Welcome to Time In Lines – Poets Explore Our Region’s History presented by the Edmonton Stroll of Poets Society. Join us at the Bison Lodge (former Pioneer’s Cabin) for an evening of poetry and a book exchange!

On September 30th, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Edmonton’s Stroll of Poets Society will present a special evening of words. You’ll hear the story of how a small non-profit with a primarily non-Indigenous membership has been trying to engage more deeply with the complex history on this landscape.

What began as an effort to get beyond rote land acknowledgements at Stroll events has grown into a book. Poets Reimagine Canada: A Primer for a Land Beyond Acknowledgements records this intensive process and the compositions that grew out of it. It includes many of the acknowledgements and shared written works by members during readings and meetings. But it is also a reference work on how to move beyond empty formalities, to engage with and learn about the past.

The program will include a talk about that process by poet and educator Naomi McIlwraith, along with readings by several contributors to the anthology.

The evening will also include poems about other aspects of Edmonton’s history – from geology to union movements – by members of the Stroll, which is Edmonton’s oldest active poetry organization.

Hosted by Alice Major, Edmonton’s first poet laureate.

Doors open at 6:30 pm – tea, coffee and dessert (free of charge)

Presentation begins at 7:00 pm

Book exchange will be available before and after the presentation – please bring any books you would like to offer to the free book exchange.