Results: "I love this country. I love my idea of this country." — Gord Downie, The Tragically Hip

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Harriet56

08/29/2026

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Music
1.
1.
Ten years ago, one of the most iconic Canadian bands played their final show. The Tragically Hip was formed in Kingston, Ont., in 1984, made up of members Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay, and Paul Langlois who joined two years later. The band eventually grew to become one of the country's most iconic -- and certainly beloved -- bands, capturing hearts and becoming the playlist to many of our lives. The band would play their last show in 2016 at the same place they found their start – Kingston – and more than 11 million Canadians tuned in to watch. Were you a Tragically Hip fan (I definitely was, and had the please of seeing them perform several times)?
No
20%
195 votes
A big fan
6%
59 votes
Liked them
12%
112 votes
Liked some of their music
11%
104 votes
Do not know them
51%
496 votes
2.
2.
Liz Duff, a pop culture commentator and podcast host has released a web documentary called "That Night in Kingston" which revisits the Tragically Hip's final concert through a personal connection of her own -- her father. The web documentary is available to stream on YouTube right now. The attached video is the full documentary. Will you check it out?
Yes
13%
126 votes
No
49%
478 votes
Undecided
37%
362 votes
3.
3.
To commemorate the concert, the CBC rebroadcast that final concert last Thursday, but the concert was screened all across the country, and most notably in Kingston, to adoring fans. What was it about The Hip that captured our hearts this way? They became known as "Canada's Band" by deeply reflecting the nation's identity. Their lyrics tackled the nation's history, while the band travelled our vast country in an effort to play its most remote towns and cities, which involved 12-hour ferries and overnight drives. They did not just have fans; they had devoted followers of their music and their lives. This devotion was cemented in 2016, when The Hip's lead singer Gord Downie was sadly diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The band's farewell tour sold out in minutes and their final show was streamed by 11.7 million people at home, making it one of the country's most-watched events. In the days after Downie's passing in October 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wept on television, venues around the country dimmed their lights and audiences at hockey games stood silent. If you ever attended a concert, it wasn't just a great show -- it was an emotional, bonding experience that no one will ever forget or experience again. The Hip was not as well known as other Canadian acts, but they were fine with that -- their allegiance was always to their fellow Canadians. They wrote their songs for them, they played their small towns and they always lived in our country. They may have toured around the world, but they always came home. Their very last song they played in their farewell concert was "Ahead by a Century", and the last words spoken at that concert were "Have a nice life", spoken by Downie himself. Do you know this song?
Yes, one of my favourites
7%
68 votes
Yes
15%
142 votes
No
48%
462 votes
Did not listen
30%
294 votes

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