The Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie was presented Monday with this country’s highest honour, the Order of Canada.
Downie, who announced last year that he has terminal brain cancer, was recognized by Gov. Gen. David Johnston for his advocacy for First Nations people, charitable contributions and social activism.
“Honoured to receive the Order of Canada at today's Indigenous leadership ceremony,” he tweeted. “Let's continue to work on the path to reconciliation.”
The singer-songwriter’s recent solo project Secret Path told the story of an Ojibwe boy who died in 1966 while trying to escape from a residential school.
Downie was credited with “promoting dialogue, raising awareness of the history of residential schools and moving the country along the path to reconciliation.”
The Hip frontman was one of 30 people who received an award for supporting Indigenous causes. His bandmates – Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair – will become members of the Order of Canada at a later date.