Blue Rodeo’s Mike Boguski Brings Music to Thunder Bay Shelter
At Grace Place in Thunder Bay, Ont., lunchtime sounded a little brighter this week — thanks to a surprise performance by Mike Boguski, the longtime keyboardist for Blue Rodeo.
Boguski played a free solo set for dozens of shelter clients, filling the space with what he calls “the healing joy of music.”
“Music offers people a reprieve from whatever burdens they’re facing,” Boguski said. “That shouldn’t be limited to people who can pay $100 a ticket.”
A ‘Tour Within a Tour’
As Blue Rodeo travels across Ontario, Boguski has been organizing his own “tour within a tour,” performing at shelters, food banks, and outreach centres in every city the band visits.
His mission is simple: bring music to people who might otherwise never get to attend a concert.
“This is just a small token of what I can do to bring joy to people who need it,” he said.
Music That Connects
For Leonard Graham Crawford, who spent nine years living on the streets, Boguski’s visit meant more than just entertainment.
“When I hear this kind of music, it soothes you,” Crawford said. “It brings everybody together, makes you forget all the bad stuff that’s happening out there.”
Grace Place serves about 300 free meals a day and runs an Out of the Cold program offering 25 emergency shelter beds each night.
Pastor Gary Macsemchuk said demand for services has risen sharply amid soaring living costs.
“People are in need at this time of year, especially with groceries being so expensive,” he said.
‘It Brings Them Alive’
Operations manager Melody Macsemchuk said she immediately said yes when Boguski reached out to offer his performance.
“It brings our clients alive,” she said. “Most of them can’t afford to go to concerts — this was special.”
Robert Esquega, a member of the Red Rock Indian Band, couldn’t help but tap his feet during the upbeat piano set.
“I like it,” he said. “Positive, upbeat sound.”
Community Care and Collaboration
Alongside the music, practitioners from Thunder Bay’s HART Hub offered a free vaccination clinic at the shelter, with another scheduled for Oct. 29 for flu, RSV, and COVID-19 shots.
Grace Place is now seeking donations of winter clothing — especially jackets and socks — as part of the city’s winter overflow emergency plan, which coordinates with other shelters like Urban Abbey to ensure no one is left out in the cold.
“We all work together to make sure everyone has a warm place to go,” Melody said.
For one afternoon, though, it was music that kept everyone warm.
“It soothes the soul,” Crawford said, smiling. “And it reminds you that somebody cares.”
