Windsor to vote on having three poets laureate

One poet laureate is not enough for the City of Windsor — It's looking at having three in-house wordsmiths.

A standing committee will vote Wednesday on giving the current poet laureate an emeritus tag on his title when his term is up in the fall.

Marty Gervais would then stay involved in mentoring his successor.

The city is also considering adding a youth poet laureate.

On CBC's Windsor Morning, Gervais explained why these roles are valuable.

"What happens is that we turn to poetry because poetry in some ways helps us deal with chaotic moments, but also helps to celebrate and remember things, and it also helps us actually dig a little bit deeper into our heart to say things that other people won't say."

Hear more from Windsor's poet laureate:

Gervais said he also supports Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield's drive to have a provincial poet laureate position created.

"Canada has a poet laureate, Windsor obviously, Toronto, Sarnia, Sudbury. There's no reason on earth why Ontario doesn't have it's own poet laureate," said Hatfield. 

He's hoping that his bill, which was up for its second reading in the legislature Thursday, will be passed before the province's election in June.

Hatfield wants the bill to honour the late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie.

"I think in Gord Downie's memory we could create this position and that would help keep alive his contributions.

Hatfield also recognized the contributions that Gervais has made in the position.

"All of those marvellous readings that he's hosted at Willistead manor, all of those other poets laureate coming to town, going to schools getting school children excited — that's what a poet laureate could do."