A Decade Since the Hip's Last Show
Ten years ago, the Tragically Hip played what would become one of the most talked-about concerts in Canadian history. Now, guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker are looking back on that emotional night — and on the friend and bandmate they lost the following year, frontman Gord Downie.
To mark the anniversary, CBC will rebroadcast the band's final concert, originally held in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, this Saturday. The broadcast is expected to draw in longtime fans as well as a new generation of listeners who've discovered the Hip's catalogue in the years since.
A Tour That Stopped the Country
When Gord Downie announced in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, the Tragically Hip decided to go ahead with a cross-Canada farewell tour rather than cancel their plans. The tour became a genuine national moment — the final concert was simulcast on CBC television and radio, streamed online, and watched by an estimated one-third of the country's population in real time. Crowds gathered in public parks and living rooms alike to watch Downie perform one last time.
For a band that had spent more than three decades writing songs steeped in Canadian geography, history, and identity — from "Bobcaygeon" to "Fifty Mission Cap" — the farewell tour felt less like a typical rock send-off and more like a shared national goodbye.
Remembering Gord Downie
Downie passed away in October 2017, just over a year after the tour wrapped. In interviews tied to this week's anniversary, Langlois and Baker described the final show as both devastating and joyful — a chance to give their friend and collaborator the send-off he deserved while he was still able to experience it with them.
The remaining members have continued to honour Downie's legacy in the years since, including through charitable work supporting Indigenous reconciliation efforts, a cause Downie championed in his final years through projects like "Secret Path."
Why It Still Resonates
Few Canadian cultural moments have brought the country together quite like that final Hip concert did. A decade later, it remains a touchstone for what it means to say goodbye publicly and collectively — and a reminder of how deeply the band's music is woven into Canadian identity, from small-town arenas to the halls of Parliament, where politicians of all stripes have cited the band's lyrics over the years.
CBC's rebroadcast this Saturday gives fans across the country, including here in Ottawa, another chance to revisit that night — whether they watched it live in 2016 or are experiencing it for the first time.
Source: CBC News
