"O Canada" modified to begin with twenty seconds of silence

OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Senate has passed a bill to add twenty seconds of silence to the beginning of the country’s national anthem.

The revision was proposed by a member of the Ontario provincial parliament who became inspired to propose this radical idea after visiting a Toronto High School.

“The use of silence before the playing of the national anthem was very impactful,” said the MPP. “Silence allows for a meaningful moment of self-reflection, allowing listeners to fully grasp the significance of our national anthem.”

Students at the school also tout the benefits of the silence, stating that the extra time is used to show gratitude to Canada, give a moment of silence for members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and let students check their phones for a few more seconds.

The practice of prepending silence to the national anthem was started by members of the student body. One student claims that the practice was born out of error, but was quickly adopted as a tradition when listeners noticed that the moment of silence left a profound impact on them.

Following the recent amendment making the anthem gender-neutral, this is the second major proposal to alter it. All that remains now is for the proposal to receive royal assent.