Canadians traveling along some high-traffic thoroughfares in Southern Ontario will see a new greeting from Visit Buffalo, the tourism information entity responsible for attracting visitors from outside the region and then making them feel welcome when they’re here.
That new message reads: “O Canada, We’re Still Singing It, Love Buffalo”.
It’s a reference to the recent singing of ‘O Canada,’ the nation’s anthem, at the Buffalo Bills’ first-ever regular season National Football League game September 17 in the new Highmark Stadium. The Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies performed it live. It was the first time ‘O Canada’ had been sung prior to the start of an NFL game on U.S. soil.
Tensions have been raised between leaders of the U.S. and Canada since President Trump openly floated the idea of annexing the latter nation, referring to it as “the 51st State.” More recently, tensions escalated into a tariff war which critics say will only hurt the economies of both countries.
Though the singing of ‘O Canada’ in Highmark Stadium was marked as a milestone moment, the Canadian national anthem has been played prior to ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ before every Buffalo Sabres game since the National Hockey League franchise’s debut in 1970.
This spring, prior to a playoff game between the Sabres and Boston Bruins, anthem singer Cami Clune’s wireless microphone malfunctioned during her rendition of ‘O Canada.’ Fans quickly came to Clune’s aid, singing the anthem loudly. The incident became a viral sensation among social media platforms and news broadcasts.
Visit Buffalo, in May, sponsored a series of billboards in Southern Ontario that read, “O, Canada, We Meant Every Word. Love, Buffalo.”
The new billboards follow the singing of Canada’s anthem before the Bills game.
“Thursday night gave us a special opportunity to honor a friendship that has been part of this community for generations,” said Patrick Kaler, President and CEO of Visit Buffalo in a prepared statement. “Canadian fans are used to hearing ‘O, Canada’ before Sabres games, but hearing it sung for the first time at a Bills regular season game is a meaningful reminder of just how closely connected Buffalo and Southern Ontario are.
"These billboards carry that moment beyond the stadium and arena and send a simple message to our Canadian neighbors: Buffalo is still singing it, and you’ll always be welcome here.”
The new billboards are located on Highway 427 and the Gardiner Expressway, as well as on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge.