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Trudeau ‘open’ to changing O Canada lyrics, says it’s up to Canadians

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The prime minister says he’s not opposed to the idea of changing the lyrics of Canada’s national anthem, but said rewrites will only come after consultation with Canadians.

Calls are growing to change the words “home and native land” to “home on native land” after singer Jully Black sang the latter while performing O Canada at the 2023 NBA all-star game. The Assembly of First Nations honoured Black in response to the lyrical tweak.

Bonnie Crombie, the mayor of Mississauga, a former Liberal MP and candidate for the Ontario Liberal leadership has endorsed changing the lyrics. Crombie presented a motion to Mississauga City Council that requested Ottawa make the change, which the council deferred.

 

Trudeau ‘open to the changes that Canadians want to see’ in anthem

 

When asked by CBC’s Catherine Cullen about Jully Black’s version of O Canada that contains the verse ‘our home on native land,’ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looks forward to discussing with Indigenous people on how the anthem ‘could or might change.’

Trudeau said he’s interested in Canadians’ opinions on the matter.

“I look forward to talking with Indigenous Canadians about how they feel the anthem could or might change. I want to talk with a lot of Canadians,” Trudeau said in a Canada Day interview with CBC’s Catherine Cullen.

“It’s not any government’s anthem, it’s Canadians’ anthem.”

O Canada officially became the country’s anthem in 1980, 100 years after musician Calixa Lavallée first composed it. Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier wrote the French lyrics, which were the basis of several English versions of the song, including one by Robert Stanley Weir that later became the official version.

The government last altered the lyrics in 2018, when Parliament passed a bill to change “True patriot love in all thy sons command” to “True patriot love in all of us command.”

But Trudeau did not commit to any specific lyrical changes on Saturday.

“I’m open to the changes that Canadians want to see,” he said.

 

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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