ABOUT USWhere Public Art meets Public Health
Art, Equity, and Well-Being - One Poem at a Time
Poems in Passage transforms public spaces into places of reflection, connection, and well-being. Studies show that public art positively impacts mental health, offering moments of calm, inspiration, and emotional resonance in our daily lives.
By bringing poetry to public spaces, we transform routine commutes into opportunities for mindfulness—making this initiative not just an artistic endeavor, but a large-scale public health intervention that supports collective mental wellbeing.
By featuring underrepresented and equity-seeking artists, we amplify voices that deserve to be heard, while showcasing poetry in multiple languages and styles to celebrate Canada’s rich cultural diversity.
01Curate inspiring poetryWorking closely with emerging and established poets, we select pieces that resonate with a broad audience and bring moments of beauty and contemplation to your commute.
02amplify diverse voices of local artistsOur city is home to a thriving literary scene with incredibly talented poets, whose voices deserve to be heard and celebrated. Poems in Passage provides a unique platform to elevate these artists.
03Elevate public spacesWe believe in the power of words to inspire and spark imagination. Our mission to enrich Canadian public spaces by curating a diverse range of powerful and poignant poems.
Our Impact
1500+
poem posters installed across the TTC
1 million+
Canadians see our poems each day
75%
of the TTC fleet has our poems
15 million+
media impressions to date
From Poetry on the Way to Poems in Passage
We launched in 2024 to revive the beloved Poetry on the Way program, which ran for 14 years but ended in 2012. Growing up in Toronto, we were inspired by the poems we saw on our TTC commutes—now, we’re bringing that magic back to our city.
We drew inspiration from the sustained success of long-running programs in global cities like New York, London, and Shanghai.
To date, we have placed over 3,000 poem posters across Toronto, reaching more than a million people daily and spotlighting both emerging poets and iconic Canadians such as Margaret Atwood, Rupi Kaur, and Mustafa the Poet.
Get Published in the TTC
Have your poetry seen and read by millions of people across Toronto. We aim to amplify diverse voices and stories.