Buffalo Bills to 'celebrate' O Canada at home opener amid more Trump threats during trade war

NFL team says O Canada and The Star-Spangled Banner will be performed Sept. 17 Conrad Collaco · CBC News · Posted: Sep 09, 2026 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago Play article Estimated 3 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. The NFL's Buffalo Bills say the Canadian national anthem will be played alongside the U. S. national anthem at the team's home opener on Sept. 13 against the Detroit Lions. (Adrian Kraus/Associated Press) Amid a trade war that includes President Donald Trump's threats to Canadian sovereignty and his plan to ban imports of several Canadian products to the U. S., the NFL's Buffalo Bills have made an unexpected announcement. On Wednesday, the team said on social media platform X that both O Canada and The Star-Spangled Banner will be performed before its Sept. 17 home opener against the Detroit Lions, the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium. The Bills announced that "for the first time in Highmark Stadium history, we will celebrate the American and Canadian anthems during pregame." Actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho will perform the American anthem and Toronto band Barenaked Ladies will sing O Canada. The Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart and Jim Creeggan, left to right, are shown in Toronto on Sept. 9, 2023. The band will perform O Canada before the Buffalo Bills’ home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) 'Unhinged' for Canada to call dispute with U. S. a trade war, says Trump's tariff chief In Buffalo, the Canadian national anthem is rarely heard before NFL games, but it's commonly played before NHL games, even when the Sabres are up against American opponents. In April, fans at KeyBank Center in Buffalo sang O Canada after a microphone failed before the Sabres' playoff game against the Boston Bruins. #TheMoment Buffalo Sabres fans sang O Canada after a mic failed Buffalo is the only U. S.-based NHL team that plays both national anthems before home games against American and Canadian teams. Tit-for-tat tariffs escalate trade war On Tuesday, Trump signed five proclamations to ban Canadian imports including alcohol, motorcycles and various other products to the U. S. as of Sept. 29, and slap 50 per cent tariffs on a series of other products starting next week. Auliʻi Cravalho, shown arriving at the premiere of Moana on July 7 in Los Angeles, is set to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Bills' game. (Richard Shotwell/The Associated Press) The latest move in an escalating trade war between Canada and the U.