Memorial drops Ode to Newfoundland during convocation ceremony

Memorial University has announced that it will be dropping Ode to Newfoundland during its convocation ceremony in an effort to be more inclusive. The decision was unanimously agreed upon by the university’s presidential advisory team. Memorial University VP Lisa Browne said that the main reason for dropping the anthem is that it excludes Labrador, but that there are also other inclusivity considerations. “It’s focused on faith, for example,” said Browne. “It’s focused on one part of the province, and so why upset people within the audience when you want something to be fun and joyous for people?” Some NL leaders have responded with surprise or disappointment to the decision and questioned if there are ways that the anthem could be made more inclusive. CBC Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.