Colleagues, friends and passing acquaintances were stunned to hear of the death of one of Canada’s literary giants.
Robert Kroetsch, a renowned poet, novelist, editor and professor, was killed in a car collision Tuesday night while returning from the ArtsPeak Festival, a weekend poetry fest in Canmore.
A week shy of his 84th birthday, Kroetsch was involved in a two-vehicle car crash on Highway 21 and Highway 623 near Ministik as he returned to his home in Leduc. According to police, five other people were injured. One is in critical condition.
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It’s unbelievable,” said ArtsPeak Festival director Ric Proctor in a voice choked with emotion. “He was a kind, gentle and generous man. I can’t tell you how sad I am and our community as well. He certainly captured our attention.”
At the festival Kroetsch had volunteered his time and completed several poetry readings alongside emerging writers.
“He was awesome. We were so blessed to have a man of his stature at our festival. Just being here typified him as he worked with both established and emerging writers. He really made a meaningful impact on everyone he met.”
Kroetsch was born and raised in Heisler, Alta. and devoted his literary efforts to chroniclling the lives of Albertans. A prolific writer, he penned seven non-fiction books, nine books of fiction and 14 poetry collections, including Seed Catalogue and The Hornbooks of Rita K., a nominee for the Governor General’s Literary Awards.
One of his best-known novels, The Studhorse Man, won the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction in 1969.
It seemed fitting the last award Kroetsch received was a Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement presented by the Writers Guild of Alberta (WGA) on June 11.
“This was his first WGA conference in 30 years. This was also our 30th anniversary. He was a founder and it’s a loss for all Alberta writers,” explained spokesman Nicholas Mather.
“He came to the first meeting and gave an impassioned speech that all writers should be welcome, not just published writers. He was instrumental in providing a direction the guild should go. We have lost a literary titan and it is sad.”
Along the way Kroetsch became both mentor and friend to some of Alberta’s most powerful voices including Rudy Wiebe, Myrna Kostash and Aritha van Herk.
Wiebe nominated Kroetsch for the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Awards, a biennial celebration founded by former lieutenant governor Lois Hole.
He was nominated as a recipient along with visual artist Jane Ash Poitras. Friends and family related how he was deeply touched by the acknowledgement and appreciation the award conveyed.
At the April 9, 2011 award gala held at St. Albert’s Enjoy Centre, Kroetsch gave a gracious speech saying, “It is a prized honour to be applauded at home by the people one writes about and the people one writes for.”
Peter Moloney, chair of the gala organizing committee said, “It is definitely tragic and too sad for words. But I am glad he had the opportunity to be recognized by the wider community. It meant a lot to him and his family. It was a wonderful evening that we were able to share and our condolences go out to his family.”
Kroetsch is survived by two daughters and three sisters.
