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charlene · 11-20-2014, 02:03 PM

http://www.orilliapacket.com/2014/11...fter-lightfoot
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By Dave Dawson, Orillia Packet & Times
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 6:39:49 EST PM

He was a quiet, unassuming student at what became known as Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI). While a bit shy, his fellow students and the teachers at the West Street school helped him emerge from his shell as he started competing in track and field and joined the football team.

But where he really stood out was on ODCVI’s stage. Buoyed by the accolades he had received a few blocks down the street when he was a boy soprano at St. Paul’s United Church, he began to perform during his high-school years — and he’s never stopped.

Gordon Lightfoot, who turned 76 Monday, has had a career in the music industry few could match. With more than five decades of singing and writing songs, he is a living legend whose name — and music — is known, respected and loved around the globe.

Robbie Robertson, of The Band, called the balladeer “a national treasure” and fellow folk legend Bob Dylan said when he hears a Lightfoot song, he wishes “it would last forever.”

Sadly, Lightfoot will not live forever, though his legacy will undoubtedly endure. Naming the new Orillia high school after the internationally acclaimed musician would certainly help.

Earlier this week, the Simcoe County District School Board announced it is seeking input into naming the school currently being built at the corner of Park Street and Collegiate Drive. The building will house the former school communities of both Park Street Collegiate Institute and ODCVI.

Ultimately, a committee of students, parents, teachers and representatives from the school board and area municipalities will be charged with whittling the many suggestions down to three recommendations. Trustees will make a final decision.

The school board’s policy states the committee is to take into account prominent local figures and the history of the community. Lightfoot certainly fits that bill.

The ODCVI graduate who grew up in Orillia and was shaped and moulded here is a songwriting genius whose trademark voice, accompanied by his brilliance on a 12-string acoustic guitar, is synonymous with the folk genre. His name has appeared on marquees around the world; it would be apropos to see it etched on the sign of Orillia’s newest secondary school.

His signature songs — such as The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Black Day in July and The Canadian Railroad Trilogy — chronicle seminal international events, while his radio-friendly tunes — such as Early Morning Rain and If You Could Read My Mind — topped charts around the world.

Lightfoot has captured 16 individual Juno Awards, has been nominated for five Grammys and has been enshrined in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City. He has also been awarded the Companion of the Order of Canada, been immortalized on a Canadian stamp and been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

But there’s nothing in Orillia that pays proper homage to our most famous native son. Naming the school in his honour would begin to accomplish that.

— Dave Dawson

david.dawson@sunmedia.ca

What do you think? Submit a letter to the editor.

11-20-2014, 02:03 PM	#1
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,004	Orillia considers naming school after gordon http://www.orilliapacket.com/2014/11...fter-lightfoot SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: By Dave Dawson, Orillia Packet & Times Wednesday, November 19, 2014 6:39:49 EST PM He was a quiet, unassuming student at what became known as Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI). While a bit shy, his fellow students and the teachers at the West Street school helped him emerge from his shell as he started competing in track and field and joined the football team. But where he really stood out was on ODCVI’s stage. Buoyed by the accolades he had received a few blocks down the street when he was a boy soprano at St. Paul’s United Church, he began to perform during his high-school years — and he’s never stopped. Gordon Lightfoot, who turned 76 Monday, has had a career in the music industry few could match. With more than five decades of singing and writing songs, he is a living legend whose name — and music — is known, respected and loved around the globe. Robbie Robertson, of The Band, called the balladeer “a national treasure” and fellow folk legend Bob Dylan said when he hears a Lightfoot song, he wishes “it would last forever.” Sadly, Lightfoot will not live forever, though his legacy will undoubtedly endure. Naming the new Orillia high school after the internationally acclaimed musician would certainly help. Earlier this week, the Simcoe County District School Board announced it is seeking input into naming the school currently being built at the corner of Park Street and Collegiate Drive. The building will house the former school communities of both Park Street Collegiate Institute and ODCVI. Ultimately, a committee of students, parents, teachers and representatives from the school board and area municipalities will be charged with whittling the many suggestions down to three recommendations. Trustees will make a final decision. The school board’s policy states the committee is to take into account prominent local figures and the history of the community. Lightfoot certainly fits that bill. The ODCVI graduate who grew up in Orillia and was shaped and moulded here is a songwriting genius whose trademark voice, accompanied by his brilliance on a 12-string acoustic guitar, is synonymous with the folk genre. His name has appeared on marquees around the world; it would be apropos to see it etched on the sign of Orillia’s newest secondary school. His signature songs — such as The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Black Day in July and The Canadian Railroad Trilogy — chronicle seminal international events, while his radio-friendly tunes — such as Early Morning Rain and If You Could Read My Mind — topped charts around the world. Lightfoot has captured 16 individual Juno Awards, has been nominated for five Grammys and has been enshrined in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City. He has also been awarded the Companion of the Order of Canada, been immortalized on a Canadian stamp and been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. But there’s nothing in Orillia that pays proper homage to our most famous native son. Naming the school in his honour would begin to accomplish that. — Dave Dawson david.dawson@sunmedia.ca What do you think? Submit a letter to the editor.