Officer of the Order of Canada
Raymond Souster, O.C. (deceased)
Toronto, Ontario
One of Canada’s most important, widely read and enduring poets, Raymond Souster has been a vital force for the renewal of poetry since the 1940s. His poems describe life in Toronto, ordinary people and the daily events, feelings and experiences of modern city living. A co-founder of the League of Canadian Poets, he has been a source of encouragement and inspiration to several generations of poets while promoting Canadian literature among students of all ages.