“They say ‘Why do you write so many songs that are indigenous to the area from which you come?’ I guess it’s because that’s where we’re from.” – Gord Downie

The Tragically Hip’s music is uniquely Canadian; from its recounting of disappearing hockey players or famous prison breaks, to its imagery of our flowing prairies and icy waters, it has provided the soundtrack to the lives of countless Canadians across multiple generations, and the unmistakable voice of Gord Downie has spoken love and stewardship for our country deep into their hearts.

From the Pacific Coast of British Columbia to the shores of Atlantic Canada and to the furthest frozen reaches of the Arctic, the Hip has delivered poignant, heartfelt messages to all Canadians about the ways our home and native land can inspire us.

It can inspire us to explore landscapes, discover new cultures and understand our fellow citizens. It can also challenge us to question our paths, confront our history and pour our hearts into meeting the changes we see as being tantamount to our national success.

Until moving to the Arctic in 2019, the Hip and Gord Downie were just one of my favourite bands and artists, a regular appearance in my rotation of playlists.

Then I read Secret Path, Downie and Jeff Lemire’s 2016 graphic novel about Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Anishinaabe boy who died after escaping a residential school and attempting to walk the 400-mile trek back to his home in Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls First Nation in Northern Ontario.

In the novel, Downie and illustrator Jeff Lemire deliver an unflinching and unrelenting account of one boy’s harrowing experience in one of........

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