Constitution

The name of the Society is: Poetry Canada Society 

The purposes of the Society are:

1. to establish a physical space that will become Canada’s first dedicated national poetry centre and 

2. to devote itself to advancing appreciation of and education in poetry across Canada – whether in print or through performance 

The Society will fulfill these two purposes by: 

• providing a facility for high-quality literary events, festivals, and/or awards presentations

• providing forums and opportunities for emerging and established Canadian poets to exhibit, present and perform their work in public 

• curating and promoting high-quality poetry exhibitions and performances within the social and historical context of Canada, embracing inclusivity and diversity at every opportunity 

• promoting via both traditional and electronic media writing by Canadian poets, both past and present 

• engaging with the international community to build a larger worldwide audience for Canadian poetry 

• establishing a comprehensive resource library that

  • provides research opportunities through an onsite and a digital reference library 

  • offers borrowing opportunities through a circulating library

  • stocks copies of new volumes of poetry from Canadian publishers

• displaying both permanent and temporary exhibits that showcase the legacy of Canada’s poetry and poets

• providing a writer-in-residence facility and program for visiting poets 

• offering general interest courses, classes, and workshops to the Canadian public

• offering open access to instructional seminars, workshops, and mentoring programs to aspiring and emerging poets, especially those from marginalized and under-represented communities