Most respondents to an online poll said they are opposed to changing the lyrics to O Canada to make them more gender neutral.

Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl posted the question to gauge opinions about proposed changes to the national anthem, changing the words from sa国际传媒渋n all thy sons commandsa国际传媒� to sa国际传媒渋n all of us command.sa国际传媒�

The results of Strahlsa国际传媒檚 survey yielded 88 per cent against the changes with 2,184 people opposed.

The question was: sa国际传媒淒o you think the lyrics of our Canadian national anthem should be changed?sa国际传媒�

Only 11 per cent of those who responded were in favour of the proposed changes, or 279 respondents.

sa国际传媒淭hese survey results demonstrate that O Canada is an important Canadian symbol that the majority of Chilliwack-Hope respondents are firmly against changing,sa国际传媒� said MP Strahl.

His take is that the Liberal government sa国际传媒渞ushedsa国际传媒� the legislation for Bill C-210 through the House with almost no consultation.

The bill launched by MP Mauril B茅langer, made it to the Senate after being approved. But MP Strahl voted against it in the House of Commons at the time, in part because of feedback he received from constituents.

sa国际传媒淚 voted against it because I believe Canadians deserve to be consulted any time one of our cherished national symbols could be changed,sa国际传媒� he added in a news release.

sa国际传媒淧eople in Chilliwack-Hope clearly feel very strongly about the issue, as I received the one of the highest number of responses to this survey of all that Isa国际传媒檝e shared in more than six years as MP.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淢any Senators also believe Canadians should have been consulted on this change and some have proposed amendments, therefore this bill could return to the House of Commons this fall for another vote.

sa国际传媒淚f it does, based on these results I will be voting against it once again.sa国际传媒�

But MP B茅langer, who pushed for the changes, argued initially he felt the two-word change to O Canada would actually return the lyric closer to the original, which was sa国际传媒渢hou dost in us command.sa国际传媒� It changed to sa国际传媒渁ll thy sonssa国际传媒� in 1913, and is a reference to the armed forces.

The MPsa国际传媒檚 survey was conducted in May.

Results:

Do you think the lyrics of our Canadian national anthem should be changed?

NOsa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�2184 = 88%

YESsa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�279 = 11%

UNSUREsa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�.11 = 1%

Total number of constituents who completed the survey: 2474

jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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