Any Canadian who was alive in 1967 can still hum the words and tune to "Ca-na-da," written by musician Bobby Gimby for Canada’s Centennial Year. Mr. Gimby would lead parade after parade across Canada as his countrymen and women celebrated their nation.
Gimby’s song was the highest selling record that year in Canada. Wearing his famous cape and Pied Piper uniform Mr. Gimby very much came to personify Centennial celebrations.
Sadly, Bobby Gimby died on this date in 1998. But, he lives on through Ca-na-da and always will. I can recall like yesterday our teachers at William Tredway Public School (well after 1967) in my hometown of Scarborough leading us as we all sang his song.
The lyrics to our unofficial national anthem are below and you can listen to it at this link.
caption id="attachment_623497" align="alignleft" width="220"
Musician Bobby Gimby, leading a Centennial year parade/caption
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.
| English Version | French Version |
| (English verse): CA-NA-DA (One little two little three Canadians) We love thee (Now we are twenty million) CA-NA-DA (Four little five little six little Provinces) Proud and free (Now we are ten and the Territories sea to sea) (Chorus): North south east west There'll be happy times, Church Bells will ring, ring, ring It's the hundredth anniversary of Confederation Ev'rybody sing together! (French verse): CA-NA-DA (Un petit, deux petits, trois Canadiens) Notre pays (Maintenant, nous sommes vingt million) CA-NA-DA (Quatre petites, cinq petites, six petites provinces) Longue vie (Et nous sommes dix plus les Territoires; Longue vie) (Second Chorus): Rah! Vive le Canada! Three cheers Hip, Hip, Hooray! Le centenaire, That's the order of the day Frère Jacques Frère Jacques Merrily We Roll Along Together all the way (Repeat second chorus) | (French verse): CA-NA-DA (Un petit, deux petits, trois Canadiens) Notre pays (Maintenant, nous sommes vingt million) CA-NA-DA (Quatre petites, cinq petites, six petites provinces) Longue vie (Et nous sommes dix plus les Territoires; Longue vie) (Chorus): Nord, sud, est, ouest Ding, dong, ding Allons Canadiens, très unis, Le centenaire de la Confédération Les enfants du pays, ensemble! (English verse): CA-NA-DA (One little two little three Canadians) We love thee (Now we are twenty million) CA-NA-DA (Four little five little six little Provinces) Proud and free (Now we are ten and the Territories sea to sea) (Second Chorus): Rah! Vive le Canada! Three cheers Hip, Hip, Hooray! Le centenaire, That's the order of the day Frère Jacques Frère Jacques Merrily we roll along Les enfants du pays (Repeat second chorus) |
Musician Bobby Gimby, leading a Centennial year parade/caption
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.