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P.A residents react to the new O Canada

Feb 1, 2018 | 4:00 PM

The Senate has passed a bill to change the words of “O Canada” from “in all thy sons command” to “in all of us command” and local polticians and students seem to be okay with that.
 
Prince Albert City Councilor Charlene Miller said she supports the change although she was still getting her head around whether it was a good idea.
 
“It is and it isn’t but you know go with the times,” she said. 
 
Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt said she supports inclusive language but added it’s not a hot topic in her constituency.
 
“I wouldn’t say it’s been brought up as a concern locally, for my office anyway, but if it is definitely a concern and if changing one word will make people feel much better about it then we would support that,” she said.
 
The grade 7 class at Arthur Pechey School sings the national anthem every morning before classses begin. The topic of the anthem change was discussed on Thursday. Alexis Doell, 12, said she liked the idea that women were being included.
 
“Because in the olden days people thought that girls couldn’t do much, ” she said.
 
During the classroom discussions, the students in the class were asked to raise their hands if they supported the change.  Doell said everyone did except for one boy.
 
“Because he doesn’t really care about girls that much and he thinks that boys are better,” she said.
 
The bill still needs royal assent before becoming law.
 

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca
 
On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell