The House of Commons held a moment of silence Tuesday in honour of Gordon Lightfoot, the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter who passed away on Monday.
Lightfoot died at the age of 84 in a Toronto hospital on May 1, according to a representative for his family. A cause of death has not been revealed.
The musician’s death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from Canadian politicians, entertainers and other major figures, all of whom remarked on Lightfoot’s impact on the country and its culture.
“I’ve lost a friend, and Canada has lost an incredible national treasure,” said another Canadian music legend, Randy Bachman, during a conversation on AM640 Tuesday.
AM640 is owned by Corus Entertainment, which is the parent company of Global News.
Bachman spoke about how Lightfoot inspired himself and The Guess Who lead singer Burton Cummings to stay in Canada and write music from their own experience, instead of travelling to the United States or England to chase international stardom.
“The music lives on forever,” Bachman said. “Gordon will live on forever through those songs.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Lightfoot “one of Canada’s greatest songwriters and just an extraordinary Canadian icon” while speaking with reporters in Ottawa Tuesday morning.
“He loved this country with an incredibly deep passion, and he was extraordinarily humble about it as well,” Trudeau said.
Lightfoot was also brought up during question period in the House of Commons, with Liberal MP Francesco Sorbara highlighting how Lightfoot’s songwriting “captured the hearts of generations of Canadians and fans worldwide.”
Conservative MP Adam Chambers, whose Simcoe North riding includes Lightfoot’s hometown of Orillia, Ont., spoke of the musician’s impact on local and Canadian culture.
“He is to Canadian music what the Group of Seven is to Canadian art,” he said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Lightfoot “Canada’s Bard” in a tribute on Twitter Monday evening following news of Lightfoot’s death.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Lightfoot “brought Canada’s stories to people all over the world.”
“He mentored generations of Canadian musicians and artists and will forever be part of our national culture and identity,” he wrote.
Artists and celebrities including Brian Wilson, Belinda Carlisle, Robbie Robertson and many more have also paid tribute to Lightfoot and shared memories of meeting him or being moved by his songs.
“The world lost one of its great storytellers yesterday,” actor Kiefer Sutherland wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Canada lost part of itself. And I lost a hero.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Sean Boynton
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