Remembering Gord Downie: 10 Ways the Tragically Hip Have Made Us Proud to be Canadian

How do you begin to define the legacy of a band that’s become synonymous with Canadian culture – from the Prairies to Bobcaygeon, Ont., long providing the soundtrack for summers at the cottage? Because that’s the essence of the Tragically Hip to their legions of fans across the country. Made up of frontman Gord Downie, guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay, the band is currently taking their final bow during a cross-Canada farewell, the Man Machine Poem tour, following Gord’s terminal cancer diagnosis.

We took a look back at all the reasons the Tragically Hip have made us proud to be Canadian…

1. They took the world stage on SNL

On March 25, 1995, Dan Aykroyd introduced his friends from his Kingston, Ont., hometown to the stage on Saturday Night Live. The Ghostbusters star appropriately wore a Canada T-shirt for to mark the Hip’s debut in the U.S.

2. They have royal approval

Guitarists Rob Baker (shaking the Queen’s hand) and Paul Langlois met Her Majesty during the Golden Jubilee gala in Toronto in 2002.

3. Their songs have become Canada’s unofficial national anthems

The Hip’s poetic, often politically charged lyrics have tackled both sublime moments and darker chapters in Canadian history, like explorer Jacques Cartier’s discovery of the country in 1992’s “Looking for a Place to Happen.” The band was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2006.

4. They’re hip to the importance of giving back

In 2012, fans rushed to Kensington Market in Toronto after news broke that the band would be playing a free impromptu concert to launch their new album, Now for Plan. In addition to surprising and delighting their fans, they’re very charitable as well, raising millions for social and environmental charities throughout their three decades. Total class acts!

5. They have their own day in Toronto

The Tragically Hip is embedded in Canadian culture, much like Tim Horton’s and toques. So it’s only natural that the band would be honoured with a special day. Toronto mayor John Tory proclaimed August 10, 2016 to be Tragically Hip Day, marking the first of their final three shows in the city. “This band, The Hip, have touched so many people. They haven’t been as famous internationally as other Canadian acts have been but I don’t think they focused on that,” he said. “They told Canadian stories in a Canadian way. Their songs were rich with all kinds of references to our country and to small towns and Canadian things.”

6. The band is beloved by Canadian musicians across the board

From The Arkells to Rush’s Geddy Lee, many of today’s top Canadian musicians cite the Hip as inspiration for their own music. “Gord Downie has always been very generous with his time and just available if you want to reach out and he’s been very complimentary to us,” Max Kerman from The Arkells (pictured), who toured with the Hip in 2013, told the CBC.

7. They gave all of Canada a last chance to see them perform

On May 24, the band announced the devastating news that frontman Gord had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. But in true Hip fashion, they decided to hit the road for one final farewell tour. “So after 30-some years together as The Tragically Hip, thousands of shows, and hundreds of tours…We’ve decided to do another one,” the band posted in a message on their site. They announced an 11-date cross-Canada tour, with a final show on August 20 in Kingston, Ont., the band’s hometown, which will be televised for the entire nation.

8. The band is helping to raise funds and awareness for cancer research

While the tone for the farewell tour, which they’re hoping to make “the best tour yet,” is dedicated to the music and giving back to their devoted fans, their giving back in a wider sense, too. A portion of the proceeds from the Man Machine Poem tour will be donated to the Sunnybrook Foundation to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

9. The Hip is Canada’s best-kept secret

…except if you ask any Canadian, they can likely belt out the lyrics to some of the most iconic songs from the band’s 13 albums – like “Bobcaygeon,” “Wheat Kings” or “New Orleans is Sinking”– on cue. The band has also picked up 14 JUNO awards over the last 30-plus years (with dozens of nominations to their name).

10. The bittersweet farewell tour is about both style and substance

Frontman Gord surprised his bandmates when he stepped out on stage for the first show in Victoria, B.C., on July 22 in splashy, sparkly ensemble by Toronto-based designer Izzy Camilleri. “[Gord]’s the one who came forward with the metallic idea,” the designer, who’s also dressed David Bowie and Jennifer Lopez, told the Globe and Mail. “[He] wanted to make this a celebration, to take people’s minds off being sad.”