N.L. may look at trying to force MUN to reinstate Ode to Newfoundland
Provincial affairs minister says legislation 'always up for discussion'
Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial affairs minister says the government is open to looking at whether it can force Memorial University to include the Ode to Newfoundland in convocation ceremonies.
The situation came to a head in October when the university suspended the use of the provincial anthem during all MUN graduation ceremonies — halting a tradition dating back to the 1950s.
During question period Thursday, PC MHA Barry Petten called on Municipal and Provincial Affairs Minister Krista Lynn Howell to amend the Provincial Anthems Act, and try to "demand" the university reinstate the song at its convocations ceremonies.
"With any legislation in this House of Assembly, it's always up for discussion and there's always things that we can improve on," Howell responded. "In our department, that's certainly something we will take into consideration."
Earlier this week, members of the House of Assembly protested the song's removal from inside the legislature by breaking into a singalong, and following it up with a rendition of the Ode to Labrador.
On Thursday, Petten said his party would "ensure fast passage" of any legislation relating to the Ode.
"You have our word," he said.
In response to one of Petten's questions, Culture Minister Steve Crocker said he spoke with MUN on Wednesday. He said the university has "made a mistake."
"Let's be clear about it, this is the anthem of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the Ode to Labrador," he said.
"We'll continue to advocate to have this decision reversed. Obviously the university has autonomy here. We look at the measures available to us to have this resolved once and for all."
But MUN is standing its ground and defending its decision to drop the song ahead of its first convocation ceremony of the spring in Corner Brook next week.
Crocker said leaving the anthem out of the ceremony shows a "lack of respect for the House of Assembly."
MUN president Neil Bose said Thursday there's no lack of respect for the House, but the university "has to follow through on its collegial governance process."
"It does have a degree of autonomy. It's not part of the government. And we're also the future of Newfoundland and Labrador and the future of Canada and we represent also the future of the world," he said.
"The convocation is about students. It's about a celebration for students or of students graduating. They're graduates who are crossing the stage. So it's important that it represents them. It's not just about the university. It's not just about the province."
Bose said recommendations from a committee of Indigenous students, Labradorians, international students and other key groups may very well include bringing back the Ode to Newfoundland but also include the singing of the Ode to Labrador.
If that call is made, however, he said the songs still exclude Indigenous and international students.
"The things that we are doing have that context as well … in a way, a beacon of reconciliation, too. But we have to do the right thing to reconcile what has been a colonialist institution," said Bose. "This university, any university, tends to try to be at least a progressive institution, and so we will occasionally step outside of the box to do that."
Josh Lepawsky, president-elect of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association, said MUN needs to remain autonomous from government.
"As soon as government interference is direct, then that has all kinds of consequences that are quite important," he said.
"Depending on your point of view, this particular issue might seem like not quite such a big deal about government interference but very quickly get into broader issues that are very tangly."
Education Minister John Haggie said he wants to see the song reinstated.
"I don't have any levers to pull because if I did I would have pulled them. Whether the solution is legislation or whether the solution lies in another direction will be discussions I'll be having with Memorial's board of regents' chair and the interim president," he said.
"We need to recognize, historically, Memorial University is exactly that. It is a memorial to the fallen of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also a cultural icon and we need to be linking our heritage with our educational establishments because that's a sense of who we are."
With files from Sarah Blackmore and Daniel MacEachern