Finish It. That’s the message of an inspiring new campaign to mark the Terry Fox Foundation’s 45th anniversary.

The short film that delivers that message is almost certain to give you chills. Recreating Fox’s legendary Marathon of Hope run across Canada, it is driven by a new, stripped-down version of the Tragically Hip song Courage.

Working with musician Jonas Bonnetta, the team at Diamond peeled away the anthemic instrumentation, leaving only late frontman Gord Downie’s voice, along with subtle backing vocals and piano. The process “transformed (the song) into a haunting, beautiful tribute, capturing the essence of Terry’s journey,” says Peter Ignazi, Diamond’s chief creative officer.

Ignazi’s team sent the reimagined track to the Hip’s reps and they unanimously bought in.  Continue reading

In a video post about the collaboration, Tragically Hip’s Rob Baker says the band was “profoundly moved by how the song was used,” and how it “meshed with this footage of Terry Fox willing himself down the highways of Canada.”