The city of Ottawa has announced two new poet laureates to represent the city’s French and English literary communities.
Albert Dumont will serve as Ottawa’s English language poet laureate, while Gilles Latour will fill the French language post. Both are in their 70s and are veteran poets who live in the broader National Capital Region.
Dumont is a Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation member, who only ventured into poetry in his 40s, following a workplace accident. He has published five poetry collections and two children’s Books. Dumont says that he aims to use his tenure as poet laureate to call attention to the beauty of Ottawa’s natural environment. Latour is a Cornwall native who has also published five collections, in addition to a career in international development and editing Les Éditions L’Interligne.
After a 27-year absence, Ottawa revived its poet laureate program in association with local poetry festival VERSeFest in 2017. The revival reflects a growing poetry scene built through reading events, collaboration and small-run magazines and chapbooks, which are often created by printing services. The program grants each poet laureate a $5,000 honorarium and an equal amount to plan events and initiatives to support poetry in the area.
The two new Ottawa poet laureates were recognized by City Council in a virtual ceremony on April 28 and will serve in the post for two years.
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