Barrie Council Celebrates Poetry Month by Having the New Poet Laureate Deliver a Moving Poem

During last week's City Council Meeting at City Hall, a range of topics were addressed.

Barrie's Poet Laureate Tyneisha Ternent - 

Barrie's Poet Laureate Tyneisha Ternent shared her emotional journey with poetry. As the first black Poet Laureate and a mother, she highlighted the healing power of writing through personal struggles. 

“For years, I was depressed and hated myself. But I wrote through my pain and learned to love myself,“ she recited lines from her poem. “I could use my poetry to display the strength I had earned.“”

Ternent is committed to supporting artists and promoting various art forms in her role as an ambassador of the arts. Her inspiring message underscored the importance of self-expression and healing through creative writing.

“My ancestors are proud and smiling in their graves. I can hear them cheering and clapping and laughing, shouting, hurray,“ she recited. 

Encouraging others to embrace creative writing, Ternent urged the audience to write through their heartbreaks, struggles, and obstacles. She emphasized the power of poetry to save lives, stating that it had a profound impact on her own life.

“A pen in hand is more dangerous than a knife. And a powerful poem lives on after its writers like poetry saves lives,‘’ she recited. 

“I asked you again to pick up that pen and paper and see how poetry can heal you too.“

Mayor Alex Nuttall was all praise for Ternent. “You are doing our city very, very, very proud. And certainly the skills and talents that you have thank you for sharing them with us and with the world.“

Lakehead University Presentation - 

Dr. Linda Rotenberg, Interim Principal at Lakehead University, provided updates on the university's expansion in Simcoe County. Currently, Lakehead serves 2,104 students across 20+ programs, generating an economic impact of $3.563 billion throughout Ontario and $245.7 million in Simcoe County. The university also offers mental health and academic services, and provides financial aid to 58% of students. Rotenberg reported that 97.7% of graduates find employment within two years, with 91% securing jobs in their field of study.

Lakehead University plans to increase its student body from 2,000 to 3,500, to introduce 10 new programs tailored to the community's future needs, and boost its economic impact on Simcoe County to over $400 million annually.

In addition, the council meeting featured inquiries and announcements. To view specific sections of the video, refer to the provided time stamps.

0:00 Intro

0:01:00 Poet Laureate, Tyneisha Ternent 

0:10:00 Lakehead University

0:34:00 Committee Reports

0:39:30 Enquiries

0:46:00 Annoucements

1:02:00 By-law amendments