Manitobans celebrate the life of Vince Fontaine
Manitobans gathered to celebrate the life of Vince Fontaine, an icon in Manitoba's music and Indigenous communities.
Band members from Eagle & Hawk and Indian City performed in the Oodena Circle at The Forks to bid farewell to their friend.
Fontaine passed away suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 60 due to a heart attack.
His niece, and MLA for St. Johns, Nahanni Fontaine, said it was important for the family to bring the community together in his honour.
"It was through his music that he tried to connect community. That was the most important thing. That was the motivation for the work that he did and the music he produced."
Fontaine was a staple of the Indigenous music community in Manitoba and across Canada. He released more than ten albums and played around the world.
His musical talent earned him a Juno Award, and in 2012 he was inducted into the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Hall of Fame.
Nahanni said the outpour of support has helped the family through this difficult time.
"We've gotten messages from everywhere here in Manitoba, Winnipeg, and across Canada. But I've received messages as far as Germany and Austria."
Jay Bodner is a singer and rhythm guitar player for Eagle & Hawk and played alongside Fontaine for 25 years.
He said throughout his career, Fontaine worked hard to bring Indigenous music to the forefront.
"Not just from Winnipeg, but throughout North America. Pushing Indigenous music into the mainstream, and that's been one heck of a job."
The musical performances drew a big crowd as the band played songs from Fontaine's 25-year catalogue.
"We're going to try to span right from 1997 to the current Indian City album today in ten songs," said Bodner.
Nahanni said one of Fontaine's gifts was his compassion for others and the love and support he gave to all who knew him.
"He was the rock of our family, and he was always there for us, like he's always been there for the community, and he's going to be deeply, deeply missed."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Fontaine's wife and three children cover the costs associated with the burial.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Huawei 5G ban delay wasn't tied to efforts to free Spavor and Kovrig, Mendicino says
Canada's Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino insists the once unknown fate of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig was not why the government delayed its decision to ban Huawei technologies from Canada's 5G network.

BREAKING | Ontario storm leaves seven dead and tens of thousands without power
Communities have been left reeling after a severe thunderstorm ripped through much of southern Ontario, leaving seven people dead and tens of thousands without power.
Tens of thousands without power after severe storm hits Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
Taliban enforcing face-cover order for female TV anchors
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on Sunday began enforcing an order requiring all female TV news anchors in the country to cover their faces while on-air. The move is part of a hard-line shift drawing condemnation from rights activists.
How concerned should we be about monkeypox?
Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. Here's what we know about the current outbreak and the relative risk.
Putin's invasion of Ukraine an 'act of madness,' former U.K. PM Blair says
The United Kingdom's former prime minister Tony Blair says Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine is an 'act of madness.' In an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday, Blair said Putin doesn't appear to be the same man he knew in the early 2000s.
Justice Mahmud Jamal reflects on his first year on the Supreme Court bench in new special interview
Ahead of his one-year anniversary on the Supreme Court of Canada this July, Mahmud Jamal spoke with CTV National News National Affairs Correspondent Omar Sachedina to reflect on his past year on the bench.
Toronto investigating first suspected case of monkeypox
Health officials in Toronto say they are investigating the first suspected case of monkeypox in the city.
78,000 pounds of infant formula arrives in U.S.
Enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis.