The Tragically Hip Join the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Tragically Hip were among four musical acts inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at a gala at Toronto's Massey Hall on Saturday night — and the memory of the late Gord Downie was in sharp focus.

A hall honouring songwriters rather than performers puts the weight on the writing, which for the Kingston alt-rock band was always the load-bearing wall. A gala is a formal occasion, but this one carried something of a wake about it.