Voices of Prince Albert is the theme of this year’s Pop-Up Poetry Walk in Prince Albert.
The Pop-Up Poetry Walk was created as a continuation of two previous poetry projects by local poet Lynda Monahan. The walk winds its way from the start of the Rotary Trail by Riverside School towards Diefenbaker Bridge with 10 poems displayed along the way.
Monahan guided the poetry walk on Saturday at the Rotary Trail near Riverside School.
“The Poetry Walk started three years ago when I approached the City Arts and Culture Department about doing a project where we would have poetry boxes along the river and poems displayed in downtown shop windows during the street clear,” Monahan said.
The first year the theme was ‘Hope’ the second year was ‘Summer in the City, the third year was ‘Positive PA’ and this year is ‘Voices of the City.’ Monahan said that the theme came from wanting something that appeals to everyone.
“I just kind of looked around to see what might be an interesting idea, looked at what other cities who have similar projects have done,” Monahan said. “I thought Voices of the City sounded like a really good idea because that could encompass coffee shop owners, people, street cleaners, doctors, nurses, almost everybody, the people that make up our city. It seemed like a good topic.”
Laurier Gobeil created the poetry boxes and helps with upkeep. She put out the call for poems related to that theme, and received a large enough response to fill all 10 poetry boxes running along the Rotary Trail near the river.
Monahan said that the uptake each year is consistently good.
“We had excellent submissions,” she said. “I probably had about 40 to 50 submissions. We’ve had really good response to the topics. Then I would look through them and pick one out. It was a really tough decision to make.
The poems are printed at a print shop and city workers put them in the poetry boxes along the river and in the shop windows. Monahan said there were some tough choices because some poets had great poems that were not necessarily matching the theme.
The Poetry Walk starts at the Rotary Trail across from Riverside School and runs to under the bridge and runs nearly two kilometres
Monahan said they had enough poems to place five of them in downtown shop windows. She said that the city itself can serve as inspiration for poets.
Monahan came up with the idea to create a poetry walk but considers it a collaboration.
Last year a Poetry Walk was originally scheduled for the original Street Fair date in June but was rescheduled to run a week later. Both poetry walks in 2025 were postponed because of weather but they did have one during Culture Days.
“Last year we got rained out and then we had a day after that that was so cold, people have froze, so we’re happy with today,” Monahan said. “We’re really fortunate that way, and it’s just a fun. The poetry walk is a fun little wander along the Rotary Trail and people get to read the poems and share their poetry.”
Carlton Comprehensive High School Grade 11 student Meike Hogan entered a poem because she was encouraged by the director of the Writing Club at Carlton to enter.
“I sometimes go to a writing club, but not often, and she (said) ‘well, you’re a talented writer, Meike why don’t you go?’” Hogan explained.
Hogan’s poem was inspired by her mother who is a nurse. She noted that when people think of Prince Albert they think of the Victoria Hospital.
Hogan said she was surprised to be selected.
“I wasn’t really expecting it,” she said.
She added that you never know if you can get picked and being picked was great.
Along with Hogan this year’s submissions were from Beth Gobeil, Lorna Blakeney, Denise Wilkinson, Carrie Stene, Linda Goulet, Sharon Bird, Patti Koivisto, Shauna Eveleigh Harris, Nicholas Ferguson-Dodge, Anastasia MacColl, Ian McIntyre, Lynda Monahan and the Herb Basset Day Centre have a poem included as well.
Lynda Monahan read a poem by Linda Goulet during the Pop-Up Poetry Walk along the Rotary Trail on Saturday.
Poet Nicholas Ferguson-Dodge read his poem, which is s displayed on Central Avenue, during the Pop-Up Poetry Walk along the Rotary Trail on Saturday.
Monahan said that the walk is a nice stroll and encouraged everyone to come for a walk along the river.
“I just hope that people will come out and take a wander along the road and trail and read the poems which are displayed there. I think they’ll be really pleased,” Monahan said.
This project is made possible through the City of Prince Albert’s Municipal Cultural Action Plan.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
