Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip at Alloway Library

 As Canadians recall the life of Gordon Downie, his work as lead singer for the Tragically Hip and  his contributions to  the reconciliation process are often highlighted.  A quick OneSearch for “Tragically Hip” brings up  news articles, concert posters and more about Downie and the band. (TWU login may be required to access some resources.)

The Secret Path is a powerful animated film  which tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibwa boy who died of exposure in 1966 while running away from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario. The story is told through music by Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie and illustrations by graphic novelist Jeff Lemire. The Secret Path acknowledges a dark part of Canada’s history — the long-suppressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system — with the hope of engaging all Canadians in the reconciliation process.

 Family Band  is a short documentary on the Hip,  created in 2008; it  uses a split-screen and acid-etched colours to distill the iconic Canadian band’s essence.