The late Gord Downie was commemorated in Ottawa last year with an impressive snow sculpture, but the city has now announced a more permanent tribute to the late Tragically Hip frontman.
The capital city's transit service, OC Transpo, has announced that a train car set for use in its yet-to-be completed light rail transit system has been named in Downie's honour. The artist's name was chosen as part of a "Name the Trains" contest, which called for children and youth ages 16 and under to submit names for 40 LRT train cars.
Other notable Canadians set to be honoured include Emily Carr, Farley Mowat, John McRae, Henrietta Edwards and more, while other cars were named after animals, natural phenomena and more.
Sharing a photo of the Downie nameplate on Twitter, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called it "an honour to pay tribute to a remarkable Canadian musician and philanthropist who left us too soon."
Reaction to Watson's post was largely positive, though as one user opined, "Naming a train 'Gord Downie' is like GM making a new sedan and calling it Dolores. Or putting up a hundred story office building and naming it Tim."
You can find the complete list of winning names here.
The capital city's transit service, OC Transpo, has announced that a train car set for use in its yet-to-be completed light rail transit system has been named in Downie's honour. The artist's name was chosen as part of a "Name the Trains" contest, which called for children and youth ages 16 and under to submit names for 40 LRT train cars.
Other notable Canadians set to be honoured include Emily Carr, Farley Mowat, John McRae, Henrietta Edwards and more, while other cars were named after animals, natural phenomena and more.
Sharing a photo of the Downie nameplate on Twitter, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called it "an honour to pay tribute to a remarkable Canadian musician and philanthropist who left us too soon."
Reaction to Watson's post was largely positive, though as one user opined, "Naming a train 'Gord Downie' is like GM making a new sedan and calling it Dolores. Or putting up a hundred story office building and naming it Tim."
You can find the complete list of winning names here.
What an honour to pay tribute to a remarkable Canadian musician and philanthropist who left us too soon. Thanks to the winners of the "Name the Trains" contest, Gord Downie's memory will live on the #OTrain Confederation Line 1. You can see it now along the #ottLRT alignment. pic.twitter.com/DuhSkLffri
— Jim Watson (@JimWatsonOttawa) April 23, 2019
At the 100th meridian where the great trains begin.
— Nelson (@scotch_rocks) April 23, 2019
Great idea, horrible execution. It should actually say "in memory of" or "in honour of" Naming a train "gord downie" is like GM making a new sedan and calling it Dolores. Or putting up a hundred story office building and naming it Tim.
— MichaelCochrane (@mcochrane21) April 23, 2019