Guests arriving to the Orillia Opera House stop to take pictures with the bust of Gordon Lightfoot before attending a sold out memorial concert for Lightfoot at the Opera House, in Orillia, Ont., Saturday, May 6, 2023. The show, titled “Early Morning Rain: The Legend of Gordon Lightfootâ€, served as a celebration of life after the famed musician died May 1st at the age of 84. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Drost
ORILLIA, Ont. – More than 1,000 fans poured through a public visitation Sunday in Gordon Lightfoot’s hometown in central Ontario to say goodbye to the folk singer-songwriter.
In the rain, a line grew on the street outside St. Paul’s United Church in Orillia, Ont., where Lightfoot once sang as a choir boy,
Inside, they each had a moment with Lightfoot with the line slowly passing by his closed casket as a flow of his familiar songs played over a loudspeaker.
Two hours after the proceedings began in the afternoon, security for the event estimated nearly 1,050 people had gone through the church.
Steve Porter and his wife, Diane Porter, were first in line at the church at 10:30 a.m., two and a half hours before the doors opened. Not knowing how big the crowds would be, they wanted to show up early to pay their respects.
“I feel like I’m honouring Gord in my own little way,” he said while standing in line.
“I’m representing my family and my ancestors who are all gone and who loved him dearly.”
Antonette Dinovo and her husband, Vince Dinovo, travelled a couple of hours from Markham, Ont., outside of Toronto.
Antonette said they planned to visit a local record store and walk through nearby Mariposa, home of the music festival where Lightfoot often performed.
“I think it’s important to be here today,” she said. “It represents the loss we feel and a celebration.”
Vince said he considers Lightfoot to be the “voice of Canada.”
“Since his death this week, I’ve been thinking about so many things about Gordon,” he said.
“The man will have his place in history and I feel we should definitely be a part of it.”
At 2 p.m., church bells at St. Paul’s rang 30 times, 29 for the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and once in honour of Lightfoot.
After Lightfoot’s death on May 1, Orillia residents began placing flowers on two monuments to the singer in the city.
On Saturday, a previously planned concert tribute to his career at the Orillia Opera House became a celebration of his life and career.
Elsewhere, a book of condolences can also be signed at Toronto’s Massey Hall, a venue where Lightfoot frequently performed throughout his career. It’s to be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A private funeral is take place in Orillia where he will be buried alongside his parents.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023.
