UNESCO declared March 21 as World Poetry Day during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999, to recognize the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind. It supports linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.
In 2015, the UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: from local to global, with the help of the Brock University Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, initiated a contest designed to celebrate Niagara’s creative minds region and enhance their role in community sustainability.
Every year, writers from the local community are encourage to submit unpublished poems on themes related to sustainability.
From the UNESCO Poetry Day Website:
“Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings.
Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.
In celebrating World Poetry Day, March 21, UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.
ATTEND THE POETRY CELEBRATION
All poets (and members of the community) are invited to attend the free Poetry Day Celebration on March 23 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Mahtay Café & Lounge, located at 241 St Paul St, St. Catharines. The event is free to attend. For more information or to register visit Eventbrite.
2026 Contest / Concours 2026
Theme: “International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development”
- An opportunity to highlight the work of volunteers to advance sustainability
We invite all poets to reflect on this theme and send their views in a poem or two.
Thème: « Année internationale des Volontaires au service du développement durable »
- Une occasion pour souligner le travail des bénévoles pour avancer la durabilité
Nous invitons donc tous et toutes les poêtes à réfléchir sur ces thème et à envoyer leurs idées sous la forme d’un poème ou deux.
CONTEST RULES
Submission Deadline / Date limite de soumission:
The 2026 contest is now closed. Monitor this website for updates on the 2027 contest.
Submission Categories / Les catégories de poèmes sont:
Elementary Student, High School Student, College/University Student, and General Public. / Etudiant(e)s du primaire, étudiant(e)s du secondaire, étudiant(e)s collégiaux ou universitaires et toutes et tous les autres résident(e)s de la Niagara.
*Poems generated in whole or in part by Generative AI will not be accepted.
Who can submit a poem / Qui peut participer?:
All residents of the Niagara Region are eligible to enter. / Tous et toutes les résidents de la région de la Niagara, Ontario, Canada, sont invités à participer.
Prizes / Prix:
One prize will be awarded for each of the four categories. Prizes will include books, gift cards, and other gifts valuing over $50 per category. / Un prix sera décerné pour chacune des quatre catégories. Les prix incluront des livres, certificats cadeaux et autres prix pour une valeur de plus de $50 par catégorie.
Winners will be announced in time for the UNESCO World Poetry Day Celebration. / Les gagnant(e)s seront annoncés à la Journée mondiale de la Poésie de l’UNESCO.
PAST EVENTS
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2025 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2024 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2023 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2022 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Click the video link below to watch the Poetry Day Celebration.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2021 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Click the video link below to watch the Poetry Day Celebration.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2020 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Click the video link below to watch the Poetry Day Celebration.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2019 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Thank you to all of the participants in our 2018 poetry contest!
Click the eBook link below to read all of the submissions from the contest.
Click the video link below to watch the Poetry Day Celebration.
Thank you to all of the participants in our first three poetry contests!
Click the eBook link below to read all submissions from 2015 – 2017.
Previous Winners / Gagnants précédents
CONTEST DETAILS
Theme: ‘Beyond Sustainability’
With the various crises that are currently affecting all of us— from the COVID-19 pandemic to the loss of biodiversity, acceleration of land degradation, and the devastating impacts of climate change — it is becoming clear that we need to rethink our worldview, reconnect with nature, and think critically about what we really need versus what we want. The current overconsumption-based lifestyle is not sustainable.
For our contest this year, we invited poets to think about how the systems that are currently in place today could be changed to contribute to a better future for us all. The goal of this year’s topic was to engage the public in conversations about the way they see the world at present, and the different possibilities that exist for a more sustainable future. We absolutely need to start a conversation with what we need to do not only now for us today, but, especially, for the future generations who will come after us. The contributing poets this year have been a key part of this conversation.
Winners
- Nos eaux by/par Maria E Maletta (Université)
- La nature et la société by/par Ambar Alvarado Foster (Secondaire)
- Beyond by/par Snežana Obradović-Ratković (General Public)
CONTEST DETAILS
Theme: ‘International Year of Plant Health’
“Poetry is a form of expression that can link our feelings and values to the real world. The International Year of Plant Health relates to many aspects of our lives including cultural expressions, the health of our planet and our own health.” – Liette Vasseur
Winners
- Un monde tout vert by Brock Concurrent Education student Alexander Emmitt Yap
- Help the Plants by Harry Byun, Grade 3 student at Kate S. Durdan Public School in Niagara Falls
- Terra by Elizabeth Grace Tomaino, Grade 12 student at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School
- The Active Agent by Diana Vasu, English Language and Literature Student at Brock University
- Adam and Eve Recall the tree by Franco ON Cortese, of Thorold, Ontario
CONTEST DETAILS
Theme: ‘Year of Indigenous Voices’
“Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures. To encourage a return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, to restore a dialogue between poetry and the other arts.” – UNESCO
“Indigenous languages are essential to sustainable development; they constitute the vast majority of the world’s linguistic diversity, and are an expression of cultural identity, diversity and a unique understanding of the world. The disappearance of indigenous languages has a negative impact on areas directly affecting lives of indigenous peoples such as, politics, health, justice, education and access to ICTs among other things.” – UNESCO, April 2018
Winners
“The Language Poem” by: Ambar K Foster
Category: Elementary Student (English)
“The Voyageur” by: Jake Ontario Vandenbosch
Category: College/University Student (English)
“Le pardon” by: Fatima Mojahid
Category: College/University Student (French)
“Well Educated Guesses” by: Janet M Rogers
Category: General Public (English)
Special Mention:
“The bridge” by: Cristina Soto
Category: General Public (English)
CONTEST DETAILS
Theme: ‘The Future We Want’
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly in its Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 July 2012 during the Rio +20 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, adopted the outcome document entitled “The future we want” as a vision for what has become in 2015 the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
As mentioned: Poverty eradication is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. In this regard, we are committed to freeing humanity from poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency… We therefore acknowledge the need to further mainstream sustainable development at all levels, integrating economic, social and environmental aspects and recognizing their interlinkages, so as to achieve sustainable development in all its dimensions.”
Winners
“Now” by: Hannah Johnston
Category: Elementary Student (English)
“Do we have to die before dessert” by: Emily Lizbet Fulton
Category: High School Student (English)
“My feet are damp” by: Danielle Izzard
Category: College/University Student (English)
“Two worlds” by: Liz Bonisteel
Category: General Public (English)
“Les cris d’univers” by: Victoria Vieira
Category: College/University Student (French)
CONTEST DETAILS
Winners
“Pensez avant de voyager” by: Natalie Leblanc
Category: College/University Student (French)
“Take a deep breath” by: Kostyn Vaughan Petrunick
Category: College/University Student (English)
*Honourable mentions:
“Touriste” by: Stacey Lynn Duncan
Category: College/University Student (French)
“Tourisme durable pour le développement” by: Wilfrid Junior Desrosiers
Category: College/University Student (French)
CONTEST DETAILS
Winners
“La Ville-Jardin, faillite alimentaire” by Casey Maria Lawrence
Cateogory: College/University student (French)
“Gertrude Stein on Sustainability” by Jonathan Karl Lepp
Category: General public (English)
“Exported Goods” by Jamie Eri Lupia
Category: College/University student (English)
Contest Details
Winners
“Birds of the World” by: Cole David Michael Campbell
Category: Elementary school student
“The old man…” by Rebekah Cho
Category: High school student
“The Malleable Genealogy of Oranges” by Ryan Ralph Racine
Category: College/ University student
“Ode to the Dandelion” by Shelley Anne Locke
Category: General public
