New single raises funds for addictions centre Canadian musicians collaborate on Cold Manitoba, promote reconciliation By: Erin Lebar Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/10/2018 (2256 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Before he died last year, beloved Tragically Hip frontman and activist Gord Downie put out a call to action to all Canadians to do whatever they can to move towards healing and reconciliation to repair the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through awareness, education and action.

Blue Rodeo keyboardist Michael Boguski has answered that call with the Cold Manitoba Project, a collective of artists working together to create music that supports a cause.

The first single released as part of the project, Cold Manitoba, was originally written by Toronto songwriter Eddie Orso in 2006 and was re-recorded by Boguski and a cast of skilled Canadian musicians including Chris Mason and Lucas Goetz (formerly of Deep Dark Woods; Boguski refers to them as “probably the best rhythm section I’ve heard in my life”), Chris Sleightholm, Dustin Bentall and Jim Bowskill (of the Sheepdogs).

All proceeds from Cold Manitoba, released Oct. 19, will go to the Native Addictions Council of Manitoba, a treatment centre in Winnipeg that works to educate the community about addiction and provides addictions-related treatment and care.

It’s a program that resonates strongly with Boguski: in his 20s, he worked as a street outreach officer in Toronto, helping vulnerable people. Later, he personally struggled with substance abuse.

Now sober it’s been 10 years since he gave up alcohol and three years since he used narcotics.

“I wanted to choose an organization that is really grassroots and that every cent would make a difference, so I was really trying to find the right group of people,” Boguski says.

“This charity, it’s run by the (Indigenous) community for the community — it’s a holistic approach to the treatment of addiction for the community.

“That to me sat a little bit better, especially considering Gord’s message about reconciliation. I’m not a political scientist or social worker, I just know what it’s like to struggle with substance abuse and I also respect that communities have their own ways of dealing with situations.”

Boguski isn’t from Manitoba, but has been to Winnipeg numerous times as a touring musician, and says his most recent trip to the city — in January 2017 — stuck with him after he spent a particularly frigid day walking around town and saw large numbers of vulnerable people struggling on the streets.

“On my journey through the city, I saw a lot of what reminded me of back when I was working outreach in my 20s, but this was a different level. You have a larger community in Winnipeg, so I was really affected by that… it just left an indelible mark on my psyche,” he says.

“In the winter, it’s hard for people living on the street to survive,” he added.

“Winnipeg is where it’s at in terms of people needing to see (that) there are entire communities that are struggling, and I think in Winnipeg you have to be able to understand that we’re all here together.”

Boguski is hoping the song and the story inspire others to take action and be more empathetic in their day-to-day interactions.

“I think people make snap judgments when they’re faced with difficult situations; you see somebody on the street who’s suffering, and I think a lot of us, we just don’t want to deal with why that is the way it is,” he says.

“It’s very easy to end up like that — you don’t realize. Maybe your life is all right, but things can change, and you can end up in a bad place quicker than you realize, so maybe have a bit of heart for the situation.”

Cold Manitoba is now available on all the major music-streaming services, and is available for purchase on iTunes and Google Play.

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @NireRabel

Erin Lebar
Manager of audience engagement for news

Erin Lebar spends her time thinking of, and implementing, ways to improve the interaction and connection between the Free Press newsroom and its readership.

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