Municipal poets laureate in Ontario

This is a list of municipal poets laureate in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Barrie

The city of Barrie has had four poets laureate Tyneisha Ternent (2022–present), Victoria Butler (2018–2022), Damian Lopes (2014–2018), and Dr. Bruce Meyer (2010–2014).[1]

Brantford

The city of Brantford named John B. Lee poet laureate in perpetuity in 2005.[2]

Cobalt

The town of Cobalt named Ann Margetson poet laureate [3]

Cobourg

Cobourg’s poets laureate are Jessica Outram (2019–2022), Ted Amsden (2011–2018), Jill Battson (2009–2011), and Eric Winter (1997–2009).[4]

Dufferin County

Dufferin County's poets laureate is Harry Posner (2017–present) [5]

Emery

Poets Laureate of Emery include Laurence Hutchman (2018–present).[6]

Kingston

Kingston’s poets laureate are Jason Heroux (2019–present), Helen Humphreys (2015–2019), and Eric Folsom (2011–2015).[7]

London

London’s poets laureate are Tom Cull (2016–present), and Penn Kemp (2011–2013)[8][9]

Mississauga

Mississauga’s poets laureate program was created in 2015. Poets are required to produce at least three poems for city-determined events annually, and read at civic events.[10][11] Most serve a 2-year term, with Ayomide Bayowa being assigned the role for 30 months, due to delays in selection due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

Norfolk County

In Norfolk County, John B. Lee was appointed in 2011.[2]

Ottawa

Ottawa’s poets laureate are Albert Dumont (Anglophone) (2021–2022) and Gilles Latour (Francophone) (2021–2022), Margaret Michèle Cook (Francophone) and Diana Young (Anglophone) (2019–2021), Andrée Lacelle (Francophone) and Jamaal Jackson Rogers (Anglophone) (2017–2019).[19]

Owen Sound

Owen Sound’s poets laureate are Rebecca Diem (2024–2025), Richard-Yves Sitoski (2019–2023), Lauren Best (2017–2019), Rob Rolfe & Larry Jensen (2015–2017), Terry Burns (2013–2014), Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (2011–2012), Kristan Anderson (2008–2010) and Liz Zetlin (2007–2008).[20] [21]

Greater Sudbury

Greater Sudbury’s poets laureate are Kyla Heming (2022–present), Vera Constantineau (2020–2022), Chloé LaDuchesse (2018–2020), Kim Fahner (2016–2018), Thomas Leduc (2014–2015), Daniel Aubin (2012–2013), and Roger Nash (2010–2011).[22][23] Prior to its amalgamation into Greater Sudbury, the City of Sudbury named Robert Zenik (1986–1988) as its first and only Poet Laureate.[24]

Toronto

The Poet Laureate of Toronto program was established in 2001, naming Dennis Lee as the first poet laureate.[25] Successors include: A. F. Moritz (2019–2022), Anne Michaels (2016–2019), George Elliott Clarke (2012–2015), Dionne Brand (2009–2012), and Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (2004–2009).[25]

The title of "Poet Laureate of Emery," referring to the Emery Village community in the former borough of North York, was created by then-Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti. Dr. Laurence Hutchman was given the title in 2017.[26]

Windsor

The city of Windsor poets laureate are Mary Ann Mulhern (2019–2022), Marty Gervais (2011–2019), Vanessa Shields (April 2022- September 2022) and Peter Hrastovec (2023–2027).[27]

Woodstock

The city of Woodstock posthumously named Barry C. Butson poet laureate emeritus.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Poet Laureate". www.barrie.ca.
  2. ^ a b "Brantford's Poet Laureate coming to Sarnia". theobserver.
  3. ^ "Poets laureate compare notes in Halifax". CBC News. 2010-07-15. Archived from the original on 2022-12-20.
  4. ^ "Poet Laureate". www.cobourg.ca. July 22, 2020.
  5. ^ Beatty, Liz (September 16, 2017). "Harry Posner". In The Hills.
  6. ^ "Canada's Poets Laureate – League of Canadian Poets".
  7. ^ "Poet Laureate - City of Kingston". www.cityofkingston.ca.
  8. ^ "How the city has inspired London's poet laureate". CBC News. 2018-06-02. Archived from the original on 2022-10-03.
  9. ^ "Poet Laureate | London Arts Council". LAC official site.
  10. ^ a b Deschamps, Tara (17 August 2015). "Mississauga's first poet laureate pens poems to city". Toronto Star. Toronto ON: Torstar. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  11. ^ a b Kopun, Francine (7 May 2017). "From troubled Mississauga teen to poet laureate". Toronto Star. Toronto ON: Torstar. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Mississauga Welcomes Globally Recognized Poet Laureate". City of Mississauga. Mississauga ON: Corporation of the City of Mississauga. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  13. ^ Khalil, Nouman (2 May 2017). "UofT student Wali Shah named Poet Laureate of Mississauga". Mississauga News. Mississauga ON: Metroland Media Group. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  14. ^ Hay, Susan (20 March 2017). "Mississauga man turning adversity into inspiration". Global News. Toronto ON: Corus Entertainment. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  15. ^ Cornwell, Steve (30 June 2021). "'We're not cancelling Canada Day': Mississauga changes July 1 plans after residential school grave findings". Mississauga News. Mississauga ON: Metroland Media Group. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  16. ^ Martin, Mitchell (13 November 2021). "Poet Ayomide Bayowa opens up about Mississauga poet laureate honour". CityNews Toronto. Toronto ON: Rogers Media. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  17. ^ Angubua, Jonathan Divine (31 January 2022). "Ayomide Bayowa: Mississauga's poet laureate leaves his legacy through verse". The Medium. Mississauga ON: The Medium. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  18. ^ Aschaiek, Sharon (1 December 2021). "U of T Mississauga student aims to inspire as the city's poet laureate". U of T News. Toronto ON: University of Toronto. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Poets Laureate". verseottawa.ca.
  20. ^ "Poet laureate's term extended; legacy project launching Tuesday". owensoundsuntimes.
  21. ^ "Owen Sound Library Appoints New Poet Laureate". owensoundsuntimes.
  22. ^ "Kyla Heyming Selected as Greater Sudbury's Seventh Poet Laureate". www.greatersudbury.ca.
  23. ^ Pickrell, Alana (March 12, 2020). "Sudbury names its 6th poet laureate". Northern Ontario.
  24. ^ "Laureate will hymn blessings of Sudbury". The Sudbury Star. November 10, 1986.
  25. ^ a b "Poet Laureate". City of Toronto. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  26. ^ Delaney, Sean (June 2017). "Insightful impressions from Emery's new Poet Laureate". Emery Village Voice. Toronto ON: Emery Village Voice Ltd. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Dr. Laurence Hutchman received the high honour of the evening, acclaimed as Poet Laureate of Emery. The office of Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti presented Hutchman with an official plaque from the city.
  27. ^ "Poet Laureate & Storytellers". www.citywindsor.ca.
  28. ^ Rivers, Heather (18 July 2018). "He is known as the people's poet'". Woodstock Sentinel Review. Retrieved 8 August 2022.