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Wallace Havelock Robb was a Canadian poet known for the founding of bird sanctuary and poet retreat 'Abbey Dawn,' located approximately five miles east of Kingston, Ontario. His poetry focused on Canadian nature and Indigenous folklore.

Early Life
Wallace Havelock Rob was born on May 19th, 1888 to Montreal-born parents William Doig Robb and Catharine Haggart Black. William Doig Robb was an employee at the Grand Trunk Railway. Robb had a childhood fascination with birds and flowers. Wary he might be seen as too feminine for these interests, he became captain of the hockey and football teams at Belleville High School during his teen years. His family attended the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Belleville, where Robb was a head boy scout. In his childhood years, he also attended school in Toronto, where he said he wrote his first poem. From 1906 to 1921, Robb was a salesman in Montreal. in 1913, Robb married Edna Ilene Burrows of Belleville, and together they had two sons (Joseph and Clifford) and a daughter (Miriam). He served in the Great War as a Lieutenant from September 22nd 1914 to December 31st 1914 - the cited reason for his leave was overstaffing. Robb received the King's Medal for his service. When he was 33 (in 1921), Robb decided to retire from sales to pursue other interests that had stayed with him since childhood. He moved to the United States where he lectured classes on birds and ornithology, and was an accomplished bird photographer. Robb did not return to Canada until approximately 1924, when Edward VIII expressed interests in his poetic inspirations - it was on one of Robb's father's train cars where Edward VIII, then the Prince of Wales, had heard about Robb's work. Edward persuaded Robb to return to Ontario, and Robb became the first poet to be honoured with the Prince of Wales as a patron. This relationship had not been established since the middle ages.

Abbey Dawn
Robb returned to Belleville in 1924 and initiated 'Abbey Dawn,' a bird sanctuary located somewhere in or around Belleville. The location was refused to be recognized as an official bird sanctuary by the City. Robb had been gifted one dozen wild geese from Bellevillian Jack Miner, and one morning in 1928 Robb found they had been shot to death. Robb was heartbroken and angry - some accounts say Robb took his anger to Belleville's City Hall, where he flung a bag of the dead geese on the mayor's desk and later published a long and violent poem about Belleville, in which he damned the city and all its citizens. This incident made Robb realize his work would be better conducted in a more solitary place. This led him to officially opening a new Abbey Dawn approximately five miles east of Kingston, Ontario. Abbey Dawn (onward referring to the Kingston location) was described as a 500-acre plateau of woodland, and served as a retreat and study centre for visiting poets as well as a bird sanctuary and a museum of interesting Indigenous artifacts Robb had found in the area. One source suggests Abbey Dawn was 'possibly the largest poet's study in the world.' Robb lived on the property and published his work from the location ('Abbey Dawn Press'). Abbey Dawn had also been described as a 'famous farm,' and the area was officially recognized by the Ontario Government as the 'Abbey Dawn Crown Game Reserve' from 1949 - 1958. One letter written by Robb remarks that poets came to Abbey Dawn from as far as India and China. However, it has been noted that most poets came from the Niagara region of southwestern Ontario.

Gitchi Nagamo
Gitchi Nagamo is the name of a bell Robb had cast for Abbey Dawn. Gitchi Nagamo is an Algonquin word meaning 'great sound,' which Robb further poetically translates to 'a beautiful song.' The bell was cast in Crowden, England by Gillett and Johnstone in 1936, and weighs a 3/4 tonne. It was cast in bronze and rings a clear D natural, said to be heard for miles. In a letter written in 1971, Robb estimated the bell would be worth $5000 at that time; this would make it well over $31 000 today by inflation alone. The bell was cast to Robb's specifications, and was mounted at Abbey Dawn. It was rung twice every day at dawn and dusk, and then again by visiting poets and pregnant women, and then again if they day were a holiday. It was also rung when a baby was baptized at the site - Robb argued in a 1971 letter that 'poets were priests in the early times,' thus, they could baptize. Robb adds 'I could find no ancient form of baptism outside the churches, so I wrote one myself.' This bell was supposedly famous, at least among poets like Robb. It had started out as simply a poet's bell; however, after its attention among poets in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, it became 'The Poet's Bell.' Robb claimed this bell was a symbol of love and happiness, representative of 'the Bluebird of Happiness.' The bell was originally commissioned out of inspiration and respect for the 'first poet of North America,' who according to Robb is simply a 'redman' (i.e. an Indigenous person).

Work with Mohawk People
Despite Robb's bell's name being an Algonquin word, Robb worked rather closely with the local Mohawk people in helping preserve their culture. Robb was instrumental in preserving cultural stories through his poetry and prose. Many of his poems involve the Mohawk language as part of telling his stories. Close to Abbey Dawn and even closer to his hometown of Belleville is Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, a Mohawk reserve home to the Bay of Quinte Mohawks. Much of Robb's work refers to a place called 'Kente,' which is the traditional name for the Quinte Region (of which Belleville is a part). The word 'kente,' which is Mohawk for 'sacred,' has been morphed over time to the current 'Quinte,' now the name of the region and the bay on which Belleville lies. Robb has been identified for his efforts in preserving and celebrating Mohawk culture. Mohawks from Six Nations of the Grand River (near Brantford, Ontario) had gifted Robb the title of 'Honorary Pine Tree Chief,' and he held an honorary Mohawk name meaning 'Great White Eagle' as he was adopted as a 'brother' of the Mohawks.

Published Work
Wallace Havelock Robb published multiple collections of poetry about Canadian flora and fauna and Indigenous lore, including but not limited to His legacy remains as a vibrant Canadian poet. He was the first poet in the country to return to the Greek art of 'the sounding muse,' which refers to vocally reciting poetry as a performance act. When performing his poems at events, he wore a 'wine-red-purple' gowned donned with native symbols on the arms. This gown was made and given to him by the woman's literacy club in Saint Catherine's. Robb had even received letters from Queen Elizabeth II, congratulating him on his poetic work. The Queen had received a copy of 'Hail Canada!' after it was forwarded to her by the Governor General's residence in 1967. The letter of acknowledgement read 'Her Majesty was delighted to accept these poems. The Queen enjoyed reading them very much and thought they were a most appropriate commemoration of Canada's Centennial Year.' The Queen had also mailed Robb earlier in 1959, after Robb had written a poem about the royal yacht that the Queen was touring Canada in. Elizabeth had received a copy prior to her departure, and one week later Robb received a letter of thanks for the poem.
 * The Quill and Candle, 1927
 * The Door of Dawn, 1937
 * Indian Christmas Carol, 1940
 * Thunderbird, 1949
 * A Far Bell Calling, 1949
 * Tecumtha, 1958
 * Kayanokonte, 1961
 * Hail Canada!, 1967