Island loses beloved writer, former Poet Laureate
He was a beloved teacher, talented poet and a devoted chronicler of the Island where he spent his life. The passing of former Poet Laureate Frank Ledwell on Aug. 14 has left an empty space in the literary scene of Prince Edward Island that will not be soon, or easily, filled.
Among many other honours, Frank was the first recipient of the PEI Council of the Arts and the PEI Writers' Guild prestigious Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts.
Greg Doran, Chair of the PEI Council of the Arts, quickly noted Frank's contribution to Island writers. “I met Prof. Ledwell shortly after joining the Department of English at UPEI. He was welcoming and encouraging. Quickly, I came to understand the significant role he played not only in the Department’s past but also to the development of Literature on the Island. He will be missed by everyone who knew him, and the arts on PEI has lost a valuable champion.”
Frank had a unique way of making poetry accessible to everyone, from the school children he delighted in sharing his works with to the many seniors who would attend his writing workshops. He was also revered by English and creative writing students at UPEI, where he was professor in the English department, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1996.
“He was one of the most influential and valued teachers of creative writing through several decades on PEI,” wrote PEI English professor Richard Lemm in a biography of another famous PEI poet, Milton Acorn.
Frank was a prolific writer and his books sell well to both tourists and residents. His best-known collections include “Dip and Veer: Reflections on the Art of Alex Colville”, “Island Sketchbook”, and “The Taste of Water.”
“[Frank] continued Acorn’s legacy of writing poetically about the Island,” Lemm noted in his book “Milton Acorn: In Love and Anger.”
Members of the PEI Writers’ Guild will also miss his presence at meetings, workshops and the Island Literary Awards.
“Frank was always there, whatever the PEI Writers' Guild called him on, or asked him to attend, he came, he helped, even when at different times over the past few years, he was not feeling up to staying for the event – he would come and do his share and leave with one of his family close at his side. He was generous, gentle, creative, fun-loving, warm, and very funny. Thank you Frank, and sincere condolences to your family. As a small boy I know wrote on a card written for a kindergarten friend of his who passed away when he was five, "hav fun in heven, down heer, we wil mis you,” wrote Yvette Doucette, president of the PEI Writers’ Guild.
Many will also remember Frank as a humourous raconteur, whose poetry and sensitive prose were heard by many Islanders and visitors through his association with singers and performers in groups such as Crowbush - which included fiddler Roy Johnstone and singer-songwriter Alan Rankin - and Frank Ledwell and Friends.
Frank’s contributions as a central figure in the Island’s literary community were recognized with several honours. In addition to the PEI Council of the Arts' and the Writers' Guild Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts, he received the Wendell Boyle Memorial Award for Creative Writing, the Charlottetown Royalty Rotary's Mentorship Award and the Order of Prince Edward Island in 2006. He became the Island's second poet laureate in January 2005.
“This appointment recognizes lifelong activities in the literary arts as well as constant encouragement of new and developing writers. This is an area in which Mr. Ledwell has certainly contributed a great deal to Prince Edward Island,” said Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen when announcing the honour.
Frank was born in 1930 in St. Peter’s, a place that remained close to his heart. Most of his stories are about places and characters in eastern Prince Edward Island, and particularly his birthplace. “Ledwell expresses the art in everyday scenes, art that might remain unnoticed without [his] sharp eye, clever pen, and strong sense of purpose. With characteristic warmth, generosity, and humour, Ledwell interweaves personal memoir and communal wisdom,” commented a book critic on Amazon.ca
Frank Ledwell is survived by his wife, Carolyn, six adult children and two grandchildren.
“He must have also been a wonderful, wonderful father to his six children, along with lovely Carolyn, his beloved wife – because all of them are gifted, generous, community-minded, funny, wonderful people as well,” commented Yvette Doucette.
Frank Ledwell’s funeral was held on Tuesday, Aug. 19. at St. Pius X Church. The pews were crowded as many marked the loss of this gifted Island writer and raconteur.
“[His] commitment to his family and community was an example to all who knew him. He will be greatly missed,’’ said Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.
Erica Rutherford Remembered
The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts, the Board of Directors, Members, and Staff note with sadness the passing of Island Artist Erica Rutherford.
Says Executive Director Darrin White “I started reading Erica’s autobiography ‘Nine Lives’ this week and have been enthralled with the richness and diversity in her life. I certainly regret that I didn’t get to know Erica better. Her contributions to the arts, here and around the world, are simply amazing.”
Those who knew Erica well knew also of her many careers, her brilliant paintings and prints, her books and films. "Most of all we responded to Prince Edward Island," Erica Rutherford wrote in her autobiography, of a trip that included her first visit to the Island in 1970. "I felt home there for the first time since I had come to North America" . Erica Rutherford summered on the Island for many years, moving permanently "home" in 1985. Her work changed at this time, becoming "more decorative and richer in detail". Erica has made a huge contribution to the development of the arts on PEI. She was instrumental in the formation of the alternative Great George Street Gallery in Charlottetown, providing local artists with a venue to show their work and view the work of other non-mainstream Canadian artists. Throughout the 1990s, she organized printmaking workshops at her studio with nationally known artists, leading to the formation of the PEI Printmakers Council. In 1999, Erica Rutherford was admitted to the Royal Canadian Academy.1
The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts is working to establish a memorial in Erica’s honour. More details will be available very shortly. As per the family’s wishes, donations may be made to the Council for this memorial as follows:
The Council can accept online donations via the Canada Helps website here:
(http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d77694)
We can also receive cheques at our offices. Please note “Donation for Erica Rutherford Memorial” on the memo line of the cheque and send to:
PEI Council of the Arts / Erica Rutherford Memorial
115 Richmond Street
Charlottetown, PE C1A 1H7
For more information, please contact our Executive Director, Darrin White, at 902-368-6176, or email .
1From the Rutherford’s website: http://redoakarts.ca/roa_gallery/erica.html
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