What Justin Trudeau, Ryan Reynolds and other notable Canadians are saying about Gord Downie’s death

Gord Downie packed a lot of life into his final year and a half. After sharing that he’d been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, he put out a Tragically Hip album, released a graphic novel, film and solo record (and there’s another on the way), founded a fund for Indigenous reconciliation, and played a final concert that made Canada stand still.

Related

Culture

Nine vintage photos that track the Tragically Hip’s rise to CanRock royalty

Culture

How Twitter reacted to the Tragically Hip’s farewell show

He was a performer unlike any other, an inspiration to a generation of musicians, and a poet whose words and music captured what it meant to be Canadian. So, when Canada discovered this morning that Downie had died, the country was gutted. Here’s how some notable Hip fans said goodbye.

First, the news from the Downie family:

Justin Trudeau teared up talking about Gord and his legacy:

The PM also posted a more formal statement online. “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,” he wrote:

Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s right-hand man and concert buddy at the final Hip show, shared some thoughts, too:

John Tory made good use of his extra Twitter characters:

While a number of Canadian celebrities decided less was more:

Given Gord’s love for hockey, no surprise one of the greats chimed in:

As well as another ultra-Canadian personality:

Here’s the premier:

It’s been a tough week for Bubbles, after the death of Trailer Park Boys’ John Dunsworth:

Artist Jeff Lemire, who illustrated Downie’s graphic novel, Secret Path:

Here’s one from a band that wrote the lyric, “This campfire won’t last forever, the Hip have only wrote so many songs”:

More heartbroken Canadian musicians:

Thoughts from one of Canada’s best music critics:

And another:

Journalist Steve Ladurantaye shared this story:

Even the satirical Stats Canada account saw it fit to be serious: