Dying MP’s anthem bill passes final reading

OTTAWA— Ailing Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger was in the House of Commons today as his private member’s bill to render “O Canada” more gender neutral cleared one final hurdle.

The legislation still requires the approval of the Senate, however, which means Bélanger, who was diagnosed last November with Lou Gehrig’s disease, may not live to see it become law.

Bill C-210, which would change the second line of the anthem from “true patriot love, in all thy sons command” to “in all of us command,” passed third and final reading in the Commons by a margin of 225-74.

As the vote began, Liberal MPs stood and applauded Bélanger, who sat in the House in his wheelchair. Many flashed him a thumbs-up sign, his trademark gesture, as their votes were registered. When it was done, the entire House broke into an impromptu rendition of “O Canada,” as well as a rousing standing ovation.

Bélanger has said the change would actually return the anthem closer to the original “thou dost in us command” — wording that was changed to “all thy sons” in 1913, presumably to honour men in the armed forces at the approach of the First World War.

Since then, Bélanger said, women have won the right to vote, to run for office and to die in combat as members of the military and the anthem should not slight half the population.