TORONTO, ON – Steam Whistle Brewing has announced that for the 2nd year in a row, half of its profits from draught sales of Steam Whistle Pilsner in the month of February will be donated to the Downie Wenjack Fund, a part of the legacy of the late singer-songwriter and activist Gord Downie which “embodies his commitment, and that of his family, to improving the lives of First Peoples.”
The Fund is named in honour of both Downie and Chanie Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy who died in 1966 at the age of 12 after running away from a residential school. His story with the inspiration behind The Secret Path, an album with accompanying film and graphic novel that was released by Downie in 2016.
“We are honoured to work with and support an organization with the mandate to build a more inclusive Canada, and build bridges between the Indigenous communities and the rest of Canada,” says Tim McLaughlin, Vice-President of Marketing at Steam Whistle, in a statement. “Gord Downie is a Canadian icon, and when he told the tragic story of Chanie Wenjack, he brought this dark chapter of our history to the national consciousness. It is important that we honour his legacy and support this important cause of building a more inclusive Canada for everyone.”
Source: Steam Whistle Brewing press release