Sundown: Memories of Gordon Lightfoot

Plus, [Your Name Here] Rocks the North

May 02, 2023

Gordon Lightfoot, who passed yesterday at age 84, played the CN Centre a couple of times, at least, including 2006 (you can watch the ad for the show by clicking the image above) and in 2011 when the radio show I worked for held a contest asking people to share their memories of his music. I was able to find the archives of some of those stories and thought they’d be nice to share today. One thing that stands out about them is how they are all multi-generational, with his music a connecting point between parents and children. That’s certainly how it is for me — Gordon Lightfoot records or songs played on guitar are a childhood memory, as well. A couple of other bits, I like — “Gordie” Lightfoot being asked by a young Alex Trebek if he’ll ever record his own music rather than just covers and Lightfoot on becoming neighbours with Drake.

Here are some of the contest entries from 2011:

I just heard about your contest from my niece who lives in Smithers. She has sent you a wonderful story about her dad, my brother. Both her father and I were fans of Gord from the start and occasionally played his tunes together.
I remember well the story she told you. In September 1967, centennial year I was in Marystown, NL doing an equipment start-up for the town's new ship building plant and fish plant courtesy of Joey Smallwood when I heard that Gordon Lightfoot was playing that night down the road at Salt Pond and would be in Marystown the following night. I was due to head back and agonized over staying or leaving. Marystown itself was a 100 mile drive down the Burin Penninsula over a rough gravel and dirt road. I missed the performance.
Several years later, on an early flight to Calgary, there were two fellows sitting beside me. I was working on a presentation I had to do that day while they were, well, poking a few back. As we descended into Calgary we struck up a conversation and they told me they were part of Gord's group, and he was sitting across the aisle a few seats forward.
I told them about missing the performance in Marystown, and one of them got up, called Gord over, introduced me and told him I had been to Marystown. Gord came right over and said, "Man, if you've been to Marystown, I want to shake your hand."

— Peter Follett in Ontario

As a child, I came to the conclusion and was very certain that my dad invented the recipe for peanut butter and jam sandwiches. This fact I even had a playground fight about. I also came to the conclusion after listening to my dad sing along with his Gordon Lightfoot tape that he must've been friends with Gordon and must've helped him write his songs. Very sensible conclusion now that Iook back.
My dad knew ALL the words, he knew when to pause or when to hold the notes longer. Amazing. He EVEN sang the songs sometimes when he wasn't listening to the tape. So he must've been friends with Gordon and they write the songs together right???
I would love to send my dad to the Gordon Lightfoot concert so he could be reunited with his 'friend', and to completely celebrate my dad's awesomeness, I'd even use his 'secret recipe' and make him a peanut butter and jam sandwich before the show.

— Kelsey Rehmann in Vanderhoof

I didn't like Gordon Lightfoot, or I should say I thought I didn't. He was that guy my mother listened to. We had 8-tracks in the van on family holidays, familiar music. My mom asked if I wanted some Gordon Lightfoot tapes that she had duplicates of. I was in my teens. I remember reacting with scorn and derision. Not gracefully nor politely, I might add.
My sister took those tapes. When I was older, my sister and I became roommates at college. Her tape player was blasting away when I came in one day and I easily fell into singing along with her as we did house work. I remember commenting how I hadn't heard these songs in awhile, how great they were, how they brought back terrific memories and asked who it was. You can imagine my shock.
I would love to go to Gordon Lightfoot and take my mother with me. Maybe I'll take her even if I don't win the tickets. I kind of owe her!

— Jill Greenlees in Prince George

My early memories of Lightfoot, take me back to a time long ago and far away, to a summer time both hot and unbearably humid as only Toronto's can be, and no more so than in the early 70's before universal air conditioning.
I would have been in my early teens, Lightfoot was iconic even then, especially so as his songs, or at least some of them were so easy to learn, perfect for kids whiling away lazy summer hours, too young for work and too old for, well, the stuff we were too old for, I guess.
As young teens we were easily fooled and lured to them for their simplicity, though we were to find them difficult indeed, to master. Undaunted, the first song I ever learned to play on the guitar was Pussywillows & Catails, hauntingly beautiful in its simplicity, then we moved on to Alberta Bound and Did She Mention My Name, amoung others.
My Dad still asks me to sing these songs as they remain his favourites even now. Lightfoot is the personification of Canadian Music, where he is both lord and legend.

— Nancy Lynn Gould in Prince Rupert

This is fine

Look, I enjoyed the sunny weather this weekend. But I hate this nagging feeling that goes with the projections of a warmer-than-usual May that wildfires could well be on their way. And this map from Natural Resources Canada on the projected risk for the month of May isn’t helping:

Sorry to be a downer.

Does this photo of a giant anthill help?

[Your Name Here] Rocks the North

In the last civic election, one potential councillor ran for the sole purpose of getting the annual Cariboo Rocks the North outdoor concert to stop being so loud. The two-day outdoor event at the CN Centre gets a bunch of Canadian bands that you’ll hear on oldies rock radio and has them play loud enough that everyone can hear them for at least a 4 km radius, because that’s how far away I can hear them in my backyard when it happens. Anyways, people love it and it makes money for both the city and, presumably, the title sponsor, which is Pacific Western Brewing (maker of Cariboo beer, hence the name).

However, councillor Brian Skakun has questions about why the city has partnered with a private corporation on this event without opening it up to other potential organizations. The topic came up after city staff told council that they had received a $69,400 grant from the province to support fairs and that all of that money will be going into this year’s Cariboo Rocks the North.

“How come we haven’t opened up the procurement process?” he asked about 25 minutes into this video. “I’ve had other people ask me, ‘How do I get involved with this?’” His argument, basically, is the city is providing land, security and other things like this grant money, and should open up a bidding process to other companies who want to sponsor “so we get the best deal,” rather than giving it to Pacific Western Brewing by default year after year — and, in his view, giving that company credit for a lot of work that the city itself is doing.

However, CN Centre manager Andy Beesley said he was not aware of any city in the province that did this for events like concerts and he would have “grave concerns” if Prince George were to buck the trend, given the complexity of negotiating things like getting a bunch of bands to come to town at the same time. He also pointed out there have been plenty of other events the city has been involved with with other companies that have worked this way, too.

There’s another wrinkle to this, as well — the face of Cariboo Rocks the North is largely Kyle Sampson, who is both a city councillor and an events manager for Pacific Western Brewing. That’s been a sticking point in the past, as well — Skakun raised concerns after Sampson got a letter of support from the city to apply for provincial grants without going throgh a public process — and then, as now, Skakun said it’s not that he thinks Sampson is doing anything untoward or wrong, but he wants to see processes in place so there is more transparency around how the city works with local companies, particularly those that employ city councillors.

Anyways, it was a divided vote, ultimately in favour of getting a report from staff on how this all works:

Mayor Simon Yu said he supported a one-time report to “put the matter to rest” and provide the public with a clear picture of the city’s expenses and profits from hosting the event.
Councillors Tim Bennett, Trudy Klassen and Susan Scott said the city should have a clear policy regarding naming rights for events, similar to the city’s naming rights policy regarding civic facilities.
Polillo, Scott and Coun. Cori Ramsay opposed the request for a report back on the concert operations.
“This is an operational decision,” Coun. Ron Polillo said. “Would we even be having this discussion if one of council didn’t work for the sponsor?”
Sampson did not participate in the discussion, because of his conflict of interest in the matter.

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