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15 unusual facts about O Canada


2006–07 Calgary Flames season

On February 3, 2007, the Flames made history by having young Cree singer Akina Shirt perform "O Canada" in Woodlands Cree, the first time the national anthem had ever been performed in an Aboriginal language at a major league sporting event.

Canada Place

The Heritage Horns, formerly known as the 12 O'clock Horn, sound the first four notes of O Canada every day at noon and can be heard throughout Downtown Vancouver and beyond.

Denver Spurs

They reportedly only learned of the move to Ottawa when they stood on the ice in Cincinnati (in their Denver colors) and suddenly heard O Canada being played.

Dylan Yeo

During his time with the Hitmen, Yeo once sang the Canadian National Anthem before a game.

Florida State Seminoles baseball

Before the home half of the 5th inning, a group of fans known as "The Animals of Section B", lead the Seminoles crowd in singing the Canadian national anthem, O Canada.

Gene Hart

Hart's daughter, Lauren Hart, is a professional recording artist, and regular performer of The Star Spangled Banner and O Canada before many Flyers home games.

Gord Kluzak

Apparently, the organizers in Rochester, Minnesota had not expected Canada to win and did not have a recording of "O Canada".

Josie Dye

Despite her extensive experience as a public speaker, Dye had a notorious experience in March 2012, when she attempted to sing the Canadian national anthem at a Toronto Rock lacrosse game and, in her nervousness, forgot the words.

Junius H. Rose High School

The school's current Alma Mater is set to the tune of the Canadian national anthem, O Canada.

Lauren Hart

She is best known for performing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "O Canada" prior to Philadelphia Flyers games, the team for which her father Gene Hart was the long-time television and radio announcer for 29 years, and also performing a duet of God Bless America with a taped version of Kate Smith on several occasions, especially big games, among them games in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.

Michael Baldasaro

He developed a plan to revitalize the party's flagging poll numbers by encouraging direct democracy, pardoning individuals convicted on marijuana possession, cutting government pensions and making the words to O Canada gender neutral.

Nancy Ruth

In 2010, Nancy Ruth took credit for the Throne Speech's including a proposal to study changing the line of "O Canada" from "all thy sons command" to "thou dost in us command", the original wording.

Paul Lorieau

At the beginning of Game 3 between the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Oilers, he sang only a few lines of "O Canada" before letting the audience sing the rest of the song without him.

William Alexander Weir

His brother, Robert Stanley Weir, would become famous as a judge and author of the English verses for O Canada.

WTVS

WTVS shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 56, at 12:05 p.m. on April 16, 2009; the switchover occurred after a presentation of the national anthems of Canada ("O Canada") and the United States ("The Star-Spangled Banner").


101st Grey Cup

The opening ceremonies of the game were marked by a performance by the Saskatoon-based group The Sheepdogs, who played two songs, while the national anthem was performed by Ontarian singer Serena Ryder.

Jean-Baptiste Labelle

He is best known for composing the music to the song Ô Canada! mon pays, mes amours (words 1834, music before 1868) with words by George-Étienne Cartier.