DOWNIE CHOSEN AGAIN AS NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR
Late Tragically Hip singer chosen as top newsmaker
Gord Downie only appeared in public a handful of times in 2017, but his calls for a more inclusive Canada resonated even in his absence.
Whether it was the poignant lyrics flowing through his recent albums or the heartfelt words he delivered in public, the Tragically Hip singer used every opportunity in his final months to speak out in support of Indigenous people in Canada.
Even after he died of brain cancer in October at age 53, Downie’s push for reconciliation continued to reverberate across the country.
His hope for a better Canada is one of the reasons editors and broadcasters say they selected him as Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year for the second straight time.
Downie collected 47 votes (53 per cent) in the annual Canadian Press survey of newsrooms across the country. The musician remains the only entertainer to receive the title in its 71-year history.
He’s also now among a select group of Canadians to be voted top newsmaker more than once. Others include former prime ministers Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau and activist athletes Terry Fox and Rick Hansen.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was second in this year’s poll with 11 votes (13 per cent), while new NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh finished third with 10 votes (11 per cent).
“Most Canadians don’t really care about politicians — but Gord Downie seems to have touched so many hearts,’’ wrote Christina Spencer, editor of the Ottawa Citizen’s editorial pages.
“Rarely have we mixed our tears of sadness and gratitude as we did for Gord Downie,’’ added Danny Kingsbury, national rock format director at Rogers Radio in Ottawa.
“His music and legacy and work with Indigenous communities will live on.’’
Even though Canadians knew it was coming, news of Downie’s death on Oct. 17 left many stunned.
It almost seemed at times like he could do the impossible somehow defy science to overcome his terminal diagnosis.
He surprised doctors and fans alike with his boundless determination during the 2016 Hip tour. At the rousing last concert in Kingston, Ont., Downie offered hints of his next vision. Speaking to the audience, he expressed the urgency of drawing more attention to the inequities faced by Indigenous people. He called on the prime minister to lead by example.
Downie’s “Secret Path’’ multimedia project, which was completed before his cancer
diagnosis, became the guidebook in his last year as he delicately recounted the tragic final hours of Chanie Wenjack.
For many Canadians, it was the first time hearing the story of the 12-year-old Ojibway boy who died of starvation and exposure after escaping a residential school in 1966.
“His spirit touched Chanie Wenjack’s spirit,’’ said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.
“Even though they never physically met each other, I think in a spiritual way they knew and really bonded together.’’
Alvin Fiddler, the Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, worked closely with the Downie family over the past year and a half. He said it was impossible to predict how “Secret Path’’ would affect the wider conversation.
“None of us really could envision the impact,’’ he said. “To see it spread across the country was something ... pretty meaningful.’’
Fiddler credits Downie for shining a spotlight on some Indigenous issues, which he said led to progress in certain areas.
“We have more and more communities coming off the boiled water advisory list next month in Slate Falls (First Nation in Ontario),’’ he offered as one example.