Outgoing Poet Laureate honoured in Poetry Walk
Parmar said being a literary ambassador for the people of Nanaimo had been a great learning experience and left an incredible impression on her. Photo: Lauryn Mackenzie / CHLY 101.7fm
City of Nanaimo’s outgoing Poet Laureate Kamal Parmar has been honoured by becoming a new addition to the City’s Poetry Walk.
Located outside the Port Theatre, the Poetry Walk showcases the poetry of Nanaimo’s past poet laureates. Parmar is the third poet laureate to have their time as a literary ambassador honoured in the Poetry Walk.
CHLY attended the unveiling of Parmar’s stone outside the Port Theatre on August 29. Before the unveiling, Parmar said it was a huge honour to be Nanaimo’s poet laureate
“I'll never forget this, I'll cherish this moment forever and ever visibly move,” Parmar said. “But just remember that even though I bow out, I'm still a part of Nanaimo. It's in my heart, and I'll always be there for you, whenever you want.”
She said being a literary ambassador for the people of Nanaimo had been a great learning experience and left an incredible impression on her.
“Lastly, I would like to convey my best wishes and good luck to the incoming poet laureate. May his or her time be filled with excitement and fun as mine was,” she said. “I'm reminded of a few lines by a famous poet, Alfred Lord Denson at this time, ‘The old order changeth, yielding place to new, and God fulfils Himself in many ways.”
After the unveiling, CHLY spoke with Parmar inside the theatre. She said while the three years in the position flew by, she was able to accomplish a lot.
Projects she worked on included the Hidden Messages Poetry project in 2022 where haikus she wrote were displayed outdoors on walkways using hydrophobic paint, appearing only when it rained. Another project, that started in the spring of this year was Poetry in the Park, where people can walk around Bowen Park and find QR codes that link to poems Parmar wrote about nature and the landscape of the park.
With joining the Poetry Walk Parmar said she is very proud to be honoured.
“I just never thought it'd be like this, you know? I mean, I don't know–I'm a part of Nanaimo. I feel so happy and humbled,” Parmar said. “ I wish I could do more.”
The Poetry Walk is along a busy sidewalk and across the street from Nanaimo’s waterfront walkway. Parmar said to those who will be out and see the Poetry Walkway to not forget there is poetry in everyone.
“I think each one of us is a poet, you just gotta listen to your inner voice,” Parmar said. “I want people to just stand and look at the ocean, the breeze, the mountains, it's a painting–It's a painting come alive. I think Nanaimo is a painting come alive. If you just sit we could paint it with words.”
She said people should go outside as nature is a special gift that should not be wasted.
Jaime-Brett Sine is the Cultural Services Coordinator for the City of Nanaimo, she spoke to CHLY about the unveiling.
She said because the Poetry Walk is in such as busy part of the downtown area, it has highlighted the beauty of poetry to anyone walking by.
“ So it's pretty special, first of all, because it's right out there where you're walking on the sidewalk, totally accessible at any time of day for someone to read these beautiful words by our poet laureates,” Sine said. “I think it's a very visible, beautiful piece that reflects our appreciation of literary arts and poetry in Nanaimo.”
She said Parmar’s efforts mean a lot to the community and her being added to the Poetry Walk reflects the city’s appreciation.
“Our appreciation of the poet laureate programs, because the poet laureates bring so much to the city and offer so much to the community, and especially when it comes to engaging with poetry, which a lot of people can find quite intimidating,” Sine said.
The City of Nanaimo is currently collecting submissions seeking its next poet laureate. The deadline for submission is Monday, September 16th at midnight.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.