Mayor of Regina, Saskatchewan, Michael Fougere has challenged City of Powell River council and communities across Canada to take part in the 2014 Mayor’s Poetry Challenge and proclaim April as National Poetry month.
More than 30 communities from Victoria to St. John’s, Newfoundland, took part in the 2013 challenge and had a local poet read a poem at the start of a council meeting to mark the event. Fougere re-issued the challenge in 2014 in the hope of building on that success.
On a recommendation from Councillor Debbie Dee, council invited two Powell River poets to read at the April 3 meeting. Twelve-year-old Alenor Boyd was the first to present. She orated two selections, one by Shel Silverstein called “Medusa;” the second was an original poem titled “My Mother” for which Alenor was runner-up at the 70th Powell River Festival of the Performing Arts.
Poet Allan Brown read two selections from his latest book of poetry titled Before the Dark, published by Leaf Press. Brown carved his legacy into the Canadian literary scene with 24 published book titles to his credit, including his latest, which is available at Breakwater Books. Brown’s first selection was titled “By the Shore,” an elegy written in memory of composer Benjamin Britten. His second was “Butterfly or Bird,” an elegy in memory of poet PK Page.
Fougere stated in his letter to council that the initiative is a celebration of poetry, writing, small presses and the contribution of poets and writers to the texture of communities throughout the country. “It is also a celebration of libraries and the work of so many municipal leaders to promote literacy,” he said.
