вЂњThe original announcement of Secret Path was pretty big, and people were really curious about what Gord was going to do next,вЂќ says Mike.

It took a long time to conceptualize the project: the original idea was pitched in 2012, and the project was released in 2016. That evolved into the graphic novel and animated film,вЂќ adds Mike. вЂњFrom there we went to Jeff Lemire, who came up with ten chapters to accompany GordвЂ™s ten songs. Soon after, the Downie brothers recorded and released their studio album titled Secret Path.

Over the next few months, Gord wrote poems that told the story of ChanieвЂ™s journey. I showed him this article, and over that lunch, we decided we would reach out to the Wenjack family,вЂќ shares Mike. вЂњWe always thought about doing a film together. Now, he is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, having co-founded a production company under the name of Edgarland Films.ДЄ few days after being introduced to ChanieвЂ™s story, Mike presented his brother Gord with a printed copy of вЂњ The Lonely Death of Chanie Wenjack ,вЂќ a 1967 article published in MacleanвЂ™s magazine. вЂњIt made my office downtown seem a little small,вЂќ says Mike while reflecting on the bandвЂ™s tours during their early years. Having previously worked as an economist in Toronto, Mike changed his career path after being inspired by his brotherвЂ™s early success as lead vocalist for The Tragically Hip, a rock band based out of Kingston, Ontario. вЂњThat was the start of my extensive research on the topic.вЂќ вЂњAt the time, I had never heard of residential schools,вЂќ he recalls. The documentary told the story of a little boy running away from his residential school. In 2012, Mike was driving while listening to the radio when a short radio documentary by CBC reporter Jody Porter came on. Mike Downie is one of the co-founders of the Downie and Wenjack Fund, which aims to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, alongside his late brother Gord Downie. It is part of the countryвЂ™s dark history-one that we havenвЂ™t been willing to shine a light on for a long time. Residential schools are one of CanadaвЂ™s many means of cultural genocide targeting Indigenous Peoples. A form of re-education system in Canada, residential schools were government-funded and church-run institutions. Unfortunately, Chanie is one of the 150,000 Indigenous children that were forced into residential schools over the span of 150 years in Canada. After having escaped from the former Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, which he attended for three years, Wenjack attempted to walk 600 kilometres from Kenora to Ogiki Post to reunite with his family. In the cold October weather of 1966, 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack was found deceased along the Canadian National Rail tracks in Farlane, Ontario.

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