Happy and glorious? Dauphin school division mandates playing of God Save the King

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This article was published 16/01/2025 (323 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dauphin-area schools are being asked to include God Save the King during morning announcements to align themselves with a provincial regulation that has not been enforced in 25 years.

The Mountain View School Division has issued new marching orders to employees to update daily protocols to include the royal anthem, a seven-line song that pays tribute to King Charles.

The divisionwide change honouring Canada’s reigning constitutional monarch was anticipated to begin Thursday, but there have been delays in the rollout that requires reprogramming internal public address systems.

“Good governance is about adhering to laws and regulations that are in place,” school board chairman Jason Gryba said in an email.

“While some legislation may become less prominent over time, it remains our responsibility to uphold it as long as it is valid.”

Gryba did not say what prompted the sudden request to follow a long-ignored regulation.

Schools across the province typically play O Canada and issue a land acknowledgement, in addition to sharing hyperlocal news to begin every instructional day.

Manitoba became the first and only province to legislate the royal anthem in 1964 — a decade into the late Queen Elizabeth’s reign.

Progressive Conservative Duff Roblin was Manitoba’s leader at the time. The then-premier met Elizabeth in 1959 when she made her first appearance on Manitoba soil as queen in 1959.

The Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation states the start of every regular school day must begin with pupils singing the national anthem, while either opening exercises or end-of-day protocols must include singing the first verse of the royal anthem.

The Manitoba School Boards Association is unaware of any member that is currently enforcing the regulation.

“This is where the whole local-choice, local-voice comes into play,” said Sandy Nemeth, president of the association representing 38 elected boards of trustees.

Premier Wab Kinew said the Manitoba government is revisiting the regulation and considering its relevance in 2025.

The return of the abandoned tradition in Mountain View is being celebrated by the Monarchist League of Canada.

Lawrence Prout, co-chairman of the league’s Manitoba branch, recalled singing God Save the Queen every weekday in the 1950s when he was enrolled at Faraday School in Winnipeg.

Prout said Mountain View’s update will, for many of its young students, serve as an introduction to the country’s electoral system.

“These students, ultimately, once they’re 18, they’re going to be voting so they should understand how our parliamentary system works,” the self-described history buff said.

One parent — who asked their name not be printed, citing concerns about their two children’s safety, given the politically charged climate in the division — questioned why families were not consulted or notified about the changes.

“I’m dumbfounded, to be perfectly honest. I’m dumbfounded. If this is something that is going to happen divisionwide, how did we get here? I don’t recall anything being discussed at a board level,” the parent said.

From their perspective, the addition will eat into instructional time and cause confusion for younger students.

The parent added they are concerned about the well-being of Indigenous community members who have mixed emotions about historic relations between the Crown and First Nations.

The school board and its members’ decisions have come under widespread scrutiny since Ward 2 trustee Paul Coffey decried anti-racism efforts and defended residential schools during a presentation last spring.

Anishinaabe trustee Scott Lynxleg, a rookie who was elected to the board following a series of resignations and subsequent byelection that was held in the fall, said he was unfamiliar with the new directive.

Suzanne Cottyn, acting superintendent of the division, deferred comment to the local board of trustees.

Manitoba Teachers Society’ president Nathan Martindale said his members have questions related to the request that appears to be “coming out of nowhere” and the relevance of this historical government regulation.

“It’s important to ask the question, in a time when we’re all supposed to be working on reconciliation and moving forward, especially in the public education system, ‘Is following the regulation doing harm to our Indigenous students and broader community?’” Martindale said.

Prout has met the King more than once, during visits he made as the former Prince of Wales — a title he held from 1958 until 2022, when his mother died.

The King’s ongoing efforts to modernize the monarchy and engage his younger successors and family members are noble, he said, noting the current head of the Commonwealth has demonstrated “consistency to service” that mirrors the dedication of Queen Elizabeth.

Prout added: “He’s very much a people person and he helps remind us of our value system – service to others, service to the community, how we get along with each other.”

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca