Sadness remains after the death of Gord Downie, but there are many celebrating as well because of the legacy he left behind.
Thousands gathered in downtown Kingston, Ontario last night. Some came to express their grief, while others, reflected through the music of the Tragically Hip.
Justin Chenier says their music helped him through very tough times when he was leaving the military around 20 years ago, “When I was nineteen, I found them when I needed them. They were pretty instrumental in helping me to take a break from what was going on around me. I just found them when I needed them the most. I needed a connection to home, and I found their tapes in a store when I was in Cold Lake, Alberta, and I found strength in their music.”
Chenier says he had heard a few weeks ago that Downie wasn’t well, so he wasn’t completely shocked with word of his passing yesterday morning, but he admits it still took his breath away.
He adds, “We all had around 18 months to get ready for this, but you never really are ready and then when it hits, it’s just shocking all the same. It is just sad, to know that a father, a friend, a brother, a husband, a son, who meant so much to so many, isn’t here anymore.”
Downie died yesterday at the age of 53. He was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in December of 2015, and the news was made public in May of 2016.
