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{{other uses}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Secret Path
| type         = [[Album]]
| artist       = [[Gord Downie]]
| cover        = Secret Path cover art.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = October 18, 2016
| recorded     = November 3&ndash;10, 2013<br /> November 27&ndash;December 2, 2013
| venue        = 
| studio       = [[The Bathouse Recording Studio]], [[Bath, Ontario|Bath, ON]], [[Canada]],
| genre        = 
| length       = 41:10
| label        = [[Arts & Crafts Productions]]
| producer     = [[Kevin Drew]], [[Dave Hamelin]]
| prev_title   = [[And the Conquering Sun]]
| prev_year    = 2014
| next_title   = [[Introduce Yerself]]
| next_year    = 2017
| misc         = {{URL|https://secretpath.ca/}}
}}

{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[Pitchfork Media]]
|rev1score = (8.0/10) [http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22537-secret-path/]
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->

'''''Secret Path''''' is a Canadian [[Transmedia storytelling|multimedia storytelling]] project including a ten-song [[Album|music album]], a [[graphic novel]], an [[adult animation|animated]] [[television film]], and [[instructional materials]].<ref name=":0" /> Released on October 18, 2016,<ref name=secretpath>[http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/gord-downie-to-release-solo-album-graphic-novel-next-month-1.3064911 "Gord Downie to release solo album, graphic novel next month"]. [[CTV News]], September 9, 2016.</ref> the centrepiece of the project is a [[concept album]] about [[Chanie Wenjack]], a young [[Anishinaabe]] boy from the [[Marten Falls First Nation]] who died in 1966 while trying to return home after escaping from an [[Indian residential school]].<ref name=globe>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/gord-downie-to-release-album-graphic-novel-about-residential-schools/article31784065/ "Gord Downie to release album, graphic novel about residential schools"]. ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', September 9, 2016.</ref>

The album ''Secret Path'' was the fifth studio album by [[Gord Downie]] and the final album released during his lifetime. The album was accompanied by a graphic novel of the same name, written by Downie, illustrated by [[Jeff Lemire]], and published by [[Simon & Schuster]];<ref name=secretpath/> as well as an animated television film aired on [[CBC Television]] on October 23, 2016.<ref>[http://exclaim.ca/music/article/gord_downie_announces_secret_path_solo_album_graphic_novel_and_tv_special "Gord Downie Announces 'Secret Path' Solo Album, Graphic Novel and TV Special"]. ''[[Exclaim!]]'', September 9, 2016.</ref> All proceeds from the album and book are being donated to the [[University of Manitoba]]'s [[National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation]].<ref name="globe" />

Downie performed the album in a concert at [[Roy Thomson Hall]] on October 21, 2016, which was his last full concert performance in his lifetime and was attended by members of the Wenjack family. The concert was aired by CBC Television in October 2017 following Downie's death. The project was further followed in 2018 by ''Finding the Secret Path'', a documentary film by Downie's brother [[Mike Downie]] about the creation of the original project.<ref name=":1">[https://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/8959777-gord-downie-s-final-year-captured-in-cbc-doc-finding-the-secret-path/ "Gord Downie’s final year captured in CBC doc Finding the Secret Path"]. ''[[Hamilton Spectator]]'', October 11, 2018.</ref>

== Album ==
The centrepiece of the project is ''Secret Path'', Downie's fifth [[studio album]] and the final album released during his lifetime. All proceeds from the album are being donated to the [[University of Manitoba]]'s [[National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation]].<ref name="globe" />

===Track listing===
<small>All tracks written by Gord Downie unless otherwise noted.</small>
{{Track listing
| title1 = The Stranger
| length1 = 5:33
| title2 = Swing Set
| length2 = 3:20
| title3 = Seven Matches
| length3 = 3:31
| title4 = I Will Not Be Struck
| length4 = 4:02
| title5 = Son
| length5 = 3:17
| title6 = Secret Path
| length6 = 4:12
| note6 = Downie, [[Kevin Drew]]
| title7 = Don't Let This Touch You
| length7 = 5:05
| note7 = Downie, Drew
| title8 = Haunt Them, Haunt Them, Haunt Them
| length8 = 5:02
| note8 = Downie, Drew
| title9 = The Only Place to Be
| length9 = 2:55
| title10 = Here, Here and Here
| length10 = 4:13
| note10 = Downie, Drew
}}

===Personnel===
*Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars by Gord Downie
*[[Charles Spearin]] – Bass
*[[Ohad Benchetrit]] – Lap Steel & Additional Guitar
*[[Kevin Hearn]] – Additional Keys
*Dave "Billy Ray" Koster – Drums
*All other instrumentation by Kevin Drew and [[Dave Hamelin]]
*Produced and Mixed by Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin 
Additional personnel:
*Engineered by Nyles Spencer
*Mastered by Eric Boulanger, The Bakery, Culver City, California, USA<ref name=":0">{{Cite web | url=http://secretpath.ca | title=Gord Downie's The Secret Path | access-date=2024-05-07}}</ref>

== Live performances ==
Downie performed the album in a concert at [[Roy Thomson Hall]] on October 21, 2016, attended by members of the Wenjack family. The concert was filmed for an hour-long special, '''''Gord Downie's Secret Path in Concert''''', which also featured backstage footage and scenes from the animated film. Downie and his collaborators performed the album, again with members of the Wenjack family, in Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on November 29, 2016.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/gord_downie-rebecca_cohn_auditorium_halifax_ns_november_29 | title=Gord Downie &#124; Exclaim! }}</ref> This proved to be Downie's last performance. The special aired on October 22, 2017, on [[CBC Television]], following Downie's death earlier that week.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gord Downie's Secret Path in Concert to premiere Sunday, October 22 on CBC|language=en-US|work=CBC Arts|url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/secretpath/gord-downie-s-secret-path-in-concert-to-premiere-sunday-october-22-on-cbc-1.4356834|access-date=2018-01-09}}</ref>

==Book==
{{Infobox book
| name              = Secret Path
| author            = Gord Downie
| illustrator       = Jeff Lemire
| publisher         = [[Simon & Schuster]]
| pub_date          = October 18, 2016
| isbn              = 9781501155949
| pages             = 96
| media_type        = Paperback
}}
The graphic novel, also titled ''Secret Path'', was written by Gord Downie, illustrated by Jeff Lemire, and published by [[Simon & Schuster]].<ref name="secretpath" /> It was released on October 18, 2016, concurrently with the album.<ref name="globe" />

As with the album itself, all proceeds from the book are being donated to the University of Manitoba's National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.<ref name="globe" />

==Film==
The [[Animation|animated film]], also titled ''The Secret Path'', adapts Downie's album and Lemire's graphic novel. It is divided into ten chapters, according to the ten songs from Downie's album.<ref name=":0" />

It was executive produced by Gord Downie, along with Mike Downie, Patrick Downie, and [[Sarah Polley]]. The film was produced with the participation of the [[Canada Media Fund]] and the Canadian Film or Video Production [[tax credit]].<ref name=":0" />

''The Secret Path'' was broadcast by CBC in an hour-long television special on October 23, 2016.<ref name=":0" />

==Reception and impact==
The project was widely adopted by many Canadian schools as a teaching tool in indigenous history lessons on the residential school system,<ref>[https://globalnews.ca/news/3839147/peterborough-teacher-incorporates-gord-downies-secret-path-for-indigenous-history-lessons/ "Peterborough teacher incorporates Gord Downie’s ‘Secret Path’ for Indigenous history lessons"]. [[Global News]], November 2, 2017.</ref> and led to the creation of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund to support efforts in indigenous reconciliation.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/wenjack-fund-2018-budget-1.4554500 "Downie-Wenjack fund receives $5M in 2018 federal budget"]. [[CBC News]] Thunder Bay, February 27, 2018.</ref>

In an opinion piece in the [[National Post]], [[Peter Shawn Taylor]] has criticized the story for containing fictionalized elements.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/opinion/guilt-over-aboriginals-can-lead-to-teaching-children-untruths-its-happening-in-canada/|title=Guilt Over Aboriginals Can Lead to Teaching Children Untruths: It's Happening in Canada - nationalpost.com|newspaper=National Post|date=February 20, 2018|publisher=}}</ref>{{undue weight inline|date=May 2022}}

=== Charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (2016)
! scope="col" | Peak<br /> position
|-
{{album chart|BillboardCanada|4|M|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/canadian-albums/2016-11-12|title=Billboard Canadian Albums: Top Albums Chart|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|artist=Gord Downie|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 1, 2016}}
|}

===Awards===
The album won two [[Juno Awards]] at the [[Juno Awards of 2017]], for [[Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year|Adult Alternative Album of the Year]] and [[Juno Award for Recording Package of the Year|Recording Package of the Year]], and Downie won [[Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year|Songwriter of the Year]] for the songs "The Stranger", "The Only Place to Be" and "Son". The album was also a shortlisted nominee for the [[2017 Polaris Music Prize]].<ref name="shortlist">[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/polaris-music-prize-shortlist-includes-leonard-cohen-gord-downie/article35667824/ "Polaris Music Prize shortlist includes Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie"]. ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', July 13, 2017.</ref>

At the [[6th Canadian Screen Awards]], the television film received nominations for the [[Donald Brittain Award]] and Best Music in a Non-Fiction Program. It won the Best Music award at the non-fiction programming event on March 6, 2017,<ref>[https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/2018-canadian-screen-awards-honour-national-media-1.3832035 "2018 Canadian Screen Awards honour national media"]. [[CFTO-DT|CTV News Toronto]], March 6, 2018.</ref> and the Donald Brittain Award at the broadcast gala on March 11.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/csa-gala-lookahead-1.4570105 "Canadian Screen Awards 2018: Maudie, Anne, Kim's Convenience win top prizes"]. [[CBC News]], March 11, 2018.</ref>

At the [[7th Canadian Screen Awards]], the concert special won two awards, for best variety or entertainment special and best sound in a non-fiction program.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/csa-nonfiction-gala-1.5072719 "Gord Downie's Secret Path, Amazing Race and CBC News among Canadian Screen Awards winners"]. [[CBC News]], March 26, 2019.</ref>

At the [[8th Canadian Screen Awards]], ''Finding the Secret Path'' won the awards for Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series and Best Direction in a Documentary Program (Mike Downie).<ref>Brent Furdyk, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200605124256/https://etcanada.com/news/648359/canadian-screen-awards-2020-first-round-of-winners-revealed/ "Canadian Screen Awards 2020: Non-Fiction Winners Revealed"]. ''[[ET Canada]]'', May 25, 2020.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website | https://secretpath.ca}}
* {{IMDb title|6156336|Secret Path}}

{{The Tragically Hip}}
{{Donald Brittain Award}}
{{Discrimination against Indigenous peoples in Canada}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Multimedia works]]
[[Category:2010s Canadian animated films]]
[[Category:2016 albums]]
[[Category:2016 animated films]]
[[Category:2016 films]]
[[Category:2016 graphic novels]]
[[Category:2016 television films]]
[[Category:Album chart usages for BillboardCanada]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Kevin Drew]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 1960s]]
[[Category:Animated films set in Canada]]
[[Category:Arts & Crafts Productions albums]]
[[Category:Biographical graphic novels]]
[[Category:Canadian animated television films]]
[[Category:Canadian graphic novels]]
[[Category:CBC Television original films]]
[[Category:Charity albums]]
[[Category:2010s concept albums]]
[[Category:Donald Brittain Award winning shows]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1966]]
[[Category:First Nations films]]
[[Category:First Nations music]]
[[Category:First Nations novels]]
[[Category:Gordon Downie albums]]
[[Category:Graphic novels set in Canada]]
[[Category:Graphic novels set in the 1960s]]
[[Category:Historical fiction graphic novels]]
[[Category:Indigenous child displacement in Canada]]
[[Category:Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year albums]]
[[Category:Works about residential schools in Canada]]