- Kudos to @MargaretAtwood for trying to change Canada’s awful national anthem. But “sons” is just the beginning… http://t.co/agv3B5OHPX
Doug Saunders, International-Affairs Columnist, The Globe and Mail
- Restore Our Anthem. Restore the original inclusive wording of O Canada. http://t.co/taBobUbTWf #OurCanada
Rob Wiebe, Internationally recognized Canadian Nature Photographer
- @MargaretAtwood So behind your quest to change back the national anthem great call. #Canadian #Egalitarian
Tamara Levitt, Founder of Begin Within Productions
- MT @JillKrop “change lyrics to Canada’s natl anthem ?” @WilliamShatner “in ALL OF US command” works well. let’s embrace it!
Raffi Cavoukian, Troubadour, writer, children’s champion
- As a Canadian immigrant, and as a woman, I love the words “all of us”, and I would love to give voice to those words in our beautiful anthem. O Canada — strong and free, for all of us.
Olivia Chow, MP, Trinity–Spadina
- If society is so unwilling to change two words in our anthem, how are women supposed to campaign for bigger issues? #OurCanada #cdnfem
Sara Ostrowska, Editor-in-chief @TrentArthur
- Restore Our Anthem. Restore the original inclusive wording of O Canada. http://www.restoreouranthem.ca #OurCanada
Sandra Hawken Diaz, VP at Canadian Women’s Foundation
- #FF @OurCanada. Well past time to restore original gender neutral words of our national anthem. Lend your vote of support. #cdnpoli #women
Penny Collenette, Former Senior Fellow at Kennedy School Harvard. Adjunct Law Professor at UOttawa. Former Senior Director PMO + VP Chairman’s office, George Weston Ltd.
- Restore Our Anthem. Restore the original inclusive wording of O Canada. http://www.restoreouranthem.ca #OurCanada
Senator Linda Frum, Canadian Senator
- IMPORTANT @CBCTheNational Restore the original inclusive wording of O Canada. http://www.restoreouranthem.ca @OurCanada #cdnpoli #inclusive #Goddard
Dr. Carolyn Bennett, MD, MP St. Paul’s
- Restore Our Anthem. Restore the original inclusive wording of O Canada. http://www.restoreouranthem.ca #OurCanada #equality #wordsmatter #inclusion
Richard Leblanc – Governance lawyer, educator
- Words matter. Tell the Cndn gov’t a national anthem that doesn’t recognize women has no place in Canada http://www.restoreouranthem.ca/ #OurCanada
Match International, Canadian organization that places women’s rights and empowerment as central to successful and sustained development in the Global South
- @Sudbury_Steve I wouldn’t disagree. Also, great Canadian correction. See we should change wording to reflect reality! #OurCanada
Robert Kiley, Green Party of Ontario candidate for Kingston & The Islands. Christian activist.
- YES!! RT @YWCAToronto: Will you join @MargaretAtwood @AKimCampbell for a gender-inclusive national anthem? http://ow.ly/pqaNg #OurCanada
Ann Decter, Writer, feminist, activist, director of advocacy & policy at YWCA Canada.
- #OurCanada This is a no-brainer. All thy sons? Citisons? All of us, of course. Sing it loud and proud. My wife, sisters, mom, nieces…us.
Wayne Johnston, Canadian Author
- I support this change. One of my first recollections of the anthem was non-inclusive ‘sons’. http://www.restoreouranthem.ca #OurCanada
Ted Mallet, VP & Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
- Restore Our Anthem. http://www.restoreouranthem.ca #OurCanada
Ed Hand, Radio Personality, 1310 News Ottawa
- Canada was built on the actions of risk-takers — women as well as men. This is our real heritage and it should be reflected in the powerful instruments and symbols of national consciousness. Gender differentiation in this context is a thing of the past.
Belinda Stronach, President and CEO of The Stronach Group, founder and chair of the Belinda Stronach Foundation and a former Member of Parliament
- Canada is just two words away from an anthem of equality and inclusion. This is our chance to reflect all our nation’s people.
Ramon Lumpkin, PhD, President and Vice-Chancellor Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax
- Our national anthem should reflect the women and men who have led and sacrificed to shape our history ‘Restore our Anthem’ is right about what needs to be done.
Senator Hugh Segal, Canadian Senator
- The momentum building to have our beloved national anthem reflect our reality is something we should all support, especially when it is the original words we are trying to support. It turns out the original language of the 19th century spoke directly to the 21st, so let’s unite our past to our future and let’s do it. Now!
John Fraser, Master of Massey College
- I very much support the campaign to change the words of O Canada back to its gender neutral words. As much as possible in our society we should strive to treat men and women as equals.
Paul Copeland, CM, LSM
- The time is right to make our National Anthem inclusive with a simple return to the original lyrics.
Margie McCain, Former Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
- Perhaps the best argument for bringing O Canada into the 21st century is the fact that if our government doesn’t do it, ordinary Canadians will.
Jonathan Kay, National Post
- As a singer/songwriter, I can appreciate that words have power. I’ve witnessed the way fans respond and identify with lyrics that speak to them in meaningful ways.
Jully Black, singer
- Although Canada’s public schools are trying to eliminate sexism from the curriculum, every morning when “O Canada” is sung in English, half the population is effectively excluded
The New York Times, July 15, 1993
- In short, “O Canada” is neither a part of the Canadian Constitution, nor a holy relic discovered in the Canadian Shield. It is, rather, a living document that has been changed to reflect the realities of Canadian culture. Even its original authors recognized that.
The Huffington Post, May 24, 2013
- My personal response when I sing the national anthem is that I do not sing that line. It is my own silent protest. I am certain there are many other women who protest that way.
Glenda Simms, president of the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women
- Making a small change to the lyrics of our national anthem doesn’t undermine our tradition. It preserves it.
Jian Ghomeshi, CBC Radio personality
