Featured Poets & Open Mic

In celebration of National Poetry Month at the Library

Join us for a great afternoon of poetry, with readings from featured poets. Following the readings, there will be an opportunity for you to participate in an open mic session. Everyone is welcome.

Books by the featured poets will be available for sale and signing during the event. To secure a spot for our open mic, a sign-up sheet will be made available on the day. This is your chance to take the stage!

About the Featured Poets:

Jillian Morris:

Jillian Morris is a writer, poet, workshop facilitator, and arts promoter. She has worked on several projects and events in support of the local arts community including the presentation of the 4-part Yonnheon:wé Indigenous Storytelling Series. She recently completed a 3-year term as Collingwood’s Poet Laureate. Jillian is Kanien’kehaka and a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She earned a BA in Public Administration and Indigenous Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University. She spent 13 years with the Department of National Defence before deciding to follow her creative spirit. In February 2025, Jillian published her first collection of poetry, Born, Genes, and Quash.

Victoria Butler: 

Victoria Butler is a writer from Barrie, Ontario, with a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto. From 2017 until 2021, she was the Editor-in-Chief of "The Northern Appeal," a literary journal focused on publishing work from creatives in Simcoe County and Muskoka. She served as Barrie's first female Poet Laureate from 2018 until 2022. She has authored three poetry collections, her fourth, "Dirty Laundry," came out this past April 4th. She lives with her cats, Zelda and Navi. 

Nicole Dalcourt:

 Nicole Dalcourt is an award-winning Canadian poet and author of What Remains, her debut poetry collection. Nicole’s work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Writerly Magazine, Bangs, Sky Island Journal, Anti-Heroine Chic and Page Gallery Journal. She is a member of the League of Canadian Poets and the Ontario Poetry Society. When not writing, Nicole hosts and participates in open mics around the region to give poets a space to share their work. Her favorite colour is green.

Bruce Meyer:

Bruce Meyer was the inaugural Poet Laureate of Barrie. He is author or editor of more than 80 books of poetry, short stories, flash fiction, translations, memoirs, and non fiction including 3 national best sellers. With Michael Enright of CBC Radio One, he was the literary guide for the network’s bestselling spoke word cd series, The Great Books, and Great Poetry.  He has won numerous national and international awards for his stories and poems. This year will see the release of The Winter Concerto (stories) and The Traces (poems) — his 81st and 82nd titles. His works have been translated into 12 languages. He lives in Barrie, Ontario and is a retired professor from the University of Toronto and Georgian College. 

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