Australian Reaction To The Complicated History Of O'Canada!

Welcome to Australian Reacts, where an Australian reacts to The Surprisingly Complicated History of O Canada!
Australian reacts is a series of checking out a whole range of international videos, based around history, peoples findings or even just random little facts. Some videos teach us more about a countries history and others open the door to something we never knew. Meanwhile any videos on Australia get measure up against real knowledge from a local of "the land down-under". Overall we get to see a glimpse of what this incredible world has to offer and have some laughs along the way!
Original Vid Here : • The Surprisingly Compl...
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[@Nikki7B]

I grew up singing the French version every Friday in school (ontario). My dad from Quebec sang the French version, as it was around already for a while, and my mom sang God save the Queen in school.

[@fluterify]

I also grew up singing both the English and French versions in Ontario.

[@craigmorris4083]

You have to understand that Canada's constitution did not "come home" until 1982. Until then we were under the British North America Acts, all passed by the British Parliament.

[@SuperHonshu]

There is a movement to change the national anthem again. From Our Home and Native Lands to Our Home on Native Lands.

[@bl_leafkid4322]

I believe there were two other changes to O Canada

[@gordieparenteau6555]

True. "In all thy son's command" wasn't added until 1914.

[@kitiowa]

I don't identify with the confusion of an Australian not grasping the ties to the UK a century ago. Australian and Canadian histories within the Empire/Commonwealth roughly the same. Confederation and evolution from Colonial status to absolute independence is the same. Some is identical. The Statute of Westminster is one of those laws that basically made all Dominions/Realms equal. London a Century ago was largely the first city on this planet and even more so within the Empire. Publishing has always been interdependent within the Anglophone world and London is the first City of the Anglosphere.

[@cheryla7480]

As a kid we sang “ The Maple Leaf Forever “ in school. It was a great song, but you can see why it was totally unsuitable as our national anthem. There was a total omission of the French contributions and culture that formed our country.

[@astralnomad]

Alberta joined in 1905, Newfoundland was the last in 1949.. The others, Im not sure of. The current version of O Canada is at times sung half in English and half in French - usually at federal government functions, else in whatever language is most common where its being sang.

[@Ottawajames]

Glaciers form and recede faster than the Canadian government gets things done....We initiated a programme to replace our Navy helicopters in 1980 and it's still incomplete, it's taken so long now that the replacements are now being replaced. It took Canada almost 20 years to decide to buy f35s and the first plane is still 12 years away... the one thing that our governments excel at is dragging their feet.

[@PaulMartin-qu5up]

We didn't want the F-35's from 20 years ago. They were still just out of prototype phase and plagued with problems. All that has been sorted out now and purchasing them is much more of a pleasure. Also, keep in mind that the reason we didn't get them 20 years ago was because a 'certain' government was lying about the cost and the bidding process was found to more than a little biased. After that, just talking about new jets was political suicide until the Snowbirds started dropping out of the sky.

[@fjdoucet1465]

A few years back a bunch of people absolutely lost their minds when a minor change was proposed to equalize the citizenry in the song, rewriting "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command". The fact that the song had already been rewritten nearly half a dozen times made the misogyny quite evident. They tried arguing that "sons" was already gender neutral. Which...it isn't. But I think most English Canadians don't even remember that the song was originally French and had undergone continuous change since it was written a hundred and fifty years ago.

[@hrayz]

I remember in 1980, as I was in Grade 2 at the time, and new little lyric books were handed out to us all with the new "Oh, Canada" words. We practiced them and then sang them each morning (God Save the Queen, followed by Oh, Canada.)

[@vaudreelavallee3757]

There were more changes than that voted on. How much French and English to include in the official version of the song, for one.

[@debbie5859]

In the 60's we always sang God Save Our Queen while looking at the Queen's picture in school. Never heard the song the Maple Leaf Forever until our Centennial year in 1967. I don't even know how that song goes

[@rob4canada]

Newfoundland and Labrador which was a separate country for a period of time had its own National Anthem entitled Ode to Newfoundland. It is often sung during provincial events along with O'Canada and God Save the King (it would have been God Save the Queen when I lived there).

[@margaretjames6494]

O Canada was really considered the national anthem of Canada long before it became the official national anthem (played in schools, at hockey games, etc...) I read a great story about a town in France being liberated by Canadian forces on the eve of Armistice Day (end of WW1). When the Germans had been defeated, the town's church bells played 'O Canada' and that's how the townspeople knew the Canadians had arrived and they had been liberated - and that the war was finally over. Even back then, O Canada was basically our national anthem.

[@gordieparenteau6555]

I've always sung the national anthem in French, having learned it from watching Montrèal Canadiens games on the French CBC as a kid.

[@canadianicedragon2412]

On the "first" map... Grey is "UK owned" land, it had no representation in the Dominion of Canada... and didn't have many Europeans in it. It was basically "the wilds" where The Hudson's Bay Company trade with the Natives for furs and the like. The pink area was the region "actively governed" as Canada like a colony and where the bulk of the Europeans had settled. The "first translation" was... a translation but had to meet the meter and pitch of the song, so direct translation was not possible... And then they took liberties when rewording it. The anthem, like Canada, is new but it was a unique thing long before being officially recognized. I am sure I was singing O' Canada before the 80s.

[@theblackbear211]

As regards the two original anthems (French and English), I would say the English writer worked hard to make a good transliteration - it is not a literal translation, but tries to express the same sentiment, in as close a manner as possible, while being lyrical.

[@K1ddkanuck]

And in reality, it is closer to the French version of the anthem that literally still gets sung today, than today's English version.

[@fluterify]

Queen Elizabeth II signed the Canada Act in April of 1982. This gave Canada full control of its constitution. Up until that point the Monarchy was involved in Canadian legislation. This could have also added to the streched out decision of what would be Canada's national anthem it had to be approved by Queen Elizabeth II.

[@Oilerator_]

The monarchy is still involved in Canadian legislation but it's now legally the Canadian Monarchy and not the British Monarchy overseeing Canada.

[@terryomalley1974]

Ollie, You're getting a little insight into the difficulty of achieving any single, unifying symbol that pleases all Canadians. It is kind of ironic that O Canada was written by a French-Canadian and was intended as a patriotic song explicitly for French-Canadians, not so much all Canadians, abd today, it is English-speaking Canadians who identify with it most strongly l, while many Québecois don't identify with it at all.

[@OJBReacts]

Is there something else that takes it's place for the French Canadians currently?

[@deicidusoptimus9075]

@@OJBReacts The non-official anthem of Quebec is "Gens du pays" by Gilles Vigneault. Usually sang on Quebec National Day, june 24th.

[@nanciecianfrini9168]

They had an accent because most descended from Scottish. You, have an accent which sounds somewhat British.

[@terryomalley1974]

Who is the "they" to whom you refer?

[@terryomalley1974]

Not quite true. The proportion of English, Scots and Irish in Canada's early history was roughly equal.

[@t.b.g.504]

English, rather than 'British'; British also includes Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

[@Zyo117]

I had no idea, as a Canadian! That the national anthem changed in 2018. TIL.

[@terryomalley1974]

It should never have been change. Just one more example of Trudeau's woke bs trying to disgrace Canada's real history.

[@fluterify]

I just have to point out that yes Quebec is the most French province but there are other areas with a large French influence too. New Brunswick is the only officially bilengual province.

[@fjdoucet1465]

There are a lot of Ontario Francophones as well, and of course Manitoba has a francophone heritage. I was annoyed when the other narrator basically reduced all of this to "Quebec".

[@canadianmike626]

The "Maple Leaf Forever" is my favourite Canadian song. My kids still sing "God Save The King" on special occasions in Alberta. On Remembrance Day, Canada Day, and during Christmas events."God Save the King" and "God Save The Queen " are the same just the honorific changes for the sex of the Monarch.

[@linefrenette9116]

Ô Canada, Chant patriotique Canadien-Français / Canadien Francais kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6C0iaqYeqeafsU

[@the_peefster]

The maple tree remember by Real Mckenzies is a much better anthem

[@WillCooperBagpipes]

So about that whole bit about the national anthem being printed in the UK, until 1911, Canada was still under British Imperial copyright law, which meant that only texts, sheet music included, printed in the UK received copyright protection. This predicament actually caused something of a situation between the imperial government in London and the Canadian government when the British passed the Copyright Act of 1842 which established the rule.

[@michaeljamesstewart1000]

OJB....you stated that Lavellee did not want O'Canada credited to him when in fact he never expressed that. The commentator stated that it was not included in his obituary. That is quite different. As for your bluster Canada was slow to adopt O'Canada (proclaimed the national anthem on July 1, 1980), Advance Australia Fair was proposed in 1974 to replace God Save The Queen but was not proclaimed and adopted as Australia's national anthem on April 19, 1984, 4 years after Canada's anthem was proclaimed. Just as Canada modified the anthem by one word on January 31, 2018, whereas Australia modified the anthem as of January 1, 2021. Soooooo, Australia seems to have followed a similar pace as Canada. Quite interesting. Chimo

[@SilvanaDil]

Ollie, non-Canadians would be more likely to be familiar with the USA's than with Canada's. For one, they'd have heard it more often at the Olympics. (And other sporting events, movies, TV shows.) 🙂

[@melissawhite218]

If he was interested in making a video about the US, I am sure he would. Not everything is about the US.

[@OJBReacts]

I can't say I know a single word... Not even the melody comes to mind. That doesn't mean I've never heard it, however I guess Canada's stuck in my mind a bit better :)

[@theblackbear211]

My mother grew up singing (in English) God Save the King, and she knew both, Oh Canada, and The Maple Leaf Forever, but she never taught me the latter tune, I'm not sure why.

[@philpaine3068]

Everyone likes the tune. The lyrics are problematic in both the French and the English versions. Nowadays, on public occasions, it's common for it to be sung with some lines in English and some in French, usually selecting which is which in a way to minimize the most embarrassing lines in either language. This is the problem with national anthems. The idea of who is the "nation" and ideas of what is worth bragging about and honouring change over time. Being a Canadian in 2023 is a different thing from being a Canadian in 1867. A good tune, however, is timeless. I was most proud when it was sung in the Cree First Nations language by a teenage girl singer at a major hockey game. The whole country was delighted, and since then, versions in Ojibway, Inuktitut and Mi'kmaq are often sung at public events. Personally, I think the Cree words are more beautiful.

[@Nikki7B]

I hadn't even seen the Cree version one, I going to have to look it up. Thanks for the info.

[@terryomalley1974]

That makes no sense at all. Unless you're Indigenous yourself, why should it make you the most proud to hear it sung in a Native language? Also, there was no country called Canada before European colonization. The Indians referred to the entire land mass of North America as "Turtle Island".

[@philpaine3068]

@@terryomalley1974 I don't think you quite grasp the basics of Canadian patriotism. . . . 1) I haven't heard any Canadian using the word "Indian" for decades. It's not considered appropriate usage in Canada, and it's especially confusing in a country that has many citizens with roots in India. . . . 2) My ancestry goes back in this country at least ten thousand years. The sound of the Cree language is sweet in my ears. My family also traces back to the first French settlers of Montreal, to Gaelic speaking Scots and crusty Orcadians, to Irish log-drivers who became French-speaking, to Ojibway fishermen, and to an assortment of Filipinos, Scandinavians, Ukrainians, and whoever else wandered by to get out of the cold. . . . 3) When Kiya Bruno, a 14-year-old singer from the Samson Cree First Nation performed "O Canada" in Cree at a major NHL hockey game, millions of Canadians heard it and an outpouring of love and pride in being Canadian resulted. Because THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF . . . 4) "Turtle Island" is a concept common in the mythologies of many First Nations, especially in Eastern Canada and the Prairies ---- as "Mishiike Minisi" it was familiar to me as a child. But it is not an element in Inuit culture, or among any of the West Coast First Nations, or of the Dene people in the far north. It is by no means a universal First Nations tradition. . . . 5) First Nations people in Canada are perfectly conscious of injustices inflicted upon them, like the Residential School cruelties, but they are equally conscious of the injustices that drove the victims of the Irish Potato famine, the brutal Highland Clearances of Scotland, the Holocaust and the Holodomor, the horrors of slavery in the United States, the sufferings of refugees like the Vietnamese boat people a generation ago and more recently the Syrians, to come to our land. LGBT+ people come from many lands where they suffer persecution to join with our Two Spirit First Nations (Two Spirit people where traditionally respected among First Nations before the missionaries got to work on them) and enjoy a freedom still rare in the world. We are all Canadians. We are all in this together. . . . 6) The great majority of First Nations in Canada are proud of their country. They are doctors, lawyers, scientists, construction workers, businessmen, artists, musicians, accountants, factory workers, and, yes, some live out in our wilderness and hunt, fish and trap for a living. My grandmother lived in a log cabin and chased away bears from her back yard with a carpet beater. . . . 7) Disproportionately serving in uniform, First Nations are the backbone of our armed forces ---- from the time when First Nations commanders and troops saved Canada from an American Invasion in 1912, to the many who served with courage and distinction in World War 1 and World War 2, the Korean War and Afghanistan. Our Arctic Rangers are mostly Inuit and Dene, men and women used to extreme conditions. Both my parents served in the air force during World War 2, one as bomber pilot and a flight controller. . . . 8) Canadian patriotism is not about race or ethnicity, or about kings and queens, or who conquered who in the past. It's about freedom and justice. It's about being good neighbours to each other.

[@Oilerator_]

I find The Maple Leaf Forever a lot more inspiring than O Canada and personally wish it was made the national anthem instead. But alas we choose a song made to please the small minority of French people, brilliant. I am also really not a fan of the 2018 lyrical change, it's a national anthem and shouldn't be politicized like that.

[@terryomalley1974]

I agree on both points. The irony is that most Québecois don't really even identify with O Canada nowadays. One minor disagreement is that, at a population of roughly 9 million out of a total Canadian population of 40 million, French-Canadians are more of a large minority than a small minority. Now, the Natives, at only 4.5% of the Canadian population are a small minority. Snd look at how much we do to appease them.

[@Xerxes2005]

Tu sais ce qu'elle te dit, la petite minorité?

[@giorgiopolloni7936]

At least in Canada we’re not afraid to tweak our anthem to make it more inclusive, unlike the rest of the world, many who have very violent and bloody anthems full of war, revolution and military action.

[@terryomalley1974]

"In all they sons command" sounded way better. "In all of us command" sounds dumb and is also poor grammar.

[@giorgiopolloni7936]

@@terryomalley1974 I totally disagree with you considering that females are more numerous in Canada than males so you might want to join the 21st century. Next we have to get rid of "god", too many people killed because of their "god" which is in far too many anthems.

[@SilvanaDil]

In Trudeau's "post-national" country, the anthem should be a moment of silence.

[@PaulMartin-qu5up]

Trudeau lives in your brain rent fee. Get over it and stop listening to far right propaganda. Canada is NOT being destroyed. You've been lied to.