The ten song album will be released by Arts & Crafts accompanied by Lemire's eighty-eight page graphic novel published by Simon & Schuster Canada. Secret Path acknowledges a dark part of CanadaвЂ™s history вЂ“ the long-supressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system вЂ“ with the hope of starting our country on a road to reconciliation. In winter 2014, Gord and Mike brought the recently finished music to comic artist Jeff Lemire for his help illustrating ChanieвЂ™s story, bringing him and the many children like him to life. The music features Downie on vocals and guitars, with Drew and Hamelin playing all other instruments, except guest contributions by Charles Spearin (bass), Ohad Benchetrit (lap steel/guitar), Kevin Hearn (piano), and Dave вЂњBilly RayвЂќ Koster (drums). Recording took place over two sessions at the Bathouse in Bath, Ontario, November and December 2013. The stories GordвЂ™s poems tell were fleshed into the ten songs of Secret Path with producers Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin.

Gord was introduced to Chanie Wenjack (miscalled вЂњCharlieвЂќ by his teachers) by Mike Downie, his brother, who shared with him Ian AdamsвЂ™ MacleanвЂ™s story from February 6, 1967, вЂњThe Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack.вЂќ Gord Downie began Secret Path as ten poems incited by the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve year-old boy who died fifty years ago on October 22, 1966, in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario, walking home to the family he was taken from over 400 miles away.

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