Before Canada had an Anthem, she had a song. I have a strange connection to the song. "Strange", because while the connection is circumstantial it is pervasive.

The Song is "The Maple Leaf Forever" and it was written to celebrate the birth, or confederation, of Canada in 1867 ("O'Canada" wasn't written until 1880).

The song was composed by Alexander Muir who was born in Lesmahagow, near Lanark, Scotland, 5 Apr 1830. His parents immigrated to Canada when he was three and settled in Scarborough Township, east of Toronto.

Muir was a teacher who taught in several Scarborough Schools, including Berner Trail. An amateur poet, he wrote 'The Maple Leaf For Ever' in 1867 for a contest held to celebrate the birth of the country. He not only won the contest but his song went on to become wildly popular.

But only in the English sections of Canada. Not only did the song fail to mention that half the country was French, it celebrated only the English, Scottish and Irish roots of the country. An obviously hoary Victorian artifact, it is seldom performed these days, although the tune is often played on Canada Day.

The Lyrics read in part:

In days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe, the dauntless hero came,

And planted firm Britannia's flag,
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride,
And joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine

The Maple Leaf Forever

At the final hockey game played at the closing of the Maple Leaf Gardens, Canadian singer Anne Murray updated the lyrics replacing them with:

O, land of blue unending skies,
Mountains strong and sparkling snow,
A scent of freedom in the wind,
O'er the emerald fields below.

To thee we brought our hopes, our dreams,
For thee we stand together,
Our land of peace, where proudly flies,
The Maple Leaf forever.

Although pretty and more inclusive, these lyrics proved to be too similar to those of O'Canada and robbed the song of its distinctiveness. Sometimes you just can't win.

In any event, here are my strange intersections with this song. My wife Linda's grandmother was a Muir who was also born in Lanark Scotland. We haven't traced our genealogy back far enough to established a firm connection between Alexander's Muirs and Linda's, but at some point the two families from the same small community must merge.

Linda is a teacher at Berner Trail Public School where Alexander Muir also taught.

My youngest daughter chose the name Alexander for her son, not knowing the Muir connection. When little Alexander died suddenly at 5 months of age, the School planted a tree in his honour and carved his name in a large granite rock at the front of the school. It reads simply "Alexander's Tree May 2000"

The best version of the Maple Leaf Forever that I could find on YouTube is sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir--



Here for comparison, is the Anne Murray version. The flag on the screen is the Red Ensign, the flag of Ontario. Don't ask me why.