A 322-kilometre section of PR 391 connecting Lynn Lake and Thompson will be renamed Tom Cochrane’s Life is a Highway, in honour of the Lynn Lake-born singer.
“The Manitoba government takes great pride in opportunities to shine a light on the many unique stories that emerge from our northern communities,” said Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen. “We are honoured that Tom Cochrane has agreed to lend his name and legacy to renaming an important stretch of provincial road in northern Manitoba. The road signs along Provincial Road 391 to be designated Tom Cochrane’s Life Is A Highway jointly celebrate the amazing accomplishments of a Manitoba musician and the proud community in which he was raised.”
In recognition of the milestone anniversary of the album, a national concert tour has been announced which includes a stop in Lynn Lake on Aug. 20, 2017.
“Lynn Lake is proud to call Tom Cochrane our very own national treasure and most famous export,” said Mayor James Lindsay, Town of Lynn Lake. “We are thrilled that he has chosen to return home next summer to play a special concert as part of his special 25th anniversary tour.”
The minister invited Manitobans to experience the unique sights and sounds of northern Manitoba as part of a trip to the province’s north in 2017.
“Through all these cities and all these towns, Lynn Lake remains my birthplace and original home town,” said Cochrane. “I am happy to be able to give back to my home community and am very thankful for this honour.”
In July 2015, Cochrane was honoured with the Order of Manitoba by Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon. Cochrane is a multiple award-winning musician and humanitarian. In 2003, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and was welcomed into the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2005. Cochrane is an eight-time Juno award winner and also received a Grammy nomination in the male rock vocal category for Life is a Highway in 1993.
Life is a Highway appeared on the album Mad Mad World, the second solo studio album by Cochrane, originally released in 1991. It reached number one in Canada and number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
