White Crosses
The White Crosses at Paris and Brady in Sudbury.
February 26, 2026
There’s a scene in Henry Fonda’s Twelve Angry Men where he challenges his fellow jurors to connect separate pieces of evidence to arrive at an elusive truth. That simple principle of critical thinking—applied to creativity—played a role in the creation of the song “White Crosses.”
So, what pieces came together?
First, I was reading about care within drug-using communities: how people, often dismissed or erased, look after one another in ways that rarely make the news.
Second, one rainy night as I stepped out of an open-mic venue, I saw two people in a laneway, holding each other—not dramatically, just firmly enough to stay upright against the weather. There was nothing to suggest they were drug users—only a raw expression of care, holding steady in a hostile environment.
Third, Sudbury carries a stark and unavoidable marker of loss at the corner of Paris and Brady: white crosses standing in for lives ended by drugs.
From these three elements emerged the story of a couple bound by addiction, but also by care for one another. It is not a happy song, yet it underscores something essential—the quiet, universal power of noticing and valuing the lives of others. We need more of this. Much more.
There are actions we can take to mitigate this crisis, if only we had more humanity—and the political will—to act. I hope that in some small way this song helps…
Dedication
This musical project is dedicated to the memory of Myles Keaney, Jada Stewart-Fish and Andraya Goddard, and to the thousands of people we remember each year, whose lives were marked by struggle, care, and dignity.
The Artists
I am both lucky and honoured to have the following distinguished artists participate in this project. Thank you to:
Jessy Burnette
Dan “The Hawk” Gauthier
Rachel Janosi
Erik “The Animal” Massone
Emma McDaniel
Savannah Parsley
Dan “The Bellowing Moose” Richardson
John Robbie
Holli Ward
You can obtain a copy of White Crosses at:
Lyrics
Verse 1
The evening vented anger.
Denying heat in its rain.
He looked in the usual places.
Among buildings and deep in their lanes
With kits, points and pipes.
Where did she go?
He needed to be with her.
They couldn’t meet at a safe site
Outragers made sure to deter.
Verse 2
Last time, they huddled in safety.
In an old, run-down van.
With dreams of a better tomorrow.
For now, they’ll do what they can.
She said, “Please, don’t leave me.
Tell me you’ll stay.
I’m happier when you’re near.
To keep me from harm,
To cushion my pain,
And to keep me away–”
Chorus
From those … white crosses
White crosses
White crosses
Verse 3
Somebody said they saw her.
Past the cop shop, this side of the trains
In the presence of the finest actors
Who’d gathered for roles to play
He expected to see her.
To give her a hug
Take in her broken smile
But just past that troupe
He had to pull back
Her name appeared in an aisle–
Chorus
Of … white crosses
White crosses
White crosses
Verse 4
So many people knew him.
But he lived without a name.
And after that fateful evening.
Well, they never saw him again.
As they remembered
Every morsel of care
And how he doted on her
They knew in their struggle
He was a strength
Perhaps he went back to her–
Chorus
Among those … white crosses
White crosses
White crosses
