A great cause, great music, and a great time await as singer-songwriter, actor, and activist Tom Jackson hits the road for charity once again. The 74-year-old Canadian icon, whose philanthropic efforts have raised an estimated $250 million and supported food banks and disaster relief since the 80s, is bringing his Stories, Songs + Santa Causes tour to the capital this Sunday, December 11th, at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa.
Sponsored by Canada Life, with their 26th year of support, the pre-holiday cross-country concerts feature an evening of original music, sing-along tunes, and signature Christmas music from master storyteller Tom Jackson, BC Country Music Association hall-of-fame producer Tom McKillip, and award-winning producer/multi-instrumentalist John MacArthur Ellis.
“Stories, Songs & Santa Causes is about the why not the what. For us, the why is to make you happy because healthy is happy, and happy is healthy. This show is designed to get you out of your funk and for you to help us save lives. The ‘why’ is what separates us from others. Buy a ticket, save lives. Stories, Songs + Santa Causes is about giving a gift,” says Tom.
Tom was born on the One Arrow Reserve in Saskatchewan and now resides in Calgary. He is not only a fantastic musician but a Canadian screen legend. Some of his credits include North of 60, Shining Time Station, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Law + Order, Red Earth Uncovered, Outlander, and Cardinal. Tom has balanced a long career in acting and music, and in 2018 released The Essential Tom Jackson, a two-disc, 21-track retrospective, and in 2021 was compelled to pen a new song, Lost Souls, after the remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Since 1987, Tom has raised funds and awareness for local food banks and family service agencies via his Huron Carole and Singing for Supper Christmas concert tours. In 2020 and 2021, The Huron Carole ‘toured’ virtually for various agencies as they searched for creative ways to connect and remedy a dramatic loss of donors. Also in 2020, he produced and hosted the online variety series Almighty Voices, in which various artists and thinkers delivered performances and messages to create joy, health, and dollars for the Unison Benevolent Fund, which provides emergency relief services to the Canadian music community.
As a companion of the Order of Canada, JUNO and Gemini Humanitarian Award winner, eleven-time honorary degree recipient, and a proud bearer of the 2014 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, Tom is noted for his ability to mobilize others into action, leading with a hug and a song.
Described as ‘grace meets style and quirky festivity,’ Stories, Songs & Santa Causes promises to deliver on all the causes – compassion, empathy, faith, hope, and love – that many have valued for decades. Not unlike The Huron Carole, audiences will enjoy some of Tom’s in-person charm and first-hand commitment to those in need.
“The show is about resiliency, reinforcement, remembrance, reverence, and celebration. We’ve learned how to function above despair. We will facilitate a connection that brings joy and provides a landing place for well-being,” – Tom Jackson.
Do not miss the chance to spread some serious Christmas cheer!
Tickets are available for purchase at www.harmonyconcerts.ca
