Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield's effort to create Ontario's first poet laureate has finally paid off.
The bill is named in honour of Gord Downie, the frontman of the Tragically Hip, who died of brain cancer in October 2017. Hatfield first proposed the idea just two months after his death.
The bill passed first reading in September 2018, but became law this week.
"Ontario's Poet Laureate would act as Ontario's literary ambassador, travelling around the province to bring attention to Ontario's great poets and works of poetry," said Hatfield after the bill passed. "The Poet Laureate would lead workshops, take part in poetry readings, and encourage students to engage with poetry at school."
The beloved singer was also a published poet and in his last years, was an outspoken advocate for reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous Peoples.
"Naming the Poet Laureate Bill after Gord Downie is a fitting tribute to his memory and his legacy," said Hatfield.
The federal government has a Poet Laureate, Georgette LeBlanc. Several other provinces do, as well as many cities, including Windsor.
"Poems by the Poet Laureate of Ontario will transform events into memorable, lasting experiences of pride and inspiration," said Windsor Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Mulhern. "The opening of a hospital, a bridge, a library, or an arena honoured by poetry will create a climate for citizens to treasure the past, take pride in the present, and open pathways to the future."
