Gregory Gatenby Awarded Order of Canada

 

 

On April 27,2000 our cousin, Greg Gatenby, was made a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governer General. The Order of Canada recognizes people who have made a difference to our country. From local citizens to national and international personalities, all Canadians are eligible for the Order of Canada -- Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement.Three different levels of membership honour people whose accomplishments vary in degree and scope: Member, Officer and Companion. Since 1967, more than 4,000 people have received the Order of Canada. New appointments to the Order are made twice each year and lists are announced around New Year's Day and Canada Day. The ceremony takes place at Rideau Hall, and is broadcast on CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel. Three ceremonies are held each year.

Gregory's citation reads: "He is a major force in the promotion of literature in Canada. Founder and Director of the International Festival of Authors and Artistic Director of the Harbourfront Reading Series, he has helped countless Canadian authors gain access to a broader audience and has introduced Canadians to some of the world's best writers. A poet and editor himself, he has played a key role in establishing literary readings as important and popular cultural events."

 Greg Gatenby was born in Toronto in 1950. He has published several books of poetry, but is best known for his anthologies on dolphins and whales in art, music and literature, and for his two books examining how foreign writers have written about Canada and Canadians. Greg is also internationally known for his work as Artistic Director of the Harbourfront Reading Series, which he assumed in 1974. Time Magazine declared, that he had, more than anyone else in the city, made Toronto the literary capital of the northern hemisphere. He was one of the five founding members of the reconstituted PEN Canadian Centre, and one of the four principal organizers of the PEN World Congress in Toronto in 1989. He also served on the board of the Writers Development Trust, and was an Honorary Board Member when Word On The Street was being formed. For two years he hosted a book show for TVO, and was the chief book reviewer on the flagship arts program of CBC Radio.

 

Congratulations Greg!

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