With the Victoria Book Prize and the Poet Laureate programs at risk of being eliminated in 2026, Victoria’s city council will consider alternative ways to keep them alive.
A motion brought forth by Councillor Marg Gardiner will be discussed in the committee of the whole meeting this week, which would have staff come up with ways to continue the book and poet programs.
Gardiner wrote in her motion that council has received hundreds of emails in support of both the Victoria Book Prize and the Poet Laureate programs
The Victoria Book Prize was launched in 2004 and costs the City a total of $10,000 per year for the monetary award given to the winner of the Book Prize and the Children’s Book Prize.
Fees for the gala are taken on by Brian Butler, a Victoria-based arts enthusiast and philanthropist.
Meanwhile, Gardiner says the Poet Laureate and the Youth Poet Laureate programs cost about $12,000 per year.
City staff are recommending to council that these programs be cut from the budget.
Gardiner does not want to see the Victoria Book Prizes and Poet Laureate programs brought to an end and says the emails received by council were sent by people from across the country who also value the programs.
Her council member motion, if passed, would have City staff create a task force of authors, publishers and those involved in the literature and poetry communities of Victoria.
This task force would potentially be responsible for leading a funding drive to raise money to award an endowment of $250,000 for each of the Victoria Book Prize and Poet Laureate programs.
This matter will be discussed by the Victoria city council this Thursday, March 6th.
