Canucks' anthem singer uses song to uplift health care workers

Mark Donnelly, who often sings the national anthem before Vancouver Canuck's games, sang the anthem during one of Vancouver's nightly tributes to front-line health-care workers last weekend.

The city has had a nightly routine of coming out onto their balconies and driveways to cheer and applaud for those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at its most dangerous points, according to Global News.

On Saturday, Donnelly sang "O Canada," in New Westminster, dressed in the same tuxedo he wears to the Rogers Arena during the NHL season. He was joined by people in neighbouring condos, who banged their pots and pans in solidarity with front-line workers.

Donnelly hasn't been opening Canuck's games with his rendition of the national anthem as the NHL has suspended its season indefinitely in response to the crisis.

“We don’t have an actual hockey game, but we still have it in here, right?” said Donnelly to the onlookers, as he pointed to his heart. “So let’s show what Canadians are like to… the rest of the world and especially show them what Canucks fans are like.”

Donnelly said that singing the anthem is the least he could do to show his support, given that his late sister was herself, a nurse. “Some people have lost their lives, other people have lost their livelihoods,” added Donnelly. “We keep them all in our prayers and we hope everything gets better real soon.”