Editing The Maple Leaf Forever (section)

==History==
{{listen|type=music
 | filename     = Maple Leaf Forever.flac
 | title        = Edward Johnson (1928)
 | description  = Tenor [[Edward Johnson (tenor)|Edward Johnson]] singing "The Maple Leaf Forever"
}}
Muir was said to have been inspired to write this song by a large [[maple]] tree which stood on his street in front of [[Maple Leaf Forever Park#Maple Cottage|Maple Cottage]], a house at Memory Lane and Laing Street in [[Toronto]]. The song became quite popular in [[English Canada]] and for many years served as an unofficial [[national anthem]].<ref name="Ref1">{{cite web |url=https://www.utoronto.ca/icm/0101b.html |title=Maple Cottage, Leslieville, Toronto |work=Institute for Canadian Music |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331095214/http://www.utoronto.ca/icm/0101b.html |archive-date=March 31, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>[[Library and Archives Canada|LAC]]. "[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/index-e.html Canadian Confederation]" the Web site of ''Library and Archives Canada'', January 9, 2006 ({{ISSN|1713-868X}}) includes a [http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-2930-e.html bibliography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228220252/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-2930-e.html |date=February 28, 2009 }}</ref> Because of its strongly [[Britishness|British perspective]] it became unpopular amongst [[French Canadians]], and this prevented it from ever becoming an official state anthem, even though it was seriously considered for that role and was even used as a ''[[de facto]]'' state anthem in many instances.<ref name="CAML" >''Canadian Musical works 1800–1980 a bibliography of general and analytical sources''. Ottawa : Canadian Association of Music Libraries, 1983. ({{ISBN|978-0-9690583-2-8}})</ref>

The tree which inspired Muir's song fell during a windstorm on the night of July 19–20, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07/20/tree-said-to-have-inspired-song-the-maple-leaf-forever-falls-victim-to-toronto-storm/|title=Tree said to have inspired song 'The Maple Leaf Forever' falls victim to Toronto storm|last1=News|last2=Canada|date=July 20, 2013|access-date=June 26, 2017}}</ref> Wood from the tree was used to make objects that will preserve its importance to Canadian culture, including the speaker's podium for [[Toronto City Council]], and the [[Maple Leaf Forever Guitars]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rider|first1=David|title=Guitar made from "Maple Leaf Forever" tree displayed at Toronto city hall|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/09/18/guitar-made-from-maple-leaf-forever-tree-displayed-at-toronto-city-hall.html}}</ref> Residents have expressed their hope that the city will be able to start a new tree from one of the branches.

During the early 1870s, Alexander Muir was an elementary school teacher in [[Newmarket, Ontario|Newmarket]], north of Toronto.

It has been asserted that Muir's words, however, while certainly pro-British, were not anti-French, and he revised the lyrics of the first verse from "Here may it wave, our boast, our pride, and join in love together / The Thistle, Shamrock, Rose entwine" to "/ The Lily, [[Thistle]], [[Shamrock]], [[Rose]], the Maple Leaf forever"{{snd}} the thistle represented [[Scotland]]; the shamrock, [[Ireland]]; and the rose, England{{snd}} adding "[[Fleur-de-lis|Lily]]", a [[France|French symbol]], to the list. Muir was attempting to express that under the Union Flag, the British and French were united as Canadians.<ref name="Ref1" />

"The Maple Leaf Forever" is also the authorized regimental march of [[The Royal Westminster Regiment]].<ref name="CAML" /> Additionally, it is the Regimental Slow March of the [[Fort Henry Guard]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par2/rwr-01-eng.asp|title=Volume 3, Part 2: Infantry Regiments - THE ROYAL WESTMINSTER REGIMENT|first=Government of Canada, National Defence, Chief Military|last=Personnel|website=www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca|access-date=February 3, 2018|archive-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613081451/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par2/rwr-01-eng.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The song makes reference to [[James Wolfe]] [[Battle of Quebec (1759)|capturing Quebec]] in 1759 during the [[Great Britain in the Seven Years' War|Seven Years' War]] and the [[Battle of Queenston Heights]] and [[Battle of Lundy's Lane]] during the [[War of 1812]].