Canada (song)
Overview
Bobby Gimby
Bobby Gimby, was a Canadian orchestra leader, trumpeter, and singer/songwriter.-Biography:He was born Robert Stead Gimby in Cabri, Saskatchewan where he played in a boys' band. He was a member of the popular radio show The Happy Gang...
in 1967 to celebrate Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's centennial
Canadian Centennial
The Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
and Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
, and was commissioned by the Centennial Commission (a special Federal Government agency). The song was written in both of Canada's official languages, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
The song's recording was performed by the Young Canada Singers, two groups of children — one that sang the French lyrics, led by Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
conductor Raymond Berthiaume
Raymond Berthiaume
Raymond Berthiaume was a jazz singer, musician, producer and composer from Québec, Canada.-Biography:...
, and another that sang in English, under conductor Laurie Bower in Toronto.
