A bill to establish a poet laureate in Ontario in the name of the late front-man for The Tragically Hip has passed second reading at Queen’s Park.
Windsor-Tecumseh New Democrat MPP Percy Hatfield introduced the private member’s bill in the name of Gord Downie, who died at the age of 53 in October, 2017. Downie had a rare form of brain cancer which prompted a final tour for the band and a summer of national bonding.
The bill received unanimous support among members of the legislature at second reading, a major milestone towards becoming law.
“This isn’t the first time the position of Ontario Poet Laureate has been suggested in this house,” Hatfield said. “The difference on this occasion is the timing of the Bill. Canada was energized during the Tragically Hip’s final tour. As individuals, we paid more attention to Gord Downie’s words in his poems, the Hip’s award-winning songs… We came to appreciate the value that poetry brings to our culture, our history, our stories. Poetry for some had been a forgotten pleasure.”
The role of Poet Laureate would promote the expression of Ontario culture and heritage through literary arts. This includes writing poetry, visiting schools, arranging poetry workshops, advising the legislative library regarding its collection of literary works, and raising the profile of Ontario poets.
“Younger generations would learn to appreciate language and the creative ways words can stir our emotions and stimulate our imaginations,” said Hatfield.
