Story Behind the Song
Nothing touches the heart of a true Canadian more than a fly-over by a flock of Canada Geese. These beautiful birds have become a symbol of Canada's attitude to the world, and are the messengers of peace and goodwill that we share with our powerful and friendly neighbor to the south.
"Wild Goose Jack" Miner was Canada's foremost early conservationist. Born in 1865, in Ohio, he soon moved to Ontario where he set up the first large-scale migratory bird sanctuary/stopover/research facility. His environmental concerns were well ahead of his time; for instance, he publicly forecast the tremendous problems related to the pollution of the Great Lakes as early as 1927. He died in 1944 in Kingsville, Ontario, near his world famous bird sanctuary, which is now a National Historic site.
Lyrics
There still is a place up in Kingsville they say,
But man and his machinery will soon come their way.
We must find some time, and do more than pray,
To help save the wild birds . . . we must not delay!
'Cause they're Canada's geese, they're a long way from home,
Travellin' with fear of the men below.
Strong on the wing,
young Jack heard them sing,
Godspeed, mother nature . . . let her children go!
Now the whales and the seals deserve a place to play,
And we are their brothers in nature's own way.
But those high flying wild birds, the lords of the sky,
Are a great majestic treasure, no one can deny!
Yes they're Canada's geese, they're a long way from home,
Travellin' with fear of the men below.
Strong on the wing,
young Jack heard them sing,
Godspeed, mother nature . . . let her children go!
Yes they're Canada's geese, they're a long way from home,
A symbol for Peace on Earth, seen from below.
Strong on the wing,
young Jack heard them sing,
Godspeed, mother nature . . . let her children go!
© 1982 John Spearn
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