You're referring to the final lyric of the song,

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the maritime sailors' cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

Canada has certainly sent the world some wonderful singers.  Along with Gordon LIghtfoot there are (my favorite) Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion, Drake, Neil Young, Shania Twain, Michael Bublé and Avril Lavigne.  Almost enough to forgive them for Justin Bieber.