A Toronto hospital is paying tribute to Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie and his bandmates by releasing a video of staff singing one of their biggest hits.

As the Tragically Hip’s tour rolls into Toronto for the first of three shows, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has released a video of staff and family members singing “Courage” on the front lawn in tribute to Downie.

The Tragically Hip has been touring across Canada for their “Man Machine Poem” tour after announcing in May, that the band’s 52-year-old frontman is suffering from incurable brain cancer. Downie has been receiving cancer treatment at Sunnybrook.

“Sunnybrook wanted to thank Gord Downie, his bandmates and everyone who has kindly donated to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research,” read a statement from the midtown Toronto hospital.

As the iconic band kicks off the first of three shows at the Air Canada Centre, Mayor John Tory declared Wednesday “Tragically Hip Day.”

Toronto officials have also set up a public tribute video booth, in which fans can create messages for Downie and the band.

“I just wanted to say thank you for telling us our stories,” Tory said in his own video. “You’ve been the quintessentially Canadian band.”

In July, the band kicked off their all-Canadian tour in Victoria, B.C. After shows in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, London, Ont. and Winnipeg, they play the first of three Toronto dates Wednesday evening at the Air Canada Centre. Shows in Hamilton, Ont. and Ottawa are to follow, with the final concert of the tour to be held Aug. 20 in the town they started out in: Kingston, Ont.

'Family experience'

Meanwhile, Peterborough, Ont. man John Davidson, who is battling cancer, is getting the chance to go to one of the Hip’s Toronto shows, thanks to the CEO of a downtown Toronto bar.

The Ball Room had 10 pairs of Hip tickets that it gave away as contest prizes. The family’s contest entry came too late, but when the bar’s CEO Paul Donato heard their story, he decided to step in and offer them concert tickets, hotel accommodation and limo transportation.

John Davidson said he is a 20-year fan of the Tragically Hip.

“It’s going to be an awesome family experience,” Davidson told CTV News Channel on Wednesday.

Davidson’s daughter said she’s still surprised by the turn of events.

“I didn’t think it would go this far, just writing a little story about the last 11 years of dad battling this, so it’s honestly insane,” she said. “I am forever grateful to (Donato) because this would have never happened if it wasn’t for him.”