At Dodger Stadium on Monday night, JP Saxe did not so much sing O Canada as re-wrote it on the fly. The Toronto pop singer swapped the official “our home and native land” for “our home on native land,” turning a unifying ritual into an indigenous land acknowledgement and, in the process, delivering a pitchy performance that set social media ablaze. Watch the clip and judge for yourself; it’s not subtle. .WATCH: Canadian anthem gets changed to 'our home on native land' at World Series.This wasn’t some backyard ball game. It was Game 3 of the World Series — with anthem assignments announced in advance, including Saxe for Canada — which makes the choice to improvise all the more wilful. The job at that mic is simple: honour the country, don’t massage the lyrics, and don’t test-market a message. Sports Illustrated even listed the singers by game; Saxe knew exactly what moment he was stepping into. Defenders point out others have tweaked the words before. .R&B star Jully Black used “on native land” at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and was later praised by some activists. But Monday wasn’t an arts gala; it was a national moment with the ballpark, and country, holding its breath. You don’t fix the roof during the wedding. .OLDCORN: Gil McGowan turns the teachers strike into a class war.And we’ve just watched how fiddling with the anthem goes sideways. Back in February, singer Chantal Kreviazuk changed a different line during the 4 Nations Face-Off final as a political protest — a move that drew heavy blowback and days of debate. There’s a reason the words are set. .Parliament has already amended the English lyrics — the 2018 switch to “in all of us command” — and Canadian Heritage publishes the official text. That’s where Canadians settle this stuff, in law, not on the fly. When the singer freelances, the moment becomes about the performer, not the country. .FARKAS: Freedom without fear: Remembering the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.That’s the opposite of what an anthem is for.What about the performance itself? It wasn’t only the edit that grated. .Coverage and crowd-shot videos captured a ragged delivery; even sympathetic write-ups described a “pitchy” outing. If the job is to steady nerves before first pitch, this did the reverse. It distracted, divided, and drowned out the very words meant to bring people together..THOMAS: Expect to travel a rocky road on the way to repealing blanket upzoning.Saxe’s instincts haven’t been sure-footed lately. In August, he cancelled a North American tour after a public, last-minute plea for about 20,000 extra ticket sales fell short. That candour was gutsy. .But it also hinted at a recurring problem for Saxe of not reading the room. On baseball’s biggest stage, he chose a polarizing flourish over a steady hand.Canada’s anthem already bends over backwards to include. .MORGAN: It was always about the hostages.It’s short. It’s sturdy. It’s one of the few civic habits we still share without a fight. For sixty seconds, we set aside our causes and sing the same words. .If every performer bolts on a slogan — left, right, or whatever’s trending — the anthem turns into a rolling commentary. That isn’t national pride, it’s open-mic night.So yes, debate lyric changes in Parliament. Write op-eds. Cut protest tracks..OLDCORN: ‘Back to School Act’ puts Alberta students first.But when you’re handed our anthem at the World Series, your duty is to the text and to the people who own it — all of us. On Monday, JP Saxe flubbed both. He turned a shared moment into a message track, and it landed with a thud. If there is a next time, Mr. Saxe, spare us the edit and sing the song.
