Gord Downie to play Secret Path shows to honour Chanie Wenjack

Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie will play two concerts in support of his Secret Path project a set of songs and a graphic novel honouring Chanie Wenjack.

Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibwayboy, died from hunger and exposureafter trying to find his way home from a residential school near Kenora, Ont., fifty years ago.

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Downie, who has terminal brain cancer, recently performed in several Canadian cities alongside the Hip, culminating in a nationally-broadcast concert in Kingston, Ont.

"Chanie haunts me. His story is Canada's story," Downie said in a statement when the project was revealed. TheSecret Pathproject includes 10 songs, and a graphic novel by award-winning author Jeff Lemire.

The music will be released on Oct.18, and Downie will perform it during two special shows. The first will be at theNational Arts Centre in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct.18while the second is slated for Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on Friday, Oct. 21. Times for the shows have yet to be announced.

Tickets for the shows go on sale Sept. 23.

Tickets are expected to go on sale Friday, with all proceeds going to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's efforts.

The Secret Path animated film will be broadcast by CBC in an hour-long commercial-free television specialonSunday, October 23 at 9 p.m. ET(9:30NT).