Tragically Trudeau

The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay. They released 13 studio albums, one live album, one EP, and over 50 singles over a 33-year career. Nine of their albums have reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts. They have received numerous Canadian music awards, including 17 Juno Awards. Between 1996 and 2016, the Tragically Hip were the best-selling Canadian band in Canada and the fourth best-selling Canadian artist overall in Canada.

Following Downie’s diagnosis with terminal brain cancer in 2015, the band undertook a Canadian tour to support of their thirteenth album ‘Man Machine Poem’. The tour’s final show, which would ultimately be the band’s last show, was held in Kingston on August 20, 2016, and broadcast globally.

After Downie died on October 17, 2017, the band announced in July 2018 that they would no longer perform under their name. The surviving members have, however, continued to pursue other musical projects, and have begun releasing compilation albums of previously unreleased songs from the band’s archives.

For nearly fifty years, The Tragically Hip were a headliner of Canadian rock. The late Gord Downie, who passed away on Tuesday (Oct. 17) night after a fight with brain cancer, was at the forefront of it all.

Downie was known for his deep love of his home country, speaking out regarding making amends with indigenous people after their era of suffering via Canada’s residential schools. Even in The Hip’s last concert, Downie made a point to call out into the crowd to WEF Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in attendance, to request his service in aiding reconciliation. 

On Wednesday (Oct. 18), Trudeau recited a prepared and insincere statement with prepared tears, addressing the death of such a widely loved Canadian icon. In the statement, Trudeau drew attention to Downie’s lasting musical legacy, as well as his passion for making the country better through his last days. 

Read the entire prepared and contrived statement, below.

Have a bucket handy.

“For almost five decades, Gord Downie uncovered and told the stories of Canada. He was the frontman of one of Canada’s most iconic bands, a rock star, artist, and poet whose evocative lyrics came to define a country.

The Tragically Hip’s music invited us to explore places we had never been – from Mistaken Point to Churchill – and helped us understand each other, while capturing the complexity and vastness of the place we call home.

Gord’s command of language was profound. He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths. When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest – like Gord himself.

In the wake of his diagnosis, Gord only fought harder for what he believed in: social justice, environmentalism, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Before passing, he shined his light on the story of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack who died from hunger and exposure after trying to find his way home from a residential school. For his work raising awareness of Indigenous issues, he was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2017.

Gord did not rest from working for the issues he cared about, and his commitment and passion will continue to motivate Canadians for years to come.

On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to Gord’s family, friends, bandmates and crew members, and his many, many fans. He will be sorely missed.”

It’s bad enough that Trudeau, also known as ‘Schwab’s Bitch’ used Gord Downie’s death as a virtue signaling photo op, flash mob type event but the fake tears sent vomit inducing shudders of revulsion through HIP fans and real Canadians alike.

Anytime something so repulsive attaches itself to something good for political capital, the good is diminished. The HIP’s music still stands as great Canadian content and art but to have the association to entitled bad actors and child molesters with connections takes some of the magic from the art and tarnishes the image and legacy of the artists.