Sunday, November 23, 2014
Have a lovely day filled with good surprises!
Toronto Maple Leaf fans (that's Toronto Canadia, our non-US neighbors to the north) finish singing the AMERICAN national anthem when the mic kicks out. So, how many of us could even START the Canadian national anthem? (Let alone finish, on time, and largely on key?) Way to go Leafs fans!
14 comments:
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Oh Canada.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Canadians hid, and help save, our American Embassy workers during the Iranian hostage crisis, I remember billboards all over the US, especially along our northern border, plastered with giant “Thank You Canada” on them. I cried then and this morning.
Thank you Canada.
Carolynn beat me to it, but yes, "Oh, Canada!"
ReplyDeleteI worked for a Canadian company for twenty five years - Nortel. It started off as Northern Electric and Manufacturing in Quebec in 1895. "At its height, Nortel accounted for more than a third of the total valuation of all the companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), employing 94,500 worldwide." (Per Wikipedia)
All that to say, I loved Nortel, and I love Canada. I've traveled to Toronto, Ottawa, and Quebec many times. I've stayed at the Chateau Laurier, toured Parliament Hill with my Nortel colleagues, and still have many friends across the border. The day of that shooting recently, I reached out to my friends up there.
Either way, what they did in singing our anthem was one of the strongest displays of solidarity I've seen in a while. Loved it.
I live on the border so hopping over to the States is like going next door to the neighbours for tea and a chat. And cheap gas.
ReplyDeleteMost hockey fans probably know the words to both anthems, they're played before every game, whenever an American team plays a Canadian team, so we all just sing along to both.
Especially as a dual Canadian and American citizen (who's always lived in Canada), that made me smile immensely. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOkay, as a Canadian, that's cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I had a good laugh at the disclaimer, (that's Toronto Canadia, our non-US neighbors to the north) (Toronto, Ohio?) Go Canada!
From Canada, "You're welcome!" And, thank you, again U.S., for your show of solidarity at another hockey game, singing our Canadian anthem, the day of the Ottawa shooting. A Canadian hockey team wasn't one of the teams playing that night.
ReplyDeleteI know it's "O Canada" and what Detroit's Belle Isle Peace Tower carillion plays. Though, come to think of it, I don't know what most countries' national anthems are. Is Russia's still The Internationale or did that stop years ago?
ReplyDeleteSince Canada is a British Commonwealth country, I suppose I should know the Canadian anthem... however.. :(
ReplyDeleteNaturally I know "God Save the Queen"... but I renounced her 10 years ago, so I suppose I'm not allowed to sing that anymore.
*sigh*
*looks up 'Canadian National Anthem' on Wikipedia*
:)
I don't suppose I have to explain that yes, I do in fact know all the words to the Canadian national anthem and could sing it acapella at the drop of a hat. Cowboy hat, especially, since I heard that anthem at least twenty times a year while rodeoing in southern Alberta growing up. And now again at the Senior Pro Rodeos.
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose I have to explain that yes, I do in fact know all the words to the Canadian national anthem and could sing it acapella at the drop of a hat. Cowboy hat, especially, since I heard that anthem at least twenty times a year while rodeoing in southern Alberta growing up. And now again at the Senior Pro Rodeos.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up and out of Maine. I played Ice hockey for almost twenty years. The various all-star teams I played on (Bantam, Pee-wee, etc)would always play in Canadia for different tourneys. I was taught the game by French Canadiens, but played it with a Maine accent...ayuh!
ReplyDeleteLove the Canadian National Anthem, always get a slight mist in my eyes when I hear it.
My college's hockey team played Canadian teams. I was in the band. I don't actually know all the words to "O Canada" but I can play it for you. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a huge number of fans at the game might well have been U.S. citizens - but nonetheless, classy.
ReplyDeletePixies can sing it this way:
ReplyDeleteO 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.
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.
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 nôtre sol asseoir la vérité.
Amour sacré du trône et de l'autel,
Remplis nos coeurs de ton souffle immortel!
Parmi les races étrangères,
Notre guide est la loi:
Sachons être un peuple de frères,
Sous le joug de la foi.
Et répétons, comme nos pères,
Le cri vainqueur: "Pour le Christ et le roi."