Poet Laureate Map of Canada
Who was the first provincial or territorial poet laureate?

PJ Johnson was formally invested as the Yukon Territory’s first Poet Laureate on July 1, 1994.

Glen Sorestad, poet and publisher, was named Poet Laureate of the Province of Saskatchewan in 2000.
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2010 Griffin Poetry Prize Winners

2010 Canadian and International winners of the tenth annual Griffin Poetry Prize. [details]
Poetry has nothing to do with poetry. Poetry is how the air goes green before thunder, is the sound you make when you come, and why you live and how you bleed, and the sound you make or don't make when you die.
Gwendolyn MacEwen
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Poet Laureate Map of Canada

Map Candice James - Poet Laureate of New Westminster, B.C. Roger Nash, Sudbury, Ontario Jill Battson, Cobourg, Ontario pj johnson, Poet Laureate of the Yukon Kristan Anderson, Owen Sound Ontario Roland Pemberton - Poet Laureate of Edmonton, AlbertaBrad Cran - Poet Laureate of Vancouver, B.C. Poet Laureate of Newfoundland: Agnes Walsh Linda Rogers - Poet Laureate of Victoria, B.C. Douglas Lochhead, Sackville, New Brunswick Shauntay Grant - Poet Laureate of Halifax, Nova Scotia John B. Lee, Brantford Ontario Dionne Brand, Toronto, Ontario Pierre DesRuisseaux - Parliamentary Poet Laureate - Ottawa Hugh MacDonald, Prince Edward Island Robert Currie, Poet Laureate of Saskatchewan Gary Hyland, Poet Laureate, City of Moose Jaw, SK Poet Laureate of Cobalt Ann Margetson

Hugh MacDonald

Hugh MacDonald

Poet Laureate of Prince Edward Island
  2009 - 2010

Poet, editor and novelist Hugh MacDonald was appointed Prince Edward Island’s Poet Laureate in December 2009.

With nine books to his credit as author and editor, MacDonald is well- known to Islanders through his Random Acts of Poetry which, for the past five years, have brought poetry to the streets and workplaces of the province.

MacDonald retired after more than 30 years of service in the educational system of the province and, since 1999, has been a full-time writer. He has served on the executives of both the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts and the P.E.I. Writers’ Guild. Recognition for his work and leadership includes awards and prizes in the PEI Literary Awards including the L.M. Montgomery Children’s Literature Award for Chung Lee Loves Lobsters, a first prize for poetry from the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia.

In 2004, he was presented with the Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts on Prince Edward Island.

MacDonald is looking forward to his term as poet laureate. He indicated that he is honoured by the recognition and that he looks forward to exploring new ways of increasing knowledge of the importance of poetry. He plans to continue the community poetry website www.poetrypei.com  initiated by David Helwig, the PEI Poet Laureate who immediately preceded MacDonald.

 “I am delighted, in this poetry-blessed province, to be chosen as the next poet laureate. I will do my best to add a new voice to those of my extraordinary predecessors, Frank Ledwell, John Smith and David Helwig, and to do honour to my beloved Prince Edward Island,” said MacDonald.

More information about MacDonald and his work can be found at www.poetrypei.com , at the Writers’ Union of Canada website www.writersunion.ca  and at the League of Canadian Poets website www.poets.ca

His most recent poetry chapbook, entitled “Through This Rain” can be found at www.poetrypei.com/chapbook/through-this-rain

 
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© 2010 Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library | All Rights Reserved