Category Archives: O Canada

O Canada and the Two Solitudes

Posted on 2017/09/06 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction  We should speak not of one O Canada but of the two O Canadas, which represent the two solitudes of English and French Canada. The original French lyrics of Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier and the English lyrics of Robert Stanley … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorchester Review, History of British North America, O Canada | 1 Comment

O Canada, “Thou Dost in Us Command”

Posted on 2017/05/31 by J.W.J. Bowden

Senator Plett, a Conservative representing Manitoba, moved an amendment to the O Canada Bill on 18 May, which would still conform to the purpose of the bill (making the language gender neutral), but which would restore Robert Stanley Weir’s original … Continue reading →

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“Thou Dost in Us Command”: Senate Considers Restoring Original Lyrics of O Canada

Posted on 2017/05/19 by J.W.J. Bowden

The upcoming issue of The Dorchester Review will include my article “O Canada and the Two Solitudes,” in which I review the history of the parliamentary debates on altering the lyrics to the English anthem, from 2002 to early 2017. … Continue reading →

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Senator Pratte’s Doublespeak on the Two O Canadas

Posted on 2017/04/08 by J.W.J. Bowden

This country has, in fact, two national anthems: the original French O Canada, which has remained unchanged since 1880, and Weir’s English version of O Canada. The two anthems say completely different things and bear no resemblance to one another, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorchester Review, O Canada | 3 Comments

The O Canada Bill: Third Reading Purgatory & Grammatical Pedantry

Posted on 2017/04/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

In my AP English class in 2004, I recall that several of my classmates protested against diagramming sentences on the erroneous and misplaced grounds that “Our boss will never ask us to diagram a sentence!” (Incidentally, the fact that we were using … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorchester Review, History of British North America, O Canada | 1 Comment