Secret Path at 10: Toronto Concert Honours Gord Downie

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Gord Downie's Secret Path turns 10 this month, and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) is marking the anniversary with a concert in Toronto on Friday, October 23, 2026. Exclaim! reports that a new covers project featuring Indigenous artists is being released to commemorate the album, graphic novel and animated film, and that many of those artists will perform the songs live at The Concert Hall. The line-up The fund's event page lists special guest performances by Amanda Rheaume, Aysanabee, Drives the Common Man, Julian Taylor, Natasha Fisher, Nimkii and the Niniis, Thea May, Tom Wilson & Thompson Wilson, William Prince and Wolf Saga. They will be backed by a house band of Mike Celia on guitar, Anna Ruddick on bass, David Engle on keys and Jeremy Elliott on drums. Exclaim! reports that the covers project also includes Mimi O'Bonsawin and Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers among its contributors. The evening According to DWF, the night will feature its Artist Ambassadors performing songs from Secret Path, their own originals and Tragically Hip covers. There will also be an Indigenous vendor marketplace, exclusive DWF merchandise and refreshments for purchase. Doors open at 7pm and the concert begins at 8pm ET (1am WAT on October 24). All tickets are general admission at $89 plus taxes and fees, and DWF says the money raised supports its programmes, campaigns and events. The fund's page describes it as a 19+ event, with government-issued photo ID required at the door. The story of Chanie Wenjack Secret Path tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Anishinaabe boy who ran away from a residential school in 1966, trying to walk home about 600 kilometres away, as Exclaim! explains. According to the fund, he was born on January 19, 1954, at Ogoki Post, and was sent to Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora in 1963. The fund says he ran away in 1966 with nine other children. His body was found on October 22, 1966; he died of starvation and exposure. His death led to the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools. Gord Downie and the fund Gord Downie, the singer of The Tragically Hip, worked with the Wenjack family on Secret Path, which combined music, a graphic novel and an animated film. He died on October 17, 2017. The fund that carries his and Chanie's names continues the work through education and reconciliation programmes. DWF says it has used Secret Path and Chanie's story as a starting point to help teachers share the true history of residential schools. It reports that more than 10,000 educators from over 7,000 schools will receive free resources this school year, that more than 250,000 students will have access to reconciliation-focused material including Secret Path multimedia, and that nearly 3 million "reconciliACTIONs" have been taken to date. Why the anniversary matters Having Indigenous artists reinterpret the songs a decade on shifts the focus towards Indigenous voices telling the story in their own way. The concert also keeps attention on the education work that has grown out of the project. A busy Toronto autumn The concert falls in a busy week for live music in Toronto. Lennon Stella releases her album Sleeping Lion on the same day and plays the city's Paradise Theatre on October 29. For more Canadian music news, visit our Canada hub, our Juno Awards page and our folk-pop and rock pages. Key facts Event: Secret Path 10th Anniversary Concert Date: Friday, October 23, 2026; doors 7pm, concert 8pm City: Toronto Tickets: $89 general admission plus taxes and fees; 19+ What's next The Secret Path 10th Anniversary Concert takes place on October 23 in Toronto, with tickets on sale through the fund's listed outlets. The anniversary covers project will be released to mark the milestone, giving the songs a new life in the voices of Indigenous artists. Sources: Exclaim! | Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund | Todocanada