A majority of respondents want the national anthem to remain as is.

The plan to alter the English lyrics to Canada’s national anthem has been overwhelmingly dismissed by the population, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 859 Canadians whose first language is English, 75 per cent of respondents oppose the proposal to change the line in “O Canada” that reads “True patriot love in all thy sons command” to “True patriot love thou dost in us command.” In fact, 63 per cent of respondents strongly oppose the change.

A proposal to look into the possibility of adopting the gender-neutral verse was included in the latest Speech from the Throne, read by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean on Mar. 3.

Breakdowns

The highest level of opposition to the proposed change to the national anthem was recorded in Alberta (82%). Conversely, British Columbia provided the highest level of support (25%).

There was little fluctuation between men (Support 19%, Oppose 76%) and women (Support 18%, Oppose 74%). Younger Canadians were slightly more inclined to support the change (24%) than those aged 35-54 (17%) or those over the age of 55 (15%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+604 647 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com