=live}}</ref> A slightly modified version was officially published for the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation in 1927, and gradually it became the most widely accepted and performed version of this song.<ref name=DCHOCanada/>

The tune was thought to have become the ''[[de facto]]'' national anthem after King [[George VI]] remained at attention during its playing at the dedication of the [[National War Memorial (Canada)|National War Memorial]] in [[Ottawa]], Ontario, on May 21, 1939;<ref>{{Cite magazine| last=Bethune| first=Brian| title=A gift fit for a king|magazine=Maclean's| publisher=Rogers Communications| location=Toronto| date=July 7, 2011| url=http://www.macleans.ca/2011/07/07/a-gift-fit-for-a-king/| issn=0024-9262| access-date=July 9, 2011}}</ref> though George was actually following a precedent set by his brother, [[Edward VIII|Edward]], the previous [[Monarchy of Canada|king of Canada]], when he dedicated the [[Canadian National Vimy Memorial]] in France in 1936.<ref name=Galbraith10>{{cite journal| last=Galbraith| first=William| title=Fiftieth Anniversary of the 1939 Royal Visit|journal=[[Canadian Parliamentary Review]]|volume=12| issue=3| page=10| publisher=Commonwealth Parliamentary Association| location=Ottawa| year=1989| url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=130&art=820| archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205052132/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=130&art=820| url-status=dead| archive-date=December 5, 2012| access-date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> By-laws and practices governing the use of song during public events in municipalities varied; in Toronto, "God Save the King" or "God Save the Queen" was employed, while in Montreal it was "O Canada".

Musicologist [[Ross W. Duffin|Ross Duffin]] has argued that Lavallée constructed the melody for "O Canada" by adapting material by Mozart ("[[The Magic Flute|March of the Priests]]", measures 1–8), Wagner ("Wach auf, es nahet gen den Tag", measures 9–16), Liszt ("Festklänge", measures 17–20), and Matthias Keller ("The American Hymn", measures 21–28).<ref>{{Cite journal|journal=[[The Musical Quarterly]]|date=June 28, 2020|accessdate=July 4, 2020|author1-first=Ross W.|author1-last=Duffin|author1-link=Ross W. Duffin|title=Calixa Lavallée and the Construction of a National Anthem|article-number=gdaa004 |doi=10.1093/musqtl/gdaa004 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/musqtl/gdaa004|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1-last=Wheeler |author1-first=Brad |date=3 August 2020 |title="Expat Musicologist Contends O Canada Not an Original Composition |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-expat-musicologist-contends-o-canada-not-an-original-composition/ |work=Toronto Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |access-date=9 Aug 2020 |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826110257/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-expat-musicologist-contends-o-canada-not-an-original-composition/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Adoption===
Prime Minister [[Lester B. Pearson]] in 1964 said one song would have to be chosen as the country's national anthem and the government resolved to form a joint committee to review the status of the two musical works. The next year, Pearson put to the House of Commons a motion that "the government be authorized to take such steps as may be necessary to provide that 'O Canada' shall be the National Anthem of Canada while 'God Save the Queen' shall be the Royal Anthem of Canada", of which parliament approved. In 1967, the Prime Minister advised [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] [[Georges Vanier]] to appoint the Special Joint Committee of the [[Senate of Canada|Senate]] and [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] on the National and Royal Anthems; the group first met in February and,<ref name=CE>{{Cite book|last1=Potvin|first1=Gilles|last2=Kallmann|first2=Helmut|title=The Canadian Encyclopedia|chapter=O Canada|place=Toronto|publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada|chapter-url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/o-canada|access-date=November 10, 2015|title-link=The Canadian Encyclopedia|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203021353/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/o-canada/|url-status=live}}</ref> within two months, on April 12, 1967, presented its conclusion that "O Canada" should be designated as the national anthem and "[[God Save the Queen]]" as the [[Honors music|royal anthem]] of Canada,<ref name=DCHOCanada/> one verse from each, in [[Official bilingualism in Canada|both official languages]], to be adopted by parliament. The group was then charged with establishing official lyrics for each song. For "O Canada", the Robert Stanley Weir version of 1908 was recommended for the English words, with a few minor changes: two of the "stand on guard" phrases were replaced with "from far and wide" and "God keep our land".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kallmann|first=Helmut|title=The Canadian Encyclopedia|chapter=National and Royal Anthems|place=Toronto|publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada|chapter-url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/national-and-royal-anthems-emc/|access-date=June 25, 2010|title-link=The Canadian Encyclopedia|archive-date=January 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130235241/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/national-and-royal-anthems-emc/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=DCHOCanada />

In 1970, the [[Monarchy of Canada|Queen in Right of Canada]] purchased the right to the lyrics and music of "O Canada" from Gordon V. Thompson Music for $1.<ref>{{cite book|author=Helmut Kallmann, Marlene Wehrle|chapter-url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/articles/emc/gordon-v-thompson-music|chapter=Gordon V. Thompson Music|title=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=August 2, 2013|title-link=The Canadian Encyclopedia|archive-date=November 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106193020/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/articles/emc/gordon-v-thompson-music|url-status=live}}</ref> The song finally became the official national anthem in 1980 with the passage of the ''National Anthem Act.''<ref name=Galbraith10/><ref name=CE/> The Act replaced two of the repetitions of the phrase "We stand on guard" in the English lyrics, as had been proposed by the Senate Special Joint Committee. This change was controversial with traditionalists and, for several years afterwards, it was not uncommon to hear people still singing the old lyrics at public events. In contrast, the French lyrics are unchanged from the original version.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/Canadiana/pf-anthem.html| title=National anthem: O Canada| date=May 26, 2004| publisher=Canoe| access-date=July 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100311145403/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/Canadiana/pf-anthem.html|archive-date=March 11, 2010|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

===Inclusive language debates===
In June 1990, [[Toronto City Council]] voted 12 to 7 in favour of recommending to the [[Government of Canada|Canadian government]] that the phrase "our home and native land" be changed to "our home and cherished land" and that "in all thy sons command" be partly reverted to "in all of us command". Councillor [[Howard Moscoe]] said that the words "native land" were not appropriate for the many Canadians who were not native-born and that the word "sons" implied "that women can't feel true patriotism or love for Canada".<ref>{{Cite news| last=Byers| first=Jim | title='O Canada' offensive, Metro says| newspaper=Toronto Star| page=A.2| date=June 6, 1990}}</ref> [[Senate of Canada|Senator]] [[Vivienne Poy]] similarly criticized the English lyrics of the anthem as being [[Gender-neutral language|sexist]] and she introduced a bill in 2002 proposing to change the phrase "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command".<ref name=Hansard2002/> In the late 2000s, the anthem's religious references (to God in English and to the [[Christian cross]] in French) were criticized by [[secularist]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.americanhumanist.org/hnn/archives/?id=242&article=7| last=Thomas| first=Doug| title=Is Canada a Secular Nation? Part 3: Post-Charter Canada| publisher=Institute for Humanist Studies| date=May 17, 2006| access-date=March 27, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620010135/http://americanhumanist.org/hnn/archives/?id=242&article=7| archive-date=June 20, 2010| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In the [[speech from the throne]] delivered by [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] [[Michaëlle Jean]] on March 3, 2010, a plan to have parliament review the "original [[gender-neutral]] wording of the national anthem" was announced.<ref>{{Cite news| title=O Canada lyrics to be reviewed| publisher=MSN| date=March 3, 2010| url=http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=23570847| access-date=July 6, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306130321/http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=23570847| archive-date=March 6, 2010| url-status=dead}}</ref> However, three-quarters of Canadians polled after the speech objected to the proposal and,<ref>{{Citation|title=English-Speaking Canadians Reject Changing Verse from "O Canada"|publisher=[[Angus Reid Public Opinion]]|date=March 5, 2010| page=1}}{{Nonspecific|date=September 2019}}</ref> two days later, the [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|prime minister's office]] announced that the [[Cabinet of Canada|cabinet]] had decided not to change the original lyrics.<ref>{{Cite news| title=National anthem won't change: PMO| publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation| date=March 5, 2010| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/national-anthem-won-t-change-pmo-1.897850| access-date=April 11, 2016| archive-date=April 20, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420194621/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/national-anthem-won-t-change-pmo-1.897850| url-status=live}}</ref>

In another attempt to make the anthem gender-neutral, Liberal MP [[Mauril Bélanger]] introduced a [[private member's bill]] in September 2014. His Bill C-624, ''An Act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender)'', was defeated at second reading in April 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/LEGISInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&billId=6691453|title=Private Member's Bill C-624 (41–2)|website=LEGISinfo|publisher=Parliament of Canada|access-date=March 3, 2018|archive-date=February 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226084743/http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&billId=6691453&Mode=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015 federal election]], Bélanger reintroduced the bill in the new parliament as Bill C-210 in January 2016.<ref name="C-210">{{Cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/LEGISInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&billId=8068817|title=Private Member's Bill C-210 (42–1)|website=LEGISinfo|publisher=Parliament of Canada|access-date=June 6, 2016|archive-date=May 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501213024/http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?billId=8068817&Language=E&Mode=1|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2016, the bill passed its third reading with a vote of 225 to 74 in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]].<ref>{{Cite news| title=Dying MP's gender-neutral O Canada bill passes final Commons vote| work=CBC News| date=June 15, 2016| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/belanger-o-canada-gender-lyrics-bill-1.3636348| agency=The Canadian Press| access-date=June 15, 2016| archive-date=December 30, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230043627/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/belanger-o-canada-gender-lyrics-bill-1.3636348| url-status=live}}</ref> The bill passed its third reading in the [[Senate of Canada|Senate]] with a [[voice vote]] on January 31, 2018, and received [[royal assent]] on February 7, 2018.<ref name="passed in senate">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anthem-bill-passes-senate-1.4513317|first=John Paul|last=Tasker|title='In all of us command': Senate passes bill approving gender neutral anthem wording|work=CBC News|date=January 31, 2018|access-date=January 31, 2018|archive-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528092926/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anthem-bill-passes-senate-1.4513317|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/o-canada-gender-neutral-melanie-joly-1.4524764|title=O Canada now officially gender neutral after bill receives royal assent|work=CBC News|last=Tasker|first=John Paul|date=February 7, 2018|access-date=February 7, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109034330/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/o-canada-gender-neutral-melanie-joly-1.4524764|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Performances==
[[File:Lyndon Slewidge singing.JPG|thumb|[[Lyndon Slewidge]] singing O Canada prior to a [[Ottawa Senators]] game]]
"O Canada" is routinely played before sporting events involving Canadian teams. Singers at such public events often mix the English and French lyrics to represent [[Official bilingualism in Canada|Canada's linguistic duality]].<ref>{{cite news|access-date=May 4, 2008|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/sports/olympics/AP-OLY-Closing-Ceremony.html?pagewanted=print|title=Turin Bids Arrivederci to Winter Olympics|work=The New York Times|date=February 26, 2006|agency=Associated Press|archive-date=December 10, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210135851/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/sports/olympics/AP-OLY-Closing-Ceremony.html?pagewanted=print|url-status=live}}</ref> Other linguistic variations have also been performed: During the opening ceremonies of the [[1988 Winter Olympics]] in Calgary, "O Canada" was sung in the southern [[Tutchone language]] by Yukon native Daniel Tlen.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=March 31, 2010|url=http://www.yfn2010.org/cultural-contingent/performing-artists/daniel-tlen/|title=Daniel Tlen|publisher=Yukon First Nations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305114139/http://www.yfn2010.org/cultural-contingent/performing-artists/daniel-tlen/|archive-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|id=hFpoHYzM4iM|title=O Canada (Canada National Anthem) // Calgary 1988 Version}}</ref> At a [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) game in Calgary, in February 2007, [[Cree]] singer [[Akina Shirt]] became the first person to perform "O Canada" in the [[Cree language]] at such an event.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-girl-to-sing-anthem-in-nhl-first-at-saddledome-1.651358| title=Edmonton girl to sing anthem in NHL first at Saddledome| date=February 1, 2007| publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation| access-date=April 17, 2008| archive-date=August 8, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808185121/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-girl-to-sing-anthem-in-nhl-first-at-saddledome-1.651358| url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Major League Baseball]], [[Major League Soccer]], the [[National Basketball Association]], and the NHL all require venues to perform both the Canadian and [[The Star-Spangled Banner|American national anthem]]s at games that involve teams from both countries (including [[all-star game]]s), with the away team's anthem being performed first, followed by the host country.<ref>{{cite web|last=Allen|first=Kevin|access-date=October 29, 2008|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2003-03-23-anthem-booing_x.htm|title=NHL Seeks to Stop Booing For a Song|work=USA Today|date=March 23, 2003|archive-date=March 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305040310/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2003-03-23-anthem-booing_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The NHL's [[Buffalo Sabres]] play both anthems before every home game, regardless of the opponent, in recognition of the team's significant Canadian fanbase.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pepper |first=Tom |date=2022-01-30 |title=Buffalo Sabres' History with Canada |url=https://thehockeywriters.com/buffalo-sabres-o-canada-history-relationship/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=The Hockey Writers |language=en-us |archive-date=October 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001121451/https://thehockeywriters.com/buffalo-sabres-o-canada-history-relationship/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Major League Baseball]] teams have played the song at games involving the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] and the former [[Montreal Expos]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Wayne C. Thompson|title=Canada 2012|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781610488839|url-access=registration|year=2012|publisher=Stryker Post|isbn=978-1-61048-884-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781610488839/page/11 11]}}</ref> and [[National Basketball Association]] teams do so for games involving the [[Toronto Raptors]], and previously, the [[Vancouver Grizzlies]]. [[Major League Soccer]] has the anthem performed at matches involving [[Toronto FC]], [[CF Montréal]], and [[Vancouver Whitecaps FC]]. In addition, in recognition of their Canadian fanbase, the [[Buffalo Bills]] of the [[National Football League]] plays "O Canada" before "The Star-Spangled Banner" at their home games, despite there being no Canadian-based NFL team. "O Canada" has also been performed during NHL Global Series games involving Canadian teams as well as NBA Global Games involving the Raptors and MLB World Tour games involving the Blue Jays.

==Laws and etiquette==
[[File:Stained glass, Oh Canada Royal Military College of Canada Club Montreal 1965.jpg|thumb|right|A portion of O Canada's lyrics on a stained glass at the [[Royal Military College of Canada]]]]
The ''National Anthem Act'' specifies the lyrics and melody of "O Canada", placing both of them in the [[public domain]], allowing the anthem to be freely reproduced or used as a base for derived works, including musical arrangements.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-2/page-1.html| author=Department of Justice| title=National Anthem Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. N-2)| year=2011| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| access-date=April 15, 2011| archive-date=February 8, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208141006/http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-2/page-1.html| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>''National Anthem Act'', RSC 1985, c N-2, available with schedule at http://canlii.ca/t/7vjb</ref> There are no regulations governing the performance of "O Canada", leaving citizens to exercise their best judgment. When it is performed at an event, traditional etiquette is to either start or end the ceremonies with the anthem, including situations when other anthems are played and for the audience to stand during the performance. Civilian men usually remove their hats, while women and children are not required to do so.<ref name="DCHOCanada2">{{cite web| url=http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1443808632931| last=Department of Canadian Heritage| author-link=Department of Canadian Heritage| title=Anthems of Canada| publisher=Government of Canada| access-date=June 2, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226163345/http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1443808632931| archive-date=February 26, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref> Military men and women in uniform traditionally keep their hats on and offer the military salute during the performance of the anthem, with the salute offered in the direction of the [[Flag of Canada|Canadian Flag]] if one is present, and if not present it is offered standing at attention.<ref name="DCHOCanada2"/>

Presently, provincial regulations and policies in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island mandate the national anthem to be played daily in public elementary and secondary schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/108.html|title=Policy/Program Memorandum No. 108|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|date=November 23, 2006|access-date=May 29, 2019|archive-date=May 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519235357/http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/108.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=reg>{{cite journal|title=Patriotism, nationalism, and national identity in music education: 'O Canada', how well do we know thee?|journal=[[International Journal of Music Education]]|last1=Kennedy|first1=Mary Copland|last2=Guerrini|first2=Susan Carol|volume=31|issue=1|year=2012|doi=10.1177/0255761411433722|page=81|citeseerx=10.1.1.1023.9255|s2cid=147372835}}</ref> "O Canada" is to be played in British Columbia schools at least three times a year at assemblies.<ref name=reg/> Other provinces and territories do not have provincially-mandated regulations and policies for playing the national anthem in schools.<ref name=reg/>

==Adaptations==
In the 1950s, the melody of "O Canada" was adapted for the school anthem of the [[Ateneo de Manila University]]. Titled "[[Culture and traditions of the Ateneo de Manila#A Song for Mary|A Song for Mary]]" or simply "The Ateneo de Manila Graduation Hymn", the lyrics were written by [[James B. Reuter]], [[Society of Jesus|SJ]], and the original tune adapted by Col. José Manela Campaña, bandmaster of the defunct [[Philippine Constabulary Band]].<ref>{{cite web| title=A Song For Mary| url=http://www.ateneo.edu/song-mary| website=ateneo.edu| access-date=June 14, 2015| archive-date=June 29, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629233715/http://www.ateneo.edu/song-mary| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=THE PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY BAND |url=https://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/himig/the-philippine-constabulary-band/ |website=The Filipinas Heritage Library}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Canada|Music}}
* [[Canadian patriotic music]]
* [[Honours music]]
* [[List of national anthems]]
* [[Music of Canada]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Wikisource}}
* [https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/anthems-canada.html Anthems of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130622034927/http://www.pch.gc.ca/DAMAssetPub/DAM-hymChs-antSgn/STAGING/audio-audio/0-canada-inst_1359474476934_eng.MP3?WT.contentAuthority=4.4.1 O Canada without lyrics]
* [http://thisiscanadiana.com/episode-pages/2017/9/20/the-bizarre-history-of-o-canada Canadiana — The Bizarre History of "O Canada"]
* {{librivox book | title=O Canada | author=Robert Stanley Weir}}

{{Canadian identity}}
{{National Anthems of North America}}
{{Authority control}}
{{good article}}

[[Category:1880 in Canada]]
[[Category:1880 songs]]
[[Category:Canadian anthems]]
[[Category:National anthems]]
[[Category:Public domain music]]
[[Category:Songs in French]]
[[Category:North American anthems]]
[[Category:Compositions in F major]]
[[Category:Franglais songs]]