The city of Montreal just put out an "Appel de candidatures: Poète de la cité" which translated literally means poet for or of the city. This probably means “poet laureate” but we’re not sure because the invitation for candidature is only in French. This probably also means that no English language writing poets need apply.

 
Under Bill 101, the arts are exempt from the French only or French 50% bigger signage rule. We assume that goes for notices to the artistic community as well. The bureaucrats should know this and be sensitive to that reality. However, we know that that is not the reality.

 

In Montreal, a city renowned for English language poets and poetry across the country and internationally, this is a slap in the face of poets writing in English and the citizens whose first language of reading is English. A.M. Klein, Leonard Cohen, Irving Layton, Frank Scott, Erin Moure, all Montreal-based, all Governor General  winners.  As well, Peter Van Toorn, Carmine Starnino, and this year Michael Harris, Governor General nominees need not apply.  There are also many other English language poets, nominees and/or winners of the Quebec Writers' Federation A.M. Klein Award for Poetry,  who need not apply.

 

Montreal has been and continues to be an important center for English language poetry in Canada but you wouldn’t know it from this French-only invitation.

 

This is the first year of the position; therefore, Youppi or non-citizen Bonhomme de Carnival stand a better chance of becoming Montreal’s poet laureate than an English-language writing one.  And perhaps that is the politically correct thing to do. But at least lip service could be paid to “les autres” and have the call for applications be bilingue. Oui? Yes? Non? No?