Poet Laureate of Ontario
The Poet Laureate of Ontario is the poet laureate for the province of Ontario in Canada. It was established in 2019 in honour of Gord Downie, the lead vocalist of The Tragically Hip until his death in October 2017.
The bill Poet Laureate of Ontario Act In Memory of Gord Downie was introduced to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by Percy Hatfield, the Member of Provincial Parliament representing Windsor—Tecumseh, in December 2017. Passage of the bill into law on December 12, 2019, was attended by members of Downie's family, during which time MPPs read The Tragically Hip lyrics and paid tribute to Downie.
The first Poet Laureate is scheduled to be named in 2020, after being selected by a legislative panel chaired by Speaker Ted Arnott. The appointee will hold the role for a two-year term.
