People from all over the world congregated in Orillia to honour and celebrate iconic Canadian musician Gordon Lightfoot, who has strong roots in the Sunshine City. The 4th Annual Lightfoot Festival—formerly Lightfoot Days Festival—featured the Gordon Lightfoot Band, who toured and recorded with the man himself. The band was the headliner for the third year in a row. There was also a youth competition for young artists inspired by the folk singer-songwriter, The event took place over the weekend in various locations across the city. Lightfoot died in 2023 when he was 84 years old and the festival has been honouring his legacy ever since. President of the Lightfoot Festival John Winchester says while Lightfoot didn’t live in Orillia very long, he always remembered where he came from. “Gord never forgot how important Orillia was to him no matter how famous he became,” Winchester tells CTV News. “He lived most of his life in Toronto, but Orillia was always home. And this is our way of saying how much we love Gord, how much we love his music and how important it is for his music to live on.” Not only does the festival celebrate a Canadian musical icon, but it spotlights Orillia, bringing it to centre stage. “It really puts Orillia further on the map,” Winchester says. He says a couple from Belgium came to the festival for the second year in a row and there were also people in attendance from parts of the U.S., including California, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The Youth Singing Competition involved three high school students who sang various Lightfoot songs to a panel of judges, who were members of the Lightfoot Band. Sienna Leblanc was the winner, who performed “Pussy Willows and Cat-Tails” for a crowd at Quayle’s Brewery in Coldwater on Sunday afternoon. Leblanc tells CTV News she’s inspired by Lightfoot. “I think that he has a very unique way of writing his music,” Leblanc says. “And I find that the imagery is just so vivid, you just can’t miss it. It’s just so beautiful.” She also says she tries to emulate some of his techniques. “I think that in my songs I can definitely be more descriptive like he is and that’s what I’m learning right now,” says Leblanc. Winchester says Lightfoot’s musical legacy is significant when it comes to what Canada is all about. “Gord’s music talks about the history of our country. If you don’t know much about our country, I would say listen to Gord’s music, whether it’s ‘Canadian Railroad Trilogy,’ whether it’s ‘The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald,’” Winchester says. He says Lightfoot’s songwriting also had another aspect. “He doesn’t just tell the history; he also talks about emotions,” Winchester says. Choir Revolution, a community choir singalong hosted by Brett Caswell, had everyone singing Lightfoot’s classic hit “Sundown.” “If You Could Read My Mind” and “The Circle is Small” are both about the ends of relationships. “He really speaks to the human condition,” Winchester says. The festival also put on a showing of the Gordon Lightfoot documentary Lightheaded – A Gordon Lightfoot State of Mind. Winchester along with the committee who run the festival are already planning for next year, which is set to take place the first weekend of November.
