Downtown Commercial in Calgary in Calgary Metropolitan Region, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
W. O. Mitchell
1914-1998
— An Alberta Champion —
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2022
1. W. O. Mitchell Marker
William Ormond Mitchell was one of Canada's best loved storytellers. Who Has Seen the Wind (1947) has become the classic Canadian prairie novel selling almost a million copies since its publication, and Jake and the Kid became one of the most popular series in CBC radio history in the 1950s.
Born in Saskatchewan in 1914, illness at an early age meant much time pondering the "poetry of earth and sky" of his prairie surroundings, heavily influencing his later writing. Teaching creative writing was one of his passions, and he held a number of university writer-in-residencies across Canada as well as heading the creative writing program at the Banff School of Fine Arts. The recipient of numerous literary awards including the Writers' Guild of Alberta Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement, he also received eleven honorary degrees, and was made an officer of the Order of Canada. W.O. died in Calgary on February 25, 1998. He will be remembered as the writer who put the prairie and foothills on the literary map of Canada.
Erected by Alberta Champions Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 51° 2.816′
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Maude Riley (here, next to this marker); Grant MacEwan (here, next to this marker); Arthur Ryan Smith (a few steps from this marker); Sir James Alexander Lougheed (a few steps from this marker); Annie Gale (a few steps from this marker); Site of Calgary's Original Court House (within shouting distance of this marker); The T. Eaton Co. Limited (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Great White Way (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Calgary.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Alberta Champions
Also see . . .
1. W.O. Mitchell.
W.O. was awarded the Banff School of Fine Arts National Award (for “a substantial and continuing contribution to the arts in Canada”), the Sir Frederick Haultain Prize (for “exceptional accomplishments and outstanding(Submitted on April 30, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)contributions to the people and the province of Alberta”), the Great Canadian Award, and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta Golden Pen Award for lifetime Achievement. The University of Alberta and the University of Calgary awarded him honorary degrees. He also received nine other honorary degrees, two Stephen Leacock Awards for humour, was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1973 and was named to the Queen’s Privy Council in 1993.
2. Marker detail: W. O. Mitchell
2. William Ormond Mitchell, PC OC.
An author of novels, short stories, and plays, Mitchell is best known for his 1947 novel, Who Has Seen The Wind, which has sold close to a million copies in North America, and the radio series and later a collection of short stories 1961, Jake and the Kid. Both of these portray life on the Canadian Prairies where he grew up in the early part of the 20th century. He has often been called the Mark Twain of Canada for his vivid tales of young boys' adventures.(Submitted on April 30, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. W.O. Mitchell.
In his treatment of prairie settings and language, W.O. Mitchell depicted the Canadian West in fiction and influenced many later writers. Known and beloved(Submitted on April 30, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)across the country as both a writer and larger-than-life prairie icon, Mitchell was described in a eulogy by broadcaster Rex Murphy as a "lecturer, performer, stage raconteur, friend of a legion of fledgling writers, ... a 'presence' in the life and minds of Canadians."Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 20223. W. O. Mitchell Marker(looking north from 4 Street SW Light Rail Station • Harley Hotchkiss Gardens in background)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 61 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3. submitted on April 30, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
