The Independent June 30 2017 The Independent June 30 2017

Dreams of a gender-neutral O Canada are over..for now Canadians will not be singing a gender-neutral na- tional anthem on Canada Day after a bill before Par- liament to officially change the lyrics has stalled. The House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a private member's bill last summer that would alter the national anthem by replacing "in all thy sons command" with "in all of us command" as part of a push to strike gendered language from O Canada. Although the bill sailed through the House with government approval, Conservative senators opposed to the changes have scored a victory in the Red Chamber. A yearlong campaign successfully punted a vote on the bill until the fall, at the earliest, and even then the legislation faces an uncertain future. "I'm trying to protect the tradition rather than, you know, water it down with a politically correct version that is historically inaccurate," Conservative Senator David Wells said in an interview on Tuesday. "I don't misrepresent why I'm [using parliamen- tary stall tactics] … I don't like this bill, and I will do what I can to ensure it doesn't pass." Wells and roughly 20 other senators have said they oppose efforts to tinker with the lyrics written by a man long dead. (The lyrics have been changed since they were first penned by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908, but not since O Canada o fficially became the country's na- tional anthem in 1980.) 'Leave the anthem alone': Senators determined to block 'clunky' changes to O Canada Conservatives trying to 'kill the bill' that would make O Canada gender neutral, senator says The late Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger introduced the bill, and many MPs backed the legislation as a salute to a colleague on his death bed. "The bill was passed in the House compassion- The Independent, the Diaspora’s Multicultural Voice June 30 2017 3 News GAMEACCESS.CA WANTS TO GIVE YOU A FREE 30 - DAY TRIAL! Get unlimited videogames shipped directly to your door and never worry about late fees again with Gameaccess.ca! Your GameAccess.ca membership gives you access to an unmatched collection of over 4,000 videogame titles for all major consoles and handheld devices. OVER 4,000 GAME TITLES WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN NOW... MP David Wells .. opposed to change ately and out of sadness for a dying colleague. While that is touching, it is not the way we make public pol- icy in this country and it is not the way we do our leg- islation," Ontario Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak said. A flurry of amendments were introduced to the bill in the last few weeks of the parliamentary sitting — all failed to pass in the face of opposition from most Liberal and Independent senators — which dragged out debate considerably. Parliament rose for summer break before a final vote at third reading could be held. Ramona Lumpkin, the president and vice-chan- cellor of Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, and a strong proponent of the bill, said she was deeply disappointed by the developments. Receive your favorite games directly to your home address. Great for the cold winter months and rainy days! No late charges Always free shipping - Absolutely no shipping fees to rent games 3XUFKDVHXVHGJDPHVDWDVLJQLͤFDQW discount off retail pricing for simply being a loyal member Rent to own - Keep the games you love at drastically reduced prices Reserve your favorite games and get new games on release date No Commitments & No contracts JOIN NOW. GET YOUR FREE TRIAL! Visit: http://gameaccess.ca/30daytrial USE PROMO CODE: The Best Mortgage Rate. Guaranteed! No Haggling: We negotiate with lenders and bring you the best options Best Rate Guarantee: We will beat any mortgage quote, or give you $500 Fee-Free: Our services won’t cost you a thing CURRENT MORTGAGE RATES * 2 % 5 YEAR VARIABLE RATE 2.44 % 5 YEAR FIXED RATE *OAC. Rates Subject to Change. Please contact us for the latest rates. Get up to $2,000 cash back on your next home purchase. Call Now For Your No Obligation Rate Quote 800-712-2991 VERICO MortgagePal Inc. 15 Lawson Road, Toronto M1C 2J4 PRE021807

The Independent June 30 2017 The Independent June 30 2017 | Page 3