SPILL NEWS: PETITION ASKING CBC TO BROADCAST FINAL HIP CONCERT NEARS 25,000 SIGNATURES

PETITION ASKING CBC TO BROADCAST FINAL HIP CONCERT NEARS 25,000 SIGNATURES

ORILLIA NATIVE KELLY McALPINE SETS AN INITIATIVE TO BROADCAST THE TRAGICALLY HIP KINGSTON SHOW LIVE

Nearly 25,000 Canadians have signed Kelly McAlpine’s petition asking the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast the Tragically Hip’s final show at the K-Rock centre in Kingston on August 20th 2016. Her petition continues to gather momentum as fans struggle to purchase tickets for the band’s final tour, which Ticketmaster made available to the public Friday morning.

“As you may be aware, Canada will soon be losing another patriot to cancer; who has honoured and contributed to this country in a multitude of ways for many years,” writes McAlpine, a devoted fan from Orillia, Ontario. “Gord Downie, along with fellow members of The Tragically Hip, have celebrated their love for this country through songs such as “Bobcaygeon”, “Fifty-Mission Cap”, “Wheat Kings” and many more.”

She notes the band listed reasonable ticket prices, but that ticket distributors such as Ticketmaster have appeared to “disrupt these intentions; making pre-sales impossible for fans to access, then re-selling at thousands of dollars.” McAlpine t believes the country’s national broadcaster can “make a tremendously effective contribution to Gord’s vision; with all of our help.”

McAlpine is also asking that advertising proceeds from the broadcast be donated to the Sunnybrook Foundation.

As Canadians continue to grapple with the news of Downey’s late stage cancer, many have taken to Change.org find ways to honour the leader of one of Canada’s most iconic bands — over 80,000 have signed related petitions, suggesting among other things that Downey receive the Order of Canada, and that a stamp be created in his honour.

In a letter to the President of Canadian National Broadcasting Corporation Hubert T. Lacroix she states:

Dear Mr. Lacroix,

As you may be aware, Canada will soon be losing another patriot to cancer; who has honoured and contributed to this country in a multitude of ways for many years.

Gord Downie, along with fellow members of The Tragically Hip, have celebrated their love for this country through songs such as “Bobcaygeon”, “Fifty-Mission Cap”, “Wheat Kings” and many more. Gord has also dedicated himself as a member of the board for Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, whose mission is to ‘create a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future.’

It is both astounding and inspiring that Gord plans to join his fellow bandmates to celebrate one last tour with their fans across Canada. The band listed face-value ticket prices from $56-$166 CAD with the intent of proceeds being donated to the Sunnybrook Foundation. Of course, ticket distributors such as Ticketmaster have appeared to disrupt these intentions; making pre-sales impossible for fans to access, then re-selling at THOUSANDS of dollars – with NO DONATION to the Sunnybrook foundation. This is disgusting. Yet I believe CBC can step in and make a tremendously effective contribution to Gord’s vision; with all of our help.

I am asking CBC to facilitate a live broadcast of The Tragically Hip’s final show at the K-Rock centre in Kingston on August 20th 2016, with proceeds from advertising, media coverage etc. to be donated to the Sunnybrook Foundation as The Hip intended with their ticket sales. Perhaps viewers (who cannot afford Ticketmaster’s gouging prices) can access this coverage by making a SMALL donation (under $10) to the Sunnybrook Foundation as well.

If you build it, your fellow Canadians will come.

Sincerely,

Kelly McAlpine, Orillia ON

Kelly’s Petition: www.change.org/TheHipOnCBC
Honouring Gord Downie Page: https://www.change.org/m/honouring-gord-downie

Man Machine Poem Tour Dates

July 22 – Victoria, BC
July 24 – Vancouver, BC
July 28 – Edmonton, AB
August 1 – Calgary, AB
August 5 – Winnipeg, MB
August 8 – London, ON
August 10 – Toronto, ON
August 12 – Toronto, ON
August 14 – Toronto, ON
August 16 – Hamilton, ON
August 18 – Ottawa, ON
August 20 – Kingston, ON

See more at: http://www.thehip.com/news/man-machine-poem-tour-dates/#sthash.hlo9sKK3.dpuf

Tragically Hip Links