This is our opportunity to answer Gord’s call and leave a national legacy. He was an actor and writer, known for Jumper. Gord Downie stood in front of millions at his last concert with the Tragically Hip and called on Canadians to “do something,” about Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people. Gord Downie was born on 6 February 1964 in Amherstview, Ontario, Canada. Funds raised will be used towards projects working to connect Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to facilitate reconciliation across the country. With a fundraising goal of $100 million, The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund is operating through the Toronto Foundation, and is guided by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. I know there is so much work to be done on healing the wounds of this time, which is why I was so heartened to learn of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, and Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie’s accompanying musical album, book, and film “ Secret Path” (all proceeds of which will be donated to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.) The fund is co-named in honour of Chanie Wenjack, a 12 year-old Indigenous boy who died in 1966 after fleeing from an Ontario residential school. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around, as a mother, and as a human being. It’s a shameful history that many Canadians were never taught in school, and the traumatizing effects of which continue to this day. That was the reality of many of the 150,000 Indigenous children in Canada who were placed in Residential Schools over a period of 126 years. Imagine your child was taken from you and never returned. Gord Downie, who became a symbol of perseverance in the face of incurable brain cancer, has passed away at age 53. Imagine the people who were supposed to care for your child instead hurt her, and the living conditions caused the spread of deadly disease. Imagine your child was forbidden from speaking his own language and culture, and forced to assimilate into a culture and religion that was not your own. He will be sorely missed.Imagine your child was taken from you. ![]() “On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to Gord’s family, friends, bandmates and crew members, and his many, many fans. “Gord did not rest from working for the issues he cared about, and his commitment and passion will continue to motivate Canadians for years to come. For his work raising awareness of Indigenous issues, he was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2017. Before passing, he shined his light on the story of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack who died from hunger and exposure after trying to find his way home from a residential school. “In the wake of his diagnosis, Gord only fought harder for what he believed in: social justice, environmentalism, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. ![]() Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest – like Gord himself. After making six hats for Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie to wear during the band’s cross-country Man Machine Poem tour. When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths. “Gord’s command of language was profound. “The Tragically Hip’s music invited us to explore places we had never been – from Mistaken Point to Churchill – and helped us understand each other, while capturing the complexity and vastness of the place we call home. He was the frontman of one of Canada’s most iconic bands, a rock star, artist, and poet whose evocative lyrics came to define a country. “For almost five decades, Gord Downie uncovered and told the stories of Canada. The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of Gord Downie:
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