Poets Laureate
2024-2026 Ottawa Poets Laureate
David O’Meara
Anglophone Poet Laureate
Véronique Sylvain
Francophone Poet Laureate
The City of Ottawa’s Poet Laureate program is designed to promote the literary arts in Ottawa and to advance Ottawa’s unique voice in the world. Poets laureate serve a two-year term beginning in September.
ABOUT THE CITY OF OTTAWA’S POET LAUREATE PROGRAM
In 2017, City Council approved funding for the renewal of a Poet Laureate Program for the City of Ottawa. There are two current Ottawa poet laureates – one English, one French – each appointed to serve a two year term. Their mandate is to act as Ottawa’s artistic ambassador, to promote the literary arts, and to advance Ottawa’s unique voice in the world.
Each Poet Laureate receives an annual honorarium of $5,000, as well as another $5,000 to fund various poetry-related programs and events.
HISTORY OF OTTAWA’S POET LAUREATE PROGRAM
Before the present incarnation of a bilingual Poet laureate program, Ottawa had an unilingual poet laureate program between 1982 and 1990. The city’s third and final poet laureate under this program was Patrick White, who succeeded Cyril Dabydeen. The city’s first poet laureate was Catherine Ahearn, a position which also made her the first municipal poet laureate in Canada. After an almost 30-year hiatus, City Council in consultation with VERSe Ottawa resurrected and augmented the Poet Laureate program.
Previous Poets Laureate
2021-2023
- Albert Dumont (Anglophone Poet Laureate)
- Gilles Latour (Francophone Poet Laureate)
2019-2021
- Deanna Young (Anglophone Poet Laureate)
- Margaret Michèle Cook (Francophone Poet Laureate)
2017-2019
- Andrée Lacelle (Francophone Poet Laureate)
- Jamaal Jackson Rogers (Anglophone Poet Laureate)