City selects Poet Laureate in celebration of the city’s 150th anniversary

The City of St. Catharines has chosen Shannon Kitchings as Poet Laureate to help celebrate the City’s sesquicentennial.

Kitchings will serve as an artistic ambassador for the City for 2026, using poetry to engage residents, celebrate civic pride, and enrich public life through readings, special initiatives, and cultural events connected to the history and culture of St. Catharines, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the City's incorporation.

The Poet Laureate is an honorary civic role that recognizes an accomplished St. Catharines-based poet who demonstrates:

• A strong body of creative work,
• Commitment to community engagement,
• Passion for the literary arts, and
• The ability to represent the City through spoken and written word.

Beginning as a playwright, Kitchings’ work in poetry is based on embodied exploration of relationships with self and others. Her writing has been published in Lichen & Letters Preview and Pitch Magazine, and her plays and poetry have been shared in live performances throughout southern Ontario. Her literary inspirations include Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Richard Van Camp, and Andrea Gibson. She uses performance, literary arts, and somatic practice to bridge distances between people who come from different backgrounds, and have different comfort levels creating art. Her research in voice and trauma has inspired her to explore the ways everyone, regardless of artistic training or experience, can communicate complex subject matter through the arts. This exploration is founded in embodiment.

“Poetry is the core of my work, but there have been so many beautiful moments of multi-disciplinary creation. To celebrate poetry in St. Catharines, I would love to create or co-create a visual legacy piece in the form of a mural or art installation that commemorates the history of St. Catharines through poetry,” said Kitchings regarding her plans for the position. “I envision a short film using poetry as the narration to explore aspects of St. Catharines’ unique identity. My practice already includes movement and music and visual arts as framing for poems. I envision continuing to share poetry that includes singing, dance, and printmaking in live events I attend as Poet Laureate.”

Kitchings was selected by a committee of local literary artists, following a competitive open call to the community in December.

“As we celebrate 150 years of the City of St. Catharines, the Poet Laureate will ensure this milestone is marked through the arts, creating a lasting artistic legacy for the future,” said Jessica Wilson, the City’s Culture Supervisor.