Jully Black’s inspirational ‘O Canada’ rendition starts a necessary debate

On Sunday, singing “O Canada” at the NBA all-star game, singer Jully Black took artistic liberty changing the opening line of our country’s national anthem from: “O Canada, our home and native land” to “O Canada, our home on native land.” Kudos!

This isn’t the first time there’s been controversy over the use of the word “native” in our national anthem. In 1990, Toronto City Council recommended changing “native land” to “cherished land.” The reasoning at the time was that Canada is not necessarily the birthplace of Canadians singing the anthem and therefore not reflective of Canada’s inclusive nature.

It is not unprecedented for the lyrics of the anthem to be changed. As recently as 2018 the line “in all thy sons command” was changed to “in all of us command” to be more gender neutral.

Although there’s an official set of lyrics and melody as declared by the National Anthem Act of 1980, “O Canada’s” lyrics and music are considered to be in the public domain. This means musicians can arrange their performances however they like — as Black did. To officially change the lyrics, of course, requires an Act of Parliament.

From a physiological point of view, music evokes powerful emotional responses. It pulls on heartstrings, connects people and evokes memories. There’s nothing more stirring or patriotic than standing in a stadium singing your country’s national anthem, alongside others ringing out in chorus a country’s pride. It, along with our flag, is how the world sees Canada. That should give every Canadian pause for thought.

“O Canada” was originally composed by Calixa Lavallee and was first sung in French in 1880. In 1908, Collier’s Weekly magazine held a competition for English lyrics. The winner, Mercy E. Powell McCulloch’s version began with “O’ Canada! In praise of thee we sing.” It did not catch on. Other English versions were written, including one by Ewing Buchan, a Vancouver bank manager, which proved popular for British Columbians and began: “O Canada, our heritage, our love.”

Whether or not the use of the word “native” was intended to be controversial when the framework of today’s version written by Montreal lawyer Robert Stanley Weir, was first published in 1908, doesn’t matter. In the context of 2023, the whole opening line of our national anthem is a reminder of misappropriated land, Canada’s colonial past, and the generational harm it has caused so many.

After being confronted by the atrocities of systemic racism and three years of Canadians educating ourselves and declaring to want to do better, isn’t it time to actually prove it? The 1990 recommendation of the Toronto City Council “O Canada — our cherished land” isn’t terrible, how about “O Canada our wished-for home?”

Pandora’s box has been opened and I hope it stays open so the change we want can be reflected in how Canadians identify with our national anthem and how that is reflected to the rest of the world.