In 1983 the town of Kingston, Ontario, produced one of the greatest bands in Canadian history. Five high school friends got together and played to crowds no greater than a baker's dozen. The lead singer, Gord Downie, would go on to be a defining figure in Canadiana.1
Together they called themselves “The Tragically Hip”, and in the mid-eighties you could find the group playing anywhere that would take them. They were rough around the edges, but an unmistakable sound could be heard in bars littering the streets surrounding Queen’s University.
The frontman was a bizarre feature of the band's performances. You couldn’t predict his next move, he’d even break out into monologues mid song. There was something about the unique experience of each show that drew the same crowds back, no two shows were alike.
Growing up just outside of Kingston, Downie had a knack for articulating his love for Canada. His unique voice told tales like no other, including songs such as ‘Bobcaygeon’, or ‘Wheat Kings’. The former is a picturesque verbal painting of the quaint south Ontario town. The latter is a telling of a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for two decades. The lyrics usually required some sort of adept knowledge of Canada, making the audience feel a sense of ownership and community surrounding the music.
That hallmark of the Hip happened to cramp efforts to make a push into the American market. Their iconic 1995 ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance unfortunately proved to be less than fruitful, and aside from the excitement back home the band did not make much of a splash in the south.
No harm in missing that market, three years prior on Canada Day in 1992 The Tragically Hip would play three shows across Canada, starting in St. Johns with ~25,000 attendees followed by 35,000 in Barrie, and lastly 30,000 in Vancouver. A historic feat for a phenom of a band.
The band would continue to be a mainstay in Canadiana for two decades, with numerous appearances and similarly massive shows. Unfortunately, their biggest show would be their last. In May of 2016 The Tragically Hip revealed that Gord Downie had been diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. That summer would be their last show.
The final show took place on August 20th, 2016, in their hometown in Kingston. The K-Rock centre was the venue for the occasion. The building was at capacity, and attendees would later recall the show was a sweaty, teary eyed, beautiful 30 track set tribute. ~7,000 people were in attendance, with 25,000 more in the surrounding streets, rooftops and patios, all there for the shows broadcast on massive screens outdoors.2 The performance garnered 11.7 million viewers, one of the biggest Canadian media events of all time.2 To put that into perspective, one in three Canadians watched that show live.2
Fourteen months later, Gord Downie died. In the time between that last Hip show and his passing Downie would cement himself even further into a Canadian legend, using the last moments of his spotlight on one of Canada's most pressing issues. His last work would be a solo album release that followed the story of Chanie Wenjack, a young indigenous boy who died from exposure in his cold escape from a residential school in an attempt to return to his family in 1966. The album titled "Secret Path” has some of Gord's best work, “Seven Matches” and “Stranger” being stand outs.
During their final show, Downie would emphasize the importance of shining a light on the dark shadow of our country. He would later say: “Canada is not Canada. We are not the country we think we are.” Downie was appointed to the Order of Canada for his work on indigenous issues
I mentioned that he was a defining figure of Canadiana, but Gord worked hard to prove that Canada was not just an idyllic place we call home but a troubled nation that has much work to do in building up those who we have mistreated in the past. He truly redefined Canada on a broader scale. With the nine year anniversary of his death this past week it serves as a reminder of not only the great music but the work done since, and what needs to be done next.
