GUELPH – O Canada will be played at Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) meetings moving forward.
Trustees unanimously approved a recommendation to add the national anthem to board meeting agendas for the next school year.
The anthem will be played “alongside” the reading of the land acknowledgement and equity statements. The recommendation came from the board’s governance committee and passed unanimously without discussion during a board meeting on June 24.
The governance committee heard a presentation from UGDSB manager and board secretariat Nancy Fiorentio during its meeting on June 10.
Fiorentino outlined several reasons the anthem should be played at the commencement of board meetings, according to a report from the committee meeting.
“It opens the meeting with a reminder of national identity and the democratic process portrayed throughout the proceedings of the meeting,” the report states.
“It supports UGDSB students who stand in acknowledgment of the national anthem daily at school, and it also supports several pillars of the UGDSB multi-year plan.”
Students will have opportunities to sing or perform O Canada during meetings, “providing an educational experience for the students while also connecting the students with the trustees.”
