Vancouver Canucks anthem singer is let go for ‘standing up against’ COVID rules

VANCOUVER – The popular singer of O Canada at the Vancouver Canucks hockey games says he knew he might lose his job for standing up against what he describes as the "tyranny" of COVID-19 restrictions.

Mark Donnelly sang the anthem at a freedom rally in Vancouver, where hundreds of people protested the restrictions imposed by B.C.'s provincial health officer.

Vancouver Canuck's owner Francesco Aquilini tweeted late Friday that Donnelly was now the former Canucks anthem singer, followed by the hashtag #wearamask.

Donnelly told the crowd, many of whom weren't wearing masks or social distancing, that he decided to sing because he questions the "draconian lockdown protocols."

He says his firing is censorship by an institution that he's followed for 50 years and been publicly associated with since 2001.

Donnelly says he hasn't had direct contact with Aquilini or the Canucks and if he is no longer with the team, a phone call would have been a more respectful way to find out his reasons for taking part in the rally.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2020.