If you had the opportunity to walk down the red carpet at the Juno awards, what would you wear? For Canadian singer- songwriter and guitarist Luke Doucet, the answer was simple: an Insite T-Shirt. “I lived in Vancouver in the 90’s and followed the battle to keep Insite open. In my opinion it’s part of a harm reduction model that should expand across the country,”

Best dressed on the red carpet

Luke Doucet  and Melissa McClelland are the husband and wife duo that form Whitehorse, a Canadian folk rock band based in Hamilton, Ontario. Their latest album, Panther in the Dollhouse, was nominated for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the 2018 Juno awards in Vancouver. The band performed at the Carnegie Centre the day prior to the big show, and when Luke Doucet saw someone in the crowd wearing an Insite hoodie, it got him thinking about wearing an Insite shirt on the red carpet.

Music and social justice

“My mother is a nurse who worked in outreach centres in Northern Canada, where substance-use was prevalent,” says Luke. “She now runs a drop-in centre [Sunshine House] in Winnipeg for those struggling with substance-use and homelessness.” Luke, Melissa and other family members volunteer at Sunshine House.

“You have to be careful though, not to inject too many politics or you come across as sanctimonious.”

That said, Whitehorse’ album Panther in the Dollhouse explores issues such as consent, freedom and safety. Whitehorse has partnered with organizations across Canada –including WISH in Vancouver–to help draw attention to the need for positive change in the sex industry.