The Tragically Hip are the definitive Canadian band, so the climate surrounding their final tour after frontman Gord Downie's terminal cancer diagnosis has been half-mourning and half-celebration. They begin the first of three nights at Toronto's Air Canada Centre today, so the city's mayor John Tory decided to make August 10th the first ever Tragically Hip Day in Toronto."I don't have a Hip story," begins Tory, before thanking the band for being insanely Canadian and for telling Canada's stories "the way we want to have them told." Watch Tory's video announcement of Tragically Hip Day below.
Phil Witmer is a Noisey Canada staff writer. Follow him on Twitter.That night in Toronto…. #TragicallyHipDay @thehipdotcom pic.twitter.com/i0Q3upUdNi
— John Tory (@JohnTory) August 10, 2016