Ajax will join communities across Canada in marking the 10th anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s final concert with a special public screening on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The Tragically Hip Ajax event will take place at the Ajax Centre for the Arts, formerly known as the St. Francis Centre for Community, Arts & Culture, at 78 Church St. S. The viewing party begins at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
CBC and The Tragically Hip are presenting a nationwide rebroadcast of “The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration,” the band’s final performance from Kingston, Ontario, on Aug. 20, 2016. The concert closed the band’s Man Machine Poem tour and became one of the most widely watched music broadcasts in Canadian history.
Free Ajax screening supports Feed the Need Durham
Registration for the Ajax screening is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rather than charging admission, organizers are asking guests to bring donations of non-perishable food for Feed the Need Durham.
The local food support organization works with agencies across Durham Region to distribute food to residents facing food insecurity. The donation request gives the anniversary event a local community benefit while allowing fans to revisit a major moment in Canadian music history.
The Ajax Centre for the Arts will also have concessions and a cash bar available during the evening.
Special introduction includes unseen footage
The 10th anniversary presentation will begin with a special introduction directed by filmmaker Mike Downie, the brother of late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie.
The introduction, titled “A Beautiful Thing,” includes previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage from the band’s final tour along with interviews reflecting on The Tragically Hip’s impact and the significance of the 2016 Kingston concert.
The original final show drew an estimated one-third of Canada’s population across television, radio, online platforms and public viewing events. The performance took place after Gord Downie had publicly disclosed his diagnosis with terminal brain cancer.
The band completed a 15-date cross-country tour before returning to its hometown of Kingston for the final concert. Downie died on Oct. 17, 2017, at the age of 53.
Anniversary includes new live album
The Tragically Hip are also marking the anniversary with the release of a new live collection, “Live July 22-August 20, 2016,” documenting performances from the band’s final tour.
The album is scheduled for release on Aug. 21, one day before the national rebroadcast. It will be available through major streaming platforms and preserves live recordings from different stops during the farewell tour.
CBC will rebroadcast “A National Celebration” commercial-free across its television, radio and digital platforms on Aug. 22. Communities elsewhere in Canada are also hosting anniversary screenings and events connected with the presentation.
For Durham residents, the Tragically Hip Ajax event provides a local place to experience the historic concert together rather than watching from home.
The evening combines music, remembrance and community support as fans mark a decade since one of Canada’s best-known bands played its final show.
Anyone interested in attending should register in advance because seating is limited and admission is being offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
