Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in the House to congratulate the Tragically Hip for their success last night in winning two Junos: entertainer of the year and group of the year.
The Hip have now won five Junos, including entertainer of the year for the third time. The group of Gord Downie, Gord Sinclair, Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay and Robbie Baker is from my riding of Kingston and the Islands and has a strong commitment to the Kingston community.
The entertainer of the year award is voted on by fans and is testimony to the band's wide appeal in Canada. The Tragically Hip sold out its recent 20-event tour of Canada in three days and has sold over 500,000 copies of its recent album "Day for Night".
While the Hip was winning Junos and praise in Canada on the weekend, it was also making a break into the American market with an appearance on "Saturday Night Live".
I join with millions of Canadians in congratulating the Tragically Hip on its success and wish it further great singing in the future.