Bill 186 explained in plain English
Poet Laureate of Ontario Act (In Memory of Gord Downie), 2018
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This bill establishes the office of the Poet Laureate of Ontario to promote art, literacy, and celebrate the province's poets, in memory of Gord Downie.
This bill proposes to establish the position of Poet Laureate of Ontario to honour the memory of Gord Downie. The Poet Laureate would be an officer of the Legislative Assembly, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Assembly. The bill outlines the qualifications for the position, including residency in Ontario and a record of published poetry or significant literary contribution. It also details the responsibilities of the Poet Laureate, such as promoting art and literacy, celebrating Ontario, and raising the profile of Ontario poets. A selection committee, involving members of the Ontario Arts Council and the current Poet Laureate (if applicable), would be established to select candidates. The bill also allows for an honorarium and reimbursement of expenses for the Poet Laureate. The Act would come into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Establishes the office of the Poet Laureate of Ontario.
- Sets out the qualifications for the Poet Laureate.
- Defines the responsibilities of the Poet Laureate.
- Establishes a selection committee for the Poet Laureate.
- Allows for an honorarium and reimbursement of expenses for the Poet Laureate.
- Specifies how the Act will come into force.
- The Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council.
- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
- Aspiring or appointed Poets Laureate of Ontario.
- Members of the Province of Ontario Council for the Arts.
- The Legislative Library.
- The public in Ontario, through the promotion of art and literacy.
- The Poet Laureate has the responsibility to promote art and literacy, celebrate Ontario and its people, raise the profile of Ontario poets, and raise public awareness of poetry and spoken word.
- The Poet Laureate is expected to act as a spokesperson for literature and poetry.
- The Poet Laureate is expected to provide a focal point for the expression of Ontario culture and heritage through literary arts.
- The Poet Laureate may be called upon to write poetry for use in the Legislature.
- The Poet Laureate may be asked to visit schools, present readings, and assist with writing workshops.
- The Poet Laureate may advise the Legislative Library on collections and acquisitions.
- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport may pay an honorarium to the Poet Laureate.
- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport may reimburse the Poet Laureate for approved expenses.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (Section 5).
- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport may pay an honorarium to the Poet Laureate.
- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport may provide reimbursement for approved expenses related to the Poet Laureate's duties.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council may remove the Poet Laureate for cause, on the address of the Assembly (Section 1 (5)).
- The specific amount or frequency of the honorarium for the Poet Laureate is not detailed in the bill.
- The bill does not specify the exact budget for reimbursement of expenses, only that they must be approved in advance by the Minister.
- The bill does not specify the exact process or criteria the selection committee will use beyond the stated qualifications, only that they will select a Poet Laureate.
- The phrase "for cause" in relation to the removal of the Poet Laureate is not further defined in the bill.
The Act will come into effect on the day it receives Royal Assent.
Source: Section 5
The bill refers to the Arts Council Act in the context of establishing the selection committee, by referencing members of the Province of Ontario Council for the Arts.
Source: Section 2 (1) 1.
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced