This cute and catchy Ontario tourism jingle was commissioned for Ontario's pavilion at Expo 67. The melody was written by Dolores Claman, who is somewhat famous in Canada for her legendary "The Hockey Theme" (which for many years was the Hockey Night in Canada theme). Her (then, now former) husband, Richard Morris, wrote the English lyrics.

The song's reception by the Ontario government was initially poor, but Premier John Robarts attended a recording session for the song and was deeply moved. Approval came shortly thereafter.

A Place to Stand is pretty darn catchy. Older Ontarians who have consciously long since forgotten the song can be provoked into singing along with the cheery refrain whether they wish to or not: "Ontari-ari-ari-o!"

The 18-minute film accompanied a movie, also called A Place to Stand. The films was one of the first to use multiple concurrent image frames to show simultaneous moving scenes (up to 15). The film was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1967, winning one for Best Live Action Short Subject.

Give us a place to stand
And a place to grow,
And call this land Ontario.
A place to live
For you and me,
With hopes as high
As the tallest tree.

Give us a land of lakes
And a land of snow,
And we will build Ontario,
A place to stand,
A place to grow,
Ontari-a-ri-ario.


References:

  1. (external link) Forty years on, a song retains its standing, Toronto Star, April 22, 2007
  2. It's stuck in my head!

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