Ontario Poet Laureate Role Created In Honour Of Tragically Hip Frontman Gord Downie

Late last week a bill was past creating a new poet laureate position in honour of the late Tragically hip front man Good Downie.

Dubbed the Poet Laureate of Ontario Act In Memory of Gord Downie, it was introduced by Windsor-Tecumseh NDP legislator Percy Hatfield and passed by the legislature with Hip and family members in attendance giving the thumbs up. 

Good Downie, died on Oct. 17, 2017, after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Downie was an accomplished poet, publishing “Coke Machine Glow” in 2001. 

NDP Percy Hatfield said the bill was a non-partisan attempt to promote poetry and literacy, a bill he’d been trying to pass since 2017.