He clearly was so taken with it and couldn't let it go.' When you hear the songs, clearly it was affecting him. 'For Gord, his way of experiencing the world is to write about it. 'I think he really tried to put himself in those shoes and imagine what that was like,' Mike says. Written entirely in the first person, Downie tried to feel what Chanie Wenjack was feeling on his journey from moment he was taken away from his family, to his lonely death. The Secret Path began as 10 poems that Gord Downie wrote as he grappled with Chanie's story. Gord Downie (right) visited Pearl Wenjack at her home in Marten Falls First Nation ahead of the launch of his Secret Path project, which is devoted to Pearl's brother Chanie (Charlie) Wenjack. He saw it as something that I think made sense to him as his life was coming to an end.' Mike says he hopes the film makes it clear that this idea, 'meant a lot to this guy, he wasn't chasing causes around, this was really important. It's not very pleasant, but don't look away,' you know?' 'Then for him to say, 'Look at this, this is our country too. And for him that missing piece became very obvious. 'That there wasn't a whole country, you know, we hadn't figured out what that missing piece was. 'Growing up, he always felt that there was something missing,' says Mike. It was a moment that helped Gord finally get at something that had been nagging at him for years. And I think at that time our feeling was, if we knew so little about something like this, like wow, there must be millions of Canadians who have no idea.' 'I really didn't know anything about them, to my shame. 'Gord and I, we knew so little about residential schools,' Mike says. The hour-long film chronicles that last year of Gord Downie's life, and his determination to tell Chanie Wenjack's story:Ī photo of Chanie Wenjack, held by his sister Pearl Achneepineskum, seen in a Canadian Heritage Minute. An encore broadcast of the documentary will air on CBC News Network on Oct.on CBC Television (9:30 NT), on the CBC TV streaming app and cbc.ca/watch. Finding the Secret Path premieres Friday, Oct.WATCH: The interview with Patrick and Mike Downie from The National.Now, nearly a year after Gord Downie's death, his brothers Patrick and Mike are premiering a new CBC documentary they've produced - Finding The Secret Path. The Secret Path and getting it out there. 'This is not to take away from anything he did on that farewell tour with the Hip, but this is what he really wanted to see to the end. 'His main focus was the release of Secret Path,' says Gord's brother, Patrick Downie. It's a story that gripped Downie, even as he struggled with the brain tumour that was killing him. He died of hunger and exhaustion trying to walk 600 kilometres home to the family he was taken from. Downie was passionate about the indigenous community and making sure their stories were told.In his last year, while living with his own tragic story, Gord Downie was consumed by another.Ĭhanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Anishinaabe boy, ran away from a residential school in northern Ontario 52 years ago.

That day, the rest of the Canadian rock group announced that they would head out on a last tour, 'for Gord and for all of us.' Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay and of course, Gord Downie completed a 15-show 'Man Machine Poem' tour, as Canadians around the country rallied around the singer - including Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.ĭownie spent his final days raising awareness about indigenous issues and released an album called The Secret Path about 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died of exposure after escaping a residential school. Hip fans and the Canadian public discovered Downie's illness on May 24th of last year. No one worked harder on every part of their life than Gord. At home, he worked just as tirelessly at being a good father, son, brother, husband and friend. As a musician, he lived “the life” for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies.

'Gord knew this day was coming – his response was to spend this precious time as he always had – making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss… on the lips,' read the official statement. Downie passed on Tuesday night, surrounded by friends and family. Canadian icon, Gord Downie, has passed away at 53. In December of 2015, the singer was diagnosed with aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer which would eventually take his life.

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