Every month, kawarthaNOW is the only local media source to bring you a list of what’s coming to Netflix Canada. Here are a few highlights of what’s coming to Netflix in October.

Based on the 2022 book of the same name by Evan Hughes, the Netflix crime drama film “Pain Hustlers” follows Liza Drake (Emily Blunt), a suddenly unemployed blue-collar single mom, who gets hired after a chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) but soon finds herself at the centre of a criminal conspiracy.

Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and is scheduled to be released in selected theatres on October 20 before coming to Netflix on Friday, October 27th.

VIDEO: “Pain Hustlers” trailer

The Netflix erotic thriller film “Fair Play” tells the story of New York couple Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) who both work at a cutthroat hedge fund. When Emily gets promoted over Luke, the promotion pushes their romance to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement. “Fair Play” premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January to critical acclaim, drawing comparisons to films like “9-1/2 Weeks,” “Disclosure,” and “Fatal Attraction,” the film is scheduled to be released in selected theatres on September 29 before its streaming debut on Netflix on Friday, October 6th.

VIDEO: “Fair Play” trailer

Directed by comedian Bill Burr in his directorial debut, the Netflix comedy film “Old Dads” tells the story of three best friends (Burr, Bobby Cannavale, and Bokeem Woodbine) who become fathers later in life and find themselves battling preschool principals, millennial CEOs, and anything created after 1987. The film premieres on Netflix on Friday, October 20th.

VIDEO: “Old Dads” trailer

The four-part Netflix documentary series “Beckham” tells the inside story of the global football star and cultural icon, from his humble working-class beginnings in east London to his battle to find balance between ambition, love, and family. The documentary series debuts on Netflix on Wednesday, October 4th.

VIDEO: “Beckham” trailer

October wouldn’t be October without something for Halloween, so Netflix is offering the Gothic horror drama miniseries “The Fall of The House of Usher.” In this series from The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and loosely based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege, and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty mysteriously start dying, one by one, at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth. The eight-episode series comes to Netflix on Thursday, October 12th.

VIDEO: “The Fall of The House of Usher” trailer

Other Netflix series in October include part three of the hit French crime series Lupin (Oct. 5), I Woke Up A Vampire (Oct. 17), Neon and Bodies (both on Oct. 19), and Surviving Paradise (Oct. 20), a Survivor-like reality series where competitors start with nothing and have to work together to gain entry to “paradise,” where they can also get sent back to having nothing. There are also the Netflix films Disco Inferno and Flashback (both on Oct. 20) and the Netflix documentaries Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul (Oct. 11), Camp Courage (Oct. 15), Get Gotti (Oct. 24), and Life on Our Planet (Oct. 26).

Theatrically released films feature a bunch of Halloween-related offerings including The Conjuring 2, The Final Destination and Final Destination 2, Halloween: H2O, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Jigsaw, Saw III, Saw VI, and Zombieland (all on Oct. 1), Halloween II (Oct. 5), Freddy vs. Jason (Oct. 14), Haunter, Friday the 13th, and Get Out (all on Oct. 15), and Trolls (Oct. 21). Other films includ Scarface (Oct. 1), the Spy Kids franchise (Oct. 13), Ocean’s Eleven (Oct. 20), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Oct. 22), and The Hateful Eight and Molly’s Game (both on Oct. 30).

VIDEO: New on Netflix Canada in October 2023

Here’s the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada in October, along with what’s leaving.

Coming in October (no release date specified)

• Onefour: Against All Odds (Netflix documentary) – This documentary traces the meteoric rise of Australia’s first drill rap stars, defiant in the face of police’s efforts to stop them from performing.

Sunday, October 1

• The Conjuring 2
• The Croods
• The Final Destination
• Final Destination 2
• The Forever Purge
• Halloween: H2O
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
• Jigsaw
• Saw III
• Saw VI
• Scarface
• See for Me
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
• Zombieland

Monday, October 2

• Strawberry Shortcake and the Beast of Berry Bog

Tuesday, October 3

• Beth Stelling: If You Didn’t Want Me Then (Netflix comedy) – Comedian Beth Stelling is aging in dog years, camping with a fake husband and monitoring her dad’s raccoon army in this slyly laid-back stand-up special.

Wednesday, October 4

• Beckham (Netflix documentary) – Beckham, a four-part documentary series, tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon. David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. From his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs. The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time. Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens (Palmer, And We Go Green, The Cove) along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek (One Day in September, Searching for Sugar Man, Winter on Fire) are granted unprecedented access to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his team-mates. The result is an intimate portrait of a man as well as a chronicle of late-modern sports and celebrity culture.
• Keys to the Heart (Netflix film) – Troubled and alone, a boxer moves in with his long-lost mother and autistic pianist brother — but must fit in with a family he hasn’t known for years.
• Race to the Summit (Netflix documentary) – Fearless alpine climbers Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold enter into a death-defying rivalry to set speed records on the Swiss Alps’ great north faces.

Thursday, October 5

• Everything Now (Netflix series) – After months in recovery for an eating disorder, 16-year-old Mia devises a bucket list of quintessential teen experiences to make up for lost time.
• Halloween II
• Khufiya (Netflix film) – When a mole in an intelligence unit leads to the murder of an undercover spy, a hardened agent relentlessly pursues him to avenge the death.
• Lupin: Part 3 (Netflix series) – As the media and police look to Claire and Raoul, an on-the-run Assane schemes to protect them from afar — but old foes are eager to thwart his plans.

Friday, October 6

• A Deadly Invitation (Netflix film) – A true crime enthusiast is ensnared in her high-society sister’s murder. With a villa full of posh suspects, it’s up to her to find the culprit.
• Ballerina (Netflix film) – Grieving the loss of a best friend she couldn’t protect, an ex-bodyguard sets out to fulfill her dear friend’s last wish: sweet, sweet revenge.
• Fair Play (Netflix film) – An unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a couple’s romance to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement.

Saturday, October 7

• Strong Girl Nam-soon (Netflix series) – Gifted with superhuman strength, a young woman returns to Korea to find her birth family — only to be entangled in a drug case that could test her power.

Monday, October 9

• Stranded with my Mother-in-Law (Netflix series) – To win a life-changing prize, couples embark on a journey to an earthly paradise and confront challenges… with the assistance of their mothers-in-law.

Tuesday, October 10

• DI4RIES: Season 2 Part 1 (Netflix series) – A new year of school is ahead, and the friends are now in a new 3D class. As feelings and relationships are tested, can they manage to stick together?
• Last One Standing: Season 2 (Netflix series) – Lights, camera, action! The hit comedy competition wrapped in a scripted drama returns. Who will survive to earn the title of Last One Standing?

Wednesday, October 11

• Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul (Netflix documentary) – Juul was the fastest-growing company in history. Now, they’re a cautionary tale. Based on the book Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul by Time health correspondent Jamie Ducharme, and directed by R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry; Belushi), this four-part docuseries unpacks 20 years of Silicon Valley innovation, influence, and insanity to explain the spectacular flameout of the vaping device that almost changed everything.
• Once Upon a Star (Netflix film) – In 1970, a cinema projection troupe faces roadblocks as they journey across Thailand to entertain eager audiences by live-dubbing beloved films.
• Pact of Silence (Netflix series) – A big-time social media influencer plunges headfirst into the lives of four women fueled by a thirst for the truth about her birth — and revenge.

Thursday, October 12

• The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix series) – To secure their fortune — and future — two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one.
• Good Night World (Netflix anime) – Four miserable members of a dysfunctional household have no idea that they’ve formed a happy family unit in an immersive VR game — with each other.
• LEGO Ninjago: Dragons Rising: Season 1: Part 2 (Netflix family) – The key to stopping the MergeQuakes from reaching their tipping point lies in the Dragon Cores. Can the Ninja find all three before it’s too late?

Friday, October 13

• The Conference (Netflix film) – A ragtag group of public sector employees battle not only their own discord but also a bloodthirsty killer during a seemingly innocuous retreat.
• Ijogbon (Netflix film) – Four teenagers from a rural village in South–West Nigeria stumble upon a pouch of uncut diamonds — but before long, others come looking for the bounty.
• Spy Kids
• Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
• Spy Kids 3: Game Over
• Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

Saturday, October 14

• Freddy vs. Jason

Sunday, October 15

• Black Beauty Effect: Season 1
• Camp Courage (Netflix documentary) – In this documentary, a girl displaced by the war in Ukraine heads to a summer camp in the Alps with her grandmother, testing the limits of her bravery.
• Haunter
• Friday the 13th
• Get Out

Monday, October 16

• Oggy Oggy: Season 3 (Netflix family) – Kind and curious kitty Oggy Oggy wants to spread joy to all his friends and neighbors. But sometimes, he gets into playful mischief instead. Miaow!

Tuesday, October 17

• The Devil on Trial (Netflix documentary) – The Devil on Trial explores the first – and only – time “demonic possession” has officially been used as a defense in a U.S. murder trial. Including firsthand accounts of alleged devil possession and a shocking murder, this extraordinary story forces reflection on our fear of the unknown.
• Heather McMahan: Son I Never Had (Netflix comedy) – ??A new stand-up comedy special from Heather McMahan.
• I Woke Up A Vampire (Netflix series) – On her 13th birthday, Carmie discovers that she’s actually half human, half vampire — and that mythical powers make middle school way more complicated.

Wednesday, October 18

• Kaala Paani (Netflix series) – When a mysterious illness descends upon the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a desperate fight for survival collides with a race to find a cure.
• Workin’ Moms: Season 7

Thursday, October 19

• Bodies (Netflix series) – Four detectives. Four timelines. One victim. In order to save the future, they’ll need to solve the murder that altered the course of history first.
• Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix (Netflix anime) – Branded an enemy of the state, a cyborg supersoldier struggles to find a cause worth fighting for in a dystopian society where nothing is what it seems.
• Crashing Eid (Netflix series) – When Razan’s British Pakistani fiance crashes her Saudi family’s Eid celebrations, she attempts to convince them that he is a suitable match.
• Crypto Boy (Netflix film) – Following a dispute with his father, a young man falls prey to cryptocurrency’s allure and an entrepreneur’s audacious promises of financial freedom.
• Neon (Netflix series) – An aspiring reggaeton star and his best friends move to Miami on a mission, weathering roadblocks and reality checks together in their quest for success.

Friday, October 20

• Big Mouth: Season 7 (Netflix series) – Season seven of Emmy Award winning Big Mouth follows the now teenage students of Bridgeton middle school as they make their way to high school. Change is the only constant as our characters are faced with a new school, new friends, new adversaries, and new Hormone Monsters. The penultimate season of Big Mouth premieres globally on October 20, 2023.
• Creature (Netflix series) – When tragedy befalls a reckless scientist in Ottoman-era Istanbul, his student uses untested methods to finish his work — with devastating consequences.
• Disco Inferno (Netflix film) – A young couple conjures a dark presence that hungers for their unborn baby as they prepare to burn up the dance floor at LA’s hottest disco.
• Doona! (Netflix series) – A college student navigates life and school while dealing with a unique predicament — he’s living with a beautiful former K-pop idol.
• Elite: Season 7 (Netflix series) – Omar is back. Iván has a broken heart. Isadora deals with her dangerous family. Is it possible for the students at Las Encinas to trust one another?
• Flashback (Netflix film) – A yoga teacher’s life flashes before her eyes during a deadly home invasion, sending her on a desperate race through her past to save the man she loves.
• Kandasamys: The Baby (Netflix film) – The in-laws head to Mauritius for the birth of their grandchild and stir up comic trouble in this fourth installment of the Kandasamy franchise.
• Ocean’s Eleven
• Old Dads (Netflix film) – Three best friends become fathers later in life and find themselves battling preschool principals, millennial CEOs and anything created after 1987.
• Surviving Paradise (Netflix series) – An addictive new reality competition series.
• Vjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris (Netflix documentary) – In his own words, the burglar behind the 2010 robbery of the Paris Museum of Modern Art tells how he pulled off the biggest art heist in French history.

Saturday, October 21

• Murder by Numbers
• Only the Brave
• The Secret Life of Pets
• Trolls

Sunday, October 22

• Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Monday, October 23

• Princess Power: Season 2 (Netflix family) – When there’s trouble in the Fruitdoms, these princess pals jump in to help each other — because sometimes problems are too big for just one princess!

Tuesday, October 24

• Get Gotti (Netflix documentary) – Told from both sides of the law, this documentary from the makers of “Fear City” follows the FBI’s battle to bring down mob infamous boss, John Gotti.
• Pete Holmes: I Am Not For Everyone (Netflix comedy) – Comedian Pete Holmes delivers a feel-good stand-up set on his awkward post-prostate exam hug, a devilish Midwest meeting and his mom’s voicemail glitches.

Wednesday, October 25

• Absolute Beginners (Netflix series) – Two lifelong teenage friends enjoying summer at the beach meet a handsome, aspiring pro athlete who they try to cast in their sensual short film.
• Burning Betrayal (Netflix film) – In this adaptation of Sue Hecker’s novel, an accountant sees her fiance’s betrayal as an opportunity for a sexual awakening, with dangerous consequences.
• Life on Our Planet (Netflix documentary) – This is the story of life’s epic battle to conquer and survive on planet Earth. Today there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time — 99% of earth’s inhabitants are lost to our deep past. The story of what happened to these dynasties — their rise and their fall — is truly remarkable. In partnership with Industrial Light & Magic, the series uses the latest technology and science to bring long extinct creatures back to life. Narrated by Morgan Freeman and from executive producer Steven Spielberg and the Emmy Award winning team behind Our Planet, this is the story of Life on Our Planet.

Thursday, October 26

• Pluto (Netflix anime) – When the world’s seven most advanced robots and their human allies are murdered one by one, inspector Gesicht soon discovers that he’s also in danger.

Friday, October 27

• Pain Hustlers (Netflix film) – Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Pain Hustlers is a sharp and revealing look at what some people do out of desperation and others do out of greed. The film is directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates, produced by Lawrence Grey, and also starring Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass and Brian d’Arcy James.
• Sister Death (Netflix film) – After a miraculous childhood, Narcisa becomes a novice and starts teaching girls in a former convent haunted by a disturbing presence.
• Tore (Netflix series) – An immature and aimless 27-year-old throws himself into an unknown world of sex, drugs and self-discovery after his closest companion’s death.
• Yellow Door: ’90s Lo-fi Film Club (Netflix documentary) – This intimate documentary explores a bygone era of cinematic passion and the emergence of young film enthusiasts in South Korea, including Bong Joon-ho.

Saturday, October 28

• Castaway Diva (Netflix series) – Fifteen years after being stranded on a remote island, an aspiring singer reenters society — stopping at nothing to pursue her dream of becoming a diva.

Sunday, October 29

• Vanderpump Rules: Seasons 1-2

Monday, October 30

• The Hateful Eight
• Molly’s Game

Tuesday, October 31

• Ralph Barbosa: Cowabunga (Netflix comedy) – A new stand-up comedy special from Ralph Barbosa.

Leaving Netflix Canada in October

Thursday, October 12

• La vie, la vie: Seasons 1-3

Sunday, October 15

• Blade
• Blade II

Tuesday, October 13

• Everybody Loves Raymond: Seasons 6-9
• Into the Badlands: Seasons 1-3
• Little Fockers
• Meet the Fockers
• Meet the Parents
• Mission: Impossible – Fallout
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

All titles and dates are subject to change.

Pop Culture Canada is circling the province with another round of ComiCons and, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday (September 30). the ComiCon hits the Cobourg Community Centre, with Film Access Northumberland’s booth featuring a very special guest — award-winning Canadian filmmaker and special effects makeup artist Randy Daudlin.

ComiCon events have offered great opportunities for collectors to showcase valuables in hopes to fulfil the wishes of their peers, but the ComiCons have also hosted unmatched special memories for modest communities. Not only have special guests attended in the past to humour nostalgia, but these events unite people over their common love for specific niche interests.

“From collectors to cosplayers, ComiCon is a great opportunity for people with shared interests to find each other,” says Lesley Myers, a board member of Film Access Northumberland.

Myers is also the organizer of Reel Creatures, a program that features an exciting workshop at the Cobourg ComiCon that grants exclusive access to Daudlin’s work and craftsmanship.

Later that evening at Venture13 in Cobourg, attendees can also check out a screening of Daudlin’s feature debut Bottom Feeder (starring the late Tom Sizemore), which will also include a discussion with Daudlin.

“Film Access Northumberland strives to make connections between our community and the film industry, and we strive to promote & support emerging filmmakers,” says Myers. “Film Access Northumberland works to promote local filmmakers, but also to bring industry leaders here to share their expertise directly with us. We hope attendees from Randy’s workshop and screening will take away an appreciation for the skill on display, as well as gaining insights into low-budget filmmaking in Canada.”

At ComiCon Cobourg, attendees will be able to check out Daudlin’s work in real-time as he creates a project on the spot.

“I have a character makeup instead of a creature makeup already in mind,” Daudlin says, who is a native of Chatham in Ontario. “This is a family event, so I chose something with a fantasy element that will make it interesting for everyone attending. I will be improvising rather than experimenting on my model, combining several makeup techniques with a few prosthetic pieces from my stock.”

When asked if improvising is usually a component of creating a character, Daudlin responds, “In the world of makeup artistry and makeup FX, every look or effect is planned.”

“The experimentation comes in preparation,” Daudlin adds. “As an artist, you are always looking to use new techniques and materials to achieve your results.”

For her part, Myers has nothing but praise for Daudlin as an artist.

“I admire Randy’s creativity with a makeup pallet, of course, but it may be his accomplishments in other areas that I most admire,” Myers explains. “As long as I have known him, Randy has been working on developing scripts and teaching his craft. While Randy is a self-professed ‘creature guy’, he is just as comfortable doing glamour makeup on Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia or a full-faced vampire on FX’s What We Do In the Shadows. He has a pragmatic nature and is a solid and unflappable professional on set who is a pleasure to work with.”

Curious crowds at ComiCon Cobourg will have the opportunity to learn a lot from Daudlin, especially if they’re interested in pursuing a similar career in the film and television industry.

“I like sharing my knowledge with anyone interested in my industry,” Daudlin says. “It can be anything from the materials we use (and) the thought processes behind a look or gag to life in film and television. What I do isn’t a job, it’s a career — there is no nine to five here. ComiCons are important to a local community because they bring artists and fans together where they can exchange knowledge and ideas, exposing some participants to life paths they may have not thought possible or had even considered.”

After ComiCon, Film Access Northumberland’s Reel Creatures program continues at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy Street Cobourg) from 7 to 10 p.m. The screening of Daudlin’s 2006 horror film Bottom Feeder ought to inspire some early seasonal screams.

“My favourite memory about making my first feature was making my first feature,” Daudlin recalls. “No matter what obstacles were thrown in our path, we persevered and finished it. I learned so much about the many aspects of the process. It broadened my appreciation of every technician involved.”

With an open heart, Daudlin explains what he hopes attendees — young and old — will take away from his appearance during ComiCon and Reel Creatures.

“I hope participants of my workshop, screening, and evening filmmaking discussion will be entertained, enlightened to the process involved and, lastly, inspired to incorporate some of my techniques in their future projects or make the film they have been considering,” he says.

Admission for Pop Culture Canada’s Cobourg ComiCon is $5 (free for children 12 and under) in advance or at the door. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the local food bank for a chance to win prizes. Advance tickets are available at eventbrite.ca/e/518050321457.

Admission for Film Access Northumberland’s Reel Creature event at Venture13, featuring a screening of Daudlin’s Bottom Feeder and a post-screening discussion with the filmmaker, is $15 (or $8 for a partially obstructed view). Advance tickets are available at eventbrite.ca/e/705728040567.

With National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, a new multimedia music production is embarking on a months-long tour reminding Canadians that listening to Indigenous truths must extend beyond a single day.

Billboard-charting roots band Sultans of String will be bringing their latest album Walking Through the Fire to the stage, joined by the award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists who collaborated on and shared their voices for the album.

Launching on a 30-performance tour this week, the production (which shares a name with the album) will be stopping at Lindsay’s Flato Academy Theatre at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4th — the only performance in the Kawarthas region.

Walking Through The Fire — both the album and tour — includes talents exploring a diverse range of sounds from rumba, rock and folk music, to spoken word and drumming, representing cultures and communities from across Turtle Island (North America).

Under the central theme that Indigenous experience and truths must be shared before reconciliation can begin, the musical collaboration was in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s “94 Calls to Action” and its final report. More specifically, the project follows the recommendations to increase education and for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to work in collaboration to pave the way forward.

“This country has a history that has been ignored, distorted, twisted to suit colonial goals of destroying a people,” explains Sultans of String leader and violinist Chris McKhool in a media release. “We are so fortunate for the opportunity to work with Indigenous artists, sharing their stories, their experiences, and their lives with us, so we can continue our work of learning about the history of residential schools, genocide, and intergenerational impacts of colonization.”

VIDEO: Walking Through The Fire – Sultans of String

A three-time Juno-nominated and six-time Canadian Folk Music Awards winning Toronto-based band, Sultans of String is already well known for fusing international sounds and genres while highlighting voices of the marginalized, as evident in their 2020 album Refuge, which shared experiences of displaced people and newcomers in the country, and the 2021 follow-up Sanctuary, which featured recent immigrants and refugees to Canada as well as important Indigenous voices.

For the Walking Through the Fire tour, Sultans of String band members McKhool (violin), Kevin Laliberté (guitar), Drew Birston (bass), and Rosendo “Chendy” Leon (drums) will be joined by different groups of Indigenous artists on three different legs of the tour, with the first leg beginning on September 28 in Markham and ending on October 4 in Lindsay.

At the Flato Academy Theatre performance, violinist Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk of the Métis Fiddle Quartet is one of the Indigenous artists who will be performing. Her band collaborated on Walking Through The Fire with a song titled “Chanson de Riel,” with lyrics written from the perspective of Métis leader Louis Riel while he was imprisoned and condemned to death.

In contrast, other stories on the album are more personal, like Ts’msyen singer-songwriter Shannon Thunderbird’s “Lost and Found.” According to the album’s promotional video, she wrote the song not long after the remains of the 215 children of the residential school system were discovered in Kamloops, British Columbia. Since then, the remains of more than 1,000 victims of residential school system have been found, prompting Thunderbird to reflect on the experiences of her own ancestors.

“I was in a lot of tears, thinking about my grandmother, thinking about my mother, thinking about what happened to me — all of these things that came out of this horror,” explains Thunderbird in the video.

The singer will be one of the featured artists at the October 4th Lindsay performance, along with P.E.I.-based Mi’kmaw fingerstyle guitarist Don Ross, husband-and-wife duo The North Sound, Dene language singer-songwriter Leela Gilday, and Ojibwe singer-songwriter Marc Meriäinen (Nadjiwan).

VIDEO: “Black Winged Raven” featuring singers Shannon Thunderbird and Kate Dickson

Joining the onstage performers will be virtual guests on the big screen, including Inuit throat singers Kendra Tagoona and Tracy Sarazin, powwow group Northern Cree, and Chippewa/Anishinaabe Elder and poet Dr. Duke Redbird, who largely inspired the album following his collaboration with Sultans of String on their Refuge album. Now, on Walking Through The Fire, Redbird’s new poem “Our Mother The Earth” is set to music.

Speaking to the importance of using Indigenous language to keep it alive, both the recording and show includes pieces with lyrics in Dene, Inuktitut, Sm’algyax, Cree, and Michif.

Despite the dark truths discussed throughout the project, Walking Through The Fire portrays a hopefulness that becomes evident in the symbolism of the title, where fire represents both something that destroys and something that nourishes and creates a new path forward.

“When we drop the word reconciliation on people, there’s a large group of people who don’t understand what that means,” explains the album’s Indigenous art director, Mark Rutledge, in a media release.

“When you don’t understand something, you’re fearful of it. But if we go through the same experience together, we walk through that fire together, and we come out together on the other end and have that unified experience together — that’s the power of this album.”

Rutledge was one of many Indigenous advisors, musicians, designers, and filmmakers who guided the production of the project, including filmmakers/videographers Eliza Knockwood and Marc Merilänen. The band also met with Murray Sinclair, Ojibwe Elder and former chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to discuss the project.

Additionally, to ensure Walking Through the Fire only positively impacts Indigenous communities, all bed tracks were recorded at an Indigenous-owned studio and funds for the record were not provided by Indigenous grants. The band will also not be applying for any Indigenous awards.

Walking Through the Fire comes to Lindsay’s Flato Academy Theatre on Wednesday, October 4th beginning at 8 p.m.

Tickets cost $42 and are available both online at www.flatoacademytheatre.com or in person at the box office at 2 Lindsay Street South (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday).