Dozens Of Well Known Cdn. Artists Busk For Charity On T.O. Streets

You might have done a double take if you were walking downtown in Toronto Thursday afternoon.

Yes, that was Chantal Kreviazuk playing and singing for free at Queen and John Sts.

And you weren’t imagining Our Lady Peace doing their thing on the same corner a little while later.

And you did see a free show from local favourites The Skydiggers at Union Station.

And you may have fingered Finger 11 later in the day.

What were all these Canadian stars doing out on the pavement instead of the stage?

Playing a busking benefit for War Child Canada, which helps kids caught in the middle of deadly conflicts around the world.

“We’re just trying to raise as much money and awareness as possible … for War Child Canada,” Kreviazuk explains. “There’s like oodles of artists out on the streets all over the city coming together, you know, to let everybody know about the incredible programs. More than a dozen of them throughout the world for war affected kids.”

Hubby Raine Maida, the leader of Our Lady Peace, helped organize the impromptu concerts, after a similar attempt last year was a huge success. “The way that War Child’s kind of organized it this year, they’ve taken it upon themselves just to really blow it up,” he muses. “There’s 50 artists performing today. You know, it’s just a really kind of inspiring kind of humbling day to have fans come out.”

Maida raised $22,000 on his own last year. It’s expected the pass-the-hat concerts did even better in 2008.

Find out more about War Child here.