This Centennial celebration poem appeared originally in the Toronto Telegram on July 1, 1967 and the Leaside Advertiser on July 13th that year. The praise of Canada, with writing style and sentiments from a bygone era, was written by Gwen Beer, mother of North Leasider Ross Beer whose sister was a Leaside Lions majorette in the 1950s. Both Ross and his sister attended Leaside High and were active in a number of Leaside activities. Ross has kindly donated historical materials to the Leaside Heritage Preservation Society. This Centennial poem is just one of the wealth of material he has contributed. The poem may seem dated by our current standards, but the sentiments remain powerful at this pivotal time in our history.
This Canada of Ours
Oh people of Canada!
In this our Centennial year,
Let us raise our voices
That all the world may hear.
Of Canada! How proud of you,
We true Canadians feel,
We understand the heart that throbs
beneath a face of steel.
We laud oceans that surround us,
The forest rising tall,
The farm lands and the cities,
our Canada borders all.
The wheat fields in the summer,
A sea of golden grain.
Food for our hungry people,
with wheat to spare again.
The industry and business
And the money pouring in,
Of what a land of bounty!
Of vigor and vim!
The men who have made us great,
and the women who have shared,
And everyone all together,
Just because we cared.
Oh Canada! We have prospered,
under God’s generous hand,
To the stranger that enters in
We are the “promised land.”
Then rise up oh wonderous people!
Let us take stock of our own worth
For God has truly blessed us
“The salt of all the earth.”