Canada's national anthem, "O Canada," officially celebrated its 45th anniversary on Friday, having been adopted through the National Anthem Act on June 27, 1980. The song's music was composed in 1880 by Calixa Lavallée, with French lyrics by Adolphe-Basile Routhier, and English lyrics by Robert Stanley Weir, which have undergone several modifications, including a gender-neutral change in 2018.
Canada’s national anthem is 45 years old today
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Canada's national anthem, "O Canada," officially celebrated its 45th anniversary on Friday, having been adopted through the National Anthem Act on June 27, 1980. The song's music was composed in 1880 by Calixa Lavallée, with French lyrics by Adolphe-Basile Routhier, and English lyrics by Robert Stanley Weir, which have undergone several modifications, including a gender-neutral change in 2018.
- 1 June 24, 1880: O Canada music composed by Calixa Lavallée and French lyrics written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier
- 2 1908: Robert Stanley Weir writes most well-known English lyrics
- 3 1913: English lyric "True patriot love thou dost in us command" changed to "True patriot love in all thy sons command"
- 4 1950s: Discussions about discriminatory aspects of the anthem begin
- 5 June 27, 1980: O Canada officially adopted through the National Anthem Act
- 6 Canada Day (after June 27, 1980): Act proclaimed by Gov. Gen. Edward Schreyer on Parliament Hill
- 7 2016: Mauril Bélanger introduces private member’s bill (Bill C-210) to change lyrics
- 8 2018: Bill C-210 becomes law, changing "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command"
- 9 June 27, 2025: O Canada celebrates its 45th anniversary as the official national anthem
- O Canada becomes official national symbol
- Lyrics updated to be gender-neutral
- Ongoing discussions about anthem's discriminatory aspects
What: Canada's national anthem, "O Canada," celebrated its 45th year as the official national anthem on Friday. It was officially adopted through the National Anthem Act on June 27, 1980, and proclaimed a few days later on Canada Day by Gov. Gen. Edward Schreyer at a public ceremony on Parliament Hill. The song's music was composed by Calixa Lavallée and its French lyrics by Adolphe-Basile Routhier, commissioned to mark Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations on June 24, 1880. The most well-known English lyrics were written in 1908 by Robert Stanley Weir and underwent several modifications, including a change in 1913 from "True patriot love thou dost in us command" to "True patriot love in all thy sons command." In 2018, that line changed again to "in all of us command" following a private member’s bill (Bill C-210) introduced in 2016 by former Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger.
When: Friday (June 27, 2025) - 45th anniversary; June 27, 1980 - National Anthem Act adopted; A few days later (after June 27, 1980) - Act proclaimed on Canada Day; June 24, 1880 - Music commissioned; 1908 - Weir's English lyrics; 1913 - First English lyric change; 1950s - Discussions about discriminatory aspects began; 2016 - Bill C-210 introduced; 2018 - Gender-neutral change became official.
Where: Canada (general); Québec (origin of French version); Parliament Hill (proclamation ceremony).
Why: To officially recognize "O Canada" as the national anthem and to reflect evolving societal values through lyric changes.
How: Through legislative acts (National Anthem Act, Bill C-210) and public ceremonies.