B.C. teacher packs 150 Canadian references into 6-minute song

Whittling Canada down to just 150 references is a pretty tall order, but Bryan Anderson, a language teacher from New Westminster, B.C., proved up to the challenge.

With help of a few of his students — Ana Cecilia Rojo Perez, Yuki Shimono and Michael Kraushaar — Anderson created a six-and-a-half minute song and video slide show entitled We're Canadian, which features 150 references covering everything from Niagara Falls and Penny Oleksiak's gold medal race to James Naismith and Alanis Morissette, all for the fast-approaching 150th anniversary of Confederation.

I'm 40 years old now and I'll be 90 if I make it to Canada 200, so now is the time to do something big.

For the Ontario-born Anderson, the Sesquicentennial was an opportunity to celebrate the country he loves.

"I'm 40 years old now and I'll be 90 if I make it to Canada 200, so now is the time to do something big."

We're Canadian isn't Anderson's first crack at a song inspired by Canada.

"I like a good musical project; it keeps me focused. From Game On, a song created to inspire our Canadian athletes in Sochi, to On The Edge Of Heaven, a contest submission for the Rocky Mountaineer, I have looked for meaningful projects to pour myself into."

The task of crafting We're Canadian was a difficult one. Anderson admits many people, places and events didn't make it to the final mix. A partial list: musicians like Tom Cochrane and Burton Cummings; places like Newfoundland, Charlottetown and all of the territories; and historical events like the War of 1812, the Fort McMurray wildfire and the 1972 Summit Series.

We, as Canadians, are better people for having learned from our past, both from our accomplishments and from our bitter mistakes.

Although not everything could be included, Anderson says he hopes each listener can find something they can relate to within the project.

"Everyone will perceive this song their own way. My hope was to enable every Canadian to feel a deep attachment to their own experiences somewhere in the music and images."

Anderson envisions the next 150 years as a time of unification.

"We, as Canadians, are better people for having learned from our past, both from our accomplishments and from our bitter mistakes. My hope for Canada and for Canadians is to grow together."

As for his personal aspirations, Anderson dreams of performing We're Canadian live in Ottawa for Canada Day 2017 — ideally for CBC's own Peter Mansbridge. Hey, you never know.