Skip to content

Sooke resident Wendy Morton receives Order of B.C.

Sooke poet receives province’s highest honour
9615181_web1_Wendy-Morton222

It is a very exciting day for Sooke resident Wendy Morton, as she was appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest form of recognition.

“British Columbia is strong because of our people. This year’s recipients have dedicated their lives to making B.C. a better place. We commend them for their tremendous achievements and service to our province,” said Premier John Horgan in a press release.

Morton is a nationally-recognized poet who has made an outstanding impact on the Indigenous community, working with students, teaching them to be ports as well and helping communities build bridges between inter-generational gaps.

From working with the students came The Elder Project, which is made up of 17 chapbooks that tell the stories of Indigenous elder’s through student’s poetry.

She also started the Random Acts of Poetry movement which encourages poets across Canada to read poems to strangers and give them books.

Her work and activism is now appreciated in many countries including Canada, England, Scotland Ireland and Northern Ireland, and The Elder Project is recognized by B.C. English Language Teachers in their 2015 Aboriginal education issue.

“For 28 years, the Order of British Columbia has recognized exceptional individuals whose hard work, generosity of spirit and outstanding achievements have contributed immeasurably to the well-being of our communities,” said Lt. Gov. Judith Guichon, chancellor of the Order who announced the recipients today.

“I extend my congratulations to this year’s recipients and thank them for inspiring all of us with their efforts to build a healthy, diverse and inclusive province for generations to come.”