From the Promoter

In conjunction with the release of Secret Path, the forthcoming album, graphic novel and film, Gord Downie, has announced two very special live shows, in Ottawa (Oct 18) and Toronto (Oct 21), with proceeds directed to reconciliation.

Secret Path, is ten songs that tell the story of Chanie Wenjack (whose teachers miscalled “Charlie”), a twelve year-old boy who died fleeing the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario fifty years ago. Chanie was attempting to walk the 400 miles back home to the family from whom he was taken. Downie was introduced to the story by his brother Mike, who shared with him Ian Adams’ Maclean’s story from February 6, 1967, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack.”

"Chanie haunts me. His story is Canada’s story. This is about Canada…The next hundred years are going to be painful as we come to know Chanie Wenjack and thousands like him – as we find out about ourselves, about all of us – but only when we do can we truly call ourselves Canada.” — Gord Downie

To read Gord Downie’s full statement on Secret Path from September 9, 2016, go here.

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 starting the country on a road to reconciliation. Every year as Chanie Wenjack is remembered, the hope for Secret Path is that it educates all Canadians (young and old) about this omitted part of our history, urging the entire nation to play an active role in the preservation of Indigenous lives and culture in Canada.