North Bay to Sudbury, ON
Traditional territory of the Algonquin, Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, Ojibway, Odawa and Cree
60 km
Sun and cloud, some wind from the southwest, 24 ºC
We left North Bay late, but thanks to our amazing host Liz who gave us a boost, still made it to Sudbury on time. Plus we stopped at Duchesnay Falls where Cardinal, a Canadian crime drama based out of Sudbury and North Bay, was being shot. It was cool to see a live set. Camera crews smoking. Security guards standing. Actually I saw the actors dressed up in police uniforms and technical gear and thought that they were some sort of security as well.
Sudbury is having Northern Lights Festival Boréal, Canada’s longest continually running outdoor music festival. The festival is a strong component of the music scene of northern Ontario and supports diverse emerging and acclaimed artists every year. We were there for their opening night, featuring solely Indigenous musicians.
When we got to the festival, The Jerry Cans were performing. They’re from Iqaluit, perform many of their songs in Inuktitut and are passionate about representing northerners and challenging misconceptions about life in the Arctic.
The main act was firebrand Buffy Sainte-Marie, one of the most influential Indigenous musicians of our time. She’s won countless awards, been covered by countless musicians, and been a leading voice of justice from protest anthems of the 1960s to her latest anti-colonial songs. She’s 76, just finished recording a new album, and she’s one of the most powerful performances I’ve ever seen on stage.
