OTTAWA — Liberal MP Mauril Belanger is losing his own singing voice but that's not stopping him from trying — for a second time — to change the English lyrics to O Canada to make the national anthem more gender neutral.
The veteran Ottawa MP, whose vocal chords have been weakened by Lou Gehrig's disease, is determined to end the song's inference that patriotism is something felt exclusively by men.
Hence, soon after Parliament resumes work today, he intends to table a private member's bill that would alter two words, changing the second line of the anthem from true patriot love "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command."
Belanger introduced an identical bill in the last session of Parliament; it was defeated at second reading last April by a close vote of 144-127.
At the time, MPs from all the opposition parties supported the change but almost all Conservative MPs voted against it.
With the Liberals now in the majority, Belanger should have little trouble finally ensuring that women feel equally included in the national anthem.
Passage of the bill would be a fitting legacy for Belanger, who was diagnosed just a month after the Oct. 19 federal election with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It is an incurable, progressive, neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, paralysis and, eventually, respiratory failure.
"I remain committed to proposing this legislative initiative," Belanger said in a recent posting on his Facebook page.
MORE National ARTICLES
Holiday Sales Rose 3 Per Cent Below 3.7 Per Cent Forecast
Holiday shoppers flocked online during the critical holiday shopping season, but overall sales in November and December were disappointing.
Holiday Sales Rose 3 Per Cent Below 3.7 Per Cent Forecast
Man Steals $1,528 Worth Of Chewing Gum; Police Say They've Exhausted All Leads
York Regional Police say a man stole more than $1,500 worth of gum from a pharmacy in Markham, Ont., and they're hoping the public can help them identify the culprit.
Man Steals $1,528 Worth Of Chewing Gum; Police Say They've Exhausted All Leads
Scientists Agree Fracking Can Cause Earthquakes, But How Is Still A Mystery
A record-breaking earthquake this week in the middle of an Alberta oilfield heavily subject to hydraulic fracking is one of a growing number of such events across the continent, scientists say.
Scientists Agree Fracking Can Cause Earthquakes, But How Is Still A Mystery
OPP Officer Dies While On Duty In Orillia, Ont.; Foul Play Not Suspected
ORILLIA, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police say a member of the force has died while on duty.
OPP Officer Dies While On Duty In Orillia, Ont.; Foul Play Not Suspected
A Rarity In A U.S. Presidential Debate: Candidate Defends His Canadian Birth
Thursday night's debate was a shift from the relative civility between the billionaire and the senator in the days leading up to the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses.
A Rarity In A U.S. Presidential Debate: Candidate Defends His Canadian Birth
Ontario Man Gets Life Sentence In U.S. Court For Multimillion Dollar Pot Smuggling Operation
The U.S. Attorney's Office says 45-year-old Michael "Mickey" Woods of Cornwall, Ont., was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Syracuse.