Status Operating Designer WED Enterprises Initial release 28 September 1982 (USA) | Opening date October 1, 1982 Theme Canadian Sights Music director Richard Clements | |
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Area World Showcase, Canada Pavilion Attraction type Circle-Vision 360° movie Directors William Bosche, Randy Bright Similar Circle of Life: An Environm, Honey - I Shrunk the Audience!, America the Beautiful, Golden Dreams, From Time to Time | ||
O Canada! is a Circle-Vision 360° movie at the Canada Pavilion at Epcot, within Epcot's World Showcase at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Its name derives from Canada's national anthem. It showcases many images of Canada's cities and sights, including Quebec, Ontario, the RCMP Musical Ride, the Calgary Stampede, Vancouver and Vancouver Harbour, the Ottawa River, and more.
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The movie was filmed mostly during 1981 and has been in continuous exhibition since that time, with an updated version released in 2007.
History
The attraction was inspired by the popular Circle-Vision 360° documentary film Canada '67, shown at the Telephone pavilion during Expo 67, created by Canadian film director Robert Barclay. The Disney version was described by Barclay as "a superficial, glib look at the country".
The following excerpt shows the similarities between the two films: the official Expo '67 Guide Book described some of the "Canada '67" documentary film's many scenes: "You're on centre stage for the RCMP Musical Ride... on centre ice for hockey... on the track at the Stampede! CIRCLE-VISION 360° surrounds you with all the fun and excitement of Canada's most thrilling events and its scenic beauty".
Footage for the RCMP musical ride was shot in Rockcliffe Park, located between the Rockcliffe Parkway and Hillsdale Road in the village of Rockcliffe Park and not at the RCMP stables located close by on Sandridge Rd.
The Canada '67 film also presented a bobsled hurtling down a steep ice track at the Quebec Winter Carnival, along with many other events and scenes iconic to the country. Viewers in the audience occasionally experienced vertigo after one particularly dramatic sequence filmed over Niagara Falls.
2007 update
On August 6, 2007, the original exhibition of O Canada! closed. On September 1, 2007, the new Circle-Vision 360 film debuted at the Canada Pavilion, made in part in response to a seven-year campaign by the Canadian Tourism Commission due to a steady stream of complaints over the years about the dated representation of Canada. O! Canada is primarily narrated by Martin Short, after he makes the original narrator (Corey Burton) angry enough to quit during an argument over the latter's inaccurate portrayal of Canada.
The newer version of O Canada! includes updated footage of Canada's cities and natural features, including Niagara Falls. The song "Canada (You're a Lifetime Journey)" has been re-recorded by Eva Avila, the winner of the fourth season of Canadian Idol.