[3][4] In the 2005 CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version, "Northwest Passage" ranked fourth, behind only Neil Young's "Heart of Gold", Barenaked Ladies' "If I Had $1,000,000" and Ian and Sylvia's "Four Strong Winds".
It has been referred to as one of Canada's unofficial anthems by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper,[5] and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson quoted the song both in her first official address[6] and in her speech at the dedication of the new Canadian embassy in Berlin.
[7] The song also appeared in the final episode of the television series, Due South and has been covered in acoustic form by the British duo Show of Hands on their album Cold Frontier.
Artist Matt James used the lyrics to accompany his illustrations for a children’s book that received a 2013 Governor General’s Literary award.
[9] The Saint Patrick's Regional Secondary Men's Chamber Choir did a cover of the song during a cultural exchange event in 2006 in Vancouver, BC.
[14] American Irish traditional band, Faoileán, released a cover of the song on their 2023 album Far Hills as a featuring with Jesse Hann.