A John Glassco Soirée

Later this month I'll be joining Carmine Starnino, editor of the recent John Glassco and the Other Montreal, in a discussion of Glassco's life and work at St. James the Apostle's Writers' Chapel:

A John Glassco Soirée

The Writers' Chapel

Church of St. James the Apostle

1439 St. Catherine Street West (corner Bishop)

Montreal 

Friday, April 27, 7:00 pm

Glassco's good friend Michael Gnarowski, editor of John Glassco: Selected Poems with Three Notes on the Poetic Process and publisher of the only Canadian edition of The English Governess, will be hosting the evening.

St. James the Apostle was the church of Glassco's childhood. The plaque celebrating his life, affixed to its walls in 2009, marked the beginning of the Writers' Chapel.

This is a free event presented by the Argo Bookshop.

All are welcome.

Cross-posted at A Gentleman of Pleasure

F.R. Scott Memorial Plaque

This coming Thursday, 13 October, will see the dedication of a plaque in memory of F.R. Scott at the chapel of Montreal's St James the Apostle Anglican Church. Scott's will be the third in a cortege of writers' plaques that began two years ago when a small group gathered to remember John Glassco. A plaque to A.J.M. Smith followed, installed on the eve of the thirtieth anniversary of his passing.

This year's service, which will see formal recognition of 'The Writers' Chapel', will include two speakers from McGill university, the institution forever tied to Scott: Desmond Morton (Hiram Mills Emeritus Professor) and Roderick A. Macdonald (F.R. Scott Professor of Constitutional and Public Law).

All are welcome.

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Evensong, 6 p.m.

Church of St James the Apostle

1439 St Catherine Street West, Montreal

A reception with wine and cheese will follow.

Crossposted at A Gentleman of Pleasure.

The Solid Walls of St James the Apostle

A very fine column by Mike Boone on St James the Apostle's Writers' Chapel from yesterday's Gazette:

City's Great Writers Honoured in Historic Church

"Montreal is a city of great writers. And it's fitting that distinguished men and women of letters be commemorated in one of the city's great places of worship", he writes.

How true.

A.J.M. Smith Memorial Plaque

It was thirty years ago today that A.J.M. Smith died. This coming Saturday afternoon will see the unveiling of a memorial plaque to the poet at the chapel of Montreal's St James the Apostle Anglican Church. All are welcome!

St James the Apostle Anglican Church

1439 St Catherine Street West

Montreal, Quebec

(entrance Bishop Street)

5:00 pm, Saturday, 27 November 2010

In Commemoration of Road Resurfacing

North Bay mayor Victor Fedell with Tony Clement, 7 September 2010

Minister of Industry Tony Clement was in North Bay this week, taking time from his busy schedule to unveil a commemorative plaque.

Something to honour the birthplace of Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet? Perhaps a bit of ornamentation for the late Bobby Gimby's house? No, this plaque commemorates a programme, not a person.

The Infrastructure Canada website informs:

Between 2006 and 2009, the city of North Bay received over $8.2 million through the federal Gas Tax Fund, which has been used to widen lanes, install new traffic signals, replace sidewalks and provide safer parking on some of North Bay’s most widely used roads.

Intrigued? There's more:

Asphalt resurfacing of various streets - $2,273,876 in GTF funding to complete asphalt resurfacing of more than 15 city streets between 2006 and 2009.

Worthington Street Bridge - $150,000 in GTF funding toward the new concrete water crossing structure, drainage improvements, road realignment and road resurfacing.

But why go on, you'll want to visit the site yourself.

"The Government of Canada is proud to commemorate such important improvements to the City of North Bay’s roads and bridges," crowed the Honourable Minister. And so, the plaque was unveiled, and future generations will learn how it was that the right turn lane on Algonquin Avenue came into being.

The celebration of upkeep and upgrade comes as work begins on a more worthwhile plaque, this one to commemorate the life of A.J.M. Smith. Like last year's memorial to John Glassco, it will be installed in the chapel of Montreal's St James the Apostle Anglican Church.

No Gas Tax money for this project, I'm afraid - funding will rely entirely on family, friends and admirers of the poet. Anyone interested can write for more information through the email link on my profile page.

Minister Clement can be contacted at 1-866-375-TONY.

The Final Sigh

"The Heavenly Boy", read by Donald Winkler at the installation of the memorial plaque to John Glassco. The poet's last published verse, it appeared in the December 1980 issue of Saturday Night. Glassco died the following month.

John Glassco Memorial Plaque

The plaque is cast.

Alloy Foundry, Merrickville, Ontario

20 November 2009

I do complain. Back in April I was going on and on about the dearth of historical plaques in this country, pointing – predictably – to a pub that now occupies what had once been John Glassco's pied-à-terre. Seven months later, with the Glassco centenary just weeks away, I'm pleased to report that a memorial plaque to the author will be installed at the city's St James the Apostle Anglican Church.

It's the most appropriate of locations, I think. St James the Apostle was the Glassco family church. On 19 September 1905, his parents were married there in an elaborate ceremony that was covered in the Montreal Daily Star. Glassco married both his wives, Elma Koolmer (1917-1971) and Marion McCormick (1924-2004), at St James, and it was at the church, on 2 February 1981, that his funeral was held.

The installation, which is open to all, will take place at 4:00 pm, Thursday, 26 November 2009.

St James the Apostle Anglican Church

1439 St Catherine Street West

Montreal, Quebec