OTTAWA – Ontario is updating its unofficial anthem, “A Place To Stand, A Place to Grow,” for its 150th birthday celebrations in 2017.

Premier Kathleen Wynne was on hand in Ottawa this morning for a live performance of the updated version of the song — with its familiar “Ontairy-airy-airy-o” theme — by Ginger Ale and the MonoWhales.

Wynne says she was 13 years old when she first heard “A Place To Stand,” which she calls a “joyous” song that conveys the clear message that anything is possible.

The song was originally written for a short film of the same name that was screened at the Ontario Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal for the country’s — and province’s — 100th birthday.

The film “A Place to Stand” won the 1967 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short.

Wynne announced funding for year-long celebrations across the province for Ontario150, including $25 million to renovate and retrofit community centres and cultural infrastructure and $7 million for actual events.

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