How do English and French Canadians sing the national anthem?

The national anthem of Canada is O Canada. It was first sung in Quebec City in 1880. It became the official national anthem much later, by proclamation in 1980, so a full century passed between the first performance and official status. The anthem is sung at ceremonies, at citizenship ceremonies, and before sporting events. One of its best-known phrases describes the country as "the True North strong and free."

The anthem exists in two languages, English and French, and the words are not the same in each. French-speaking and English-speaking Canadians sing different words to the same music. The French version, Ô Canada, is not a translation of the English one; it has its own text. Both are official. If you attend a public ceremony you may hear one version, the other, or a mixture of the two in the same performance.