William Wilfred Campbell

An Anglican clergyman who left the ministry in 1891 to work for most of the rest of his life as a civil servant in Ottawa, Campbell is known as a minor member of the “Sixties Group” which produced Canada’s first noteworthy English verse. He was born in Kitchener, but the Bruce Peninsula where he spent his early days was the inspiration for his best poetry. As well, he wrote novels, histories, drama and travel books. His imperialism and his attempts to use Nature to reconcile Christian theology and Darwinism make him a significant reflection of Canadian Victorianism. He died in Ottawa.

Ministre anglican qui quitta le ministère en 1891, Campbell devint fonctionnaire à Ottawa. Il est surtout connu comme l’un des premiers Canadiens à écrire de la poésie de qualité en langue anglaise. Né à Kitchener, il passa sa jeunesse dans la péninsule Bruce, qui inspira ses meilleurs vers. Son œuvre comprend des romans, des contes, des récits de voyage et des pièces de théâtre. Son impérialisme et son recours à la nature pour concilier théologie chrétienne et darwinisme en font un témoin important de la société canadienne de son temps. Il mourut à Ottawa.