OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government is quietly considering a bold modernization of Canada's national anthem, with senior officials weighing options to either remove all references to "God" or replace the word with more inclusive alternatives, the Western Standard has learnedAccording to documents obtained by the Western Standard under the Access to Information Act, a confidential working group within Canadian Heritage has been tasked with reviewing the English lyrics of O Canada — specifically the line "God keep our land glorious and free" — as part of the government's broader commitment to building a more secular, progressive, post-national identity.Insiders note that the change would build on the successful 2018 gender-neutral revision of the anthem, which replaced "in all thy sons command" with "in all of us command.”“The word 'God' carries historical baggage that no longer fully reflects the values of a modern, multicultural Canada in 2026," said an unnamed senior bureaucrat familiar with the discussions. The proposal has drawn enthusiastic praise from Quebec secularist groups and the provincial government, long at the forefront of laïcité initiatives. "Finally, Ottawa is catching up to Quebec's vision of a truly neutral public space," said Claude LeBum for the Coalition Avenir Québec."Removing God from the anthem sends a strong message that no religion should have preferential treatment in our shared symbols. We applaud the Liberals for this courageous step toward a post-Christian Canada.”However, more radical separatist elements within Quebec's secularist movement, collaborating closely with officials in the Heritage Department, expressed frustration that the proposed changes "do not go far enough.""While removing 'God' is a good start, the anthem still repeatedly invokes 'Canada' — a colonial construct that imposes federal unity on Quebec's distinct society," said a spokesperson for the group."We demand that 'Canada' also be excised, perhaps replaced with 'the territory currently known as Canada' or simply left as 'O, glorious and free!' True secularism and sovereignty cannot coexist with outdated federal branding.”Incoming NDP Leader Avi Lewis celebrated the proposed changes. "I think we should explore whether 'God' should be updated to something that better resonates with all Canadians and expresses solidarity with Palestine — perhaps something like ‘Allah, keep our land glorious and free.’”Other options under active consideration include substituting "God" with "The Government" ("The Government keep our land glorious and free"), along with a suggestion from Green Party leader Elizabeth May to use the phrase "Turtle Island" as an alternative to Canada..The mood on the streets of Montreal varied."Tabernac," said Frenchie McFrencherson.Prime Minister Mark Carney's office declined to confirm or deny the initiative but issued a statement emphasizing that "all options remain on the table as we continue consulting with stakeholders, including faith groups, non-faith groups, faith-adjacent groups, and those who identify as spiritually curious.".Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was outraged at the potential move and vowed to set up a UCP panel to study it for a year."But it's hard to get worked up about this because Alberta could have it's own anthem by November. I can guarantee it will reference God many times," Smith said.Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre called the proposed move a "distraction.""The same government that can't axe tax, build the homes or stop the crime wants to distract from the issues by finishing another job Justin Trudeau couldn't; wrecking our anthem, sissifying our country and athieizing the people. However, as the Conservative Party values the votes of newcomers, we will be abstaining."PPC leader Max Bernier took a harsher position. "These atheist cucks are ruining our country. Deport them all or burn them at the stake."
