Fans of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip have crafted a Change.org petition to get a national day of recognition for the late singer, to be called “Gord Downie Day.”
Spearheaded by Vancouver radio station JACK 96.9, the petition states that they (and by extension, all Hip/Downie fans) “feel that this quintessential Canadian icon is deserving of a NATIONAL day of remembrance and celebration.”
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The radio station ultimately wants people to remember Downie and recognize all the things he’s done for Canada — his contributions to music, his work with First Nations initiatives and reconciliation and his clear devotion to his country.
Vancouver already has a “Tragically Hip Day,” occurring every July 26, but this petition calls for a nationwide day of celebration.
The petition also suggests the day can help raise funds and awareness of glioblastoma, the brain cancer that took Downie’s life.
“Justin Trudeau respected Gord Downie immensely, as evidenced by his emotional speech shortly after his passing was announced,” reads the petition. “We’d ask Mr. Trudeau to proclaim a national ‘Gord Downie Day’ as a way for Canadians to remember Gord Downie and his relentless spirit. His contributions to this great country were immeasurable and he will be missed every day. He was the soundtrack of our campfires and the voice for so many who didn’t have one.”
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“Gord Downie was the lead singer of Canada,” it concludes.
Hip fans across the country joined in the chorus.
With a goal of 2,500 signatures, as of this writing, the petition is less than 100 signatures away. It will have in excess of 2,500 before the end of Friday. Once the number is reached, the petition will be sent directly to Trudeau.
Downie, the lead singer and lyricist of the Hip, succumbed to brain cancer on Tuesday night. He was 53.