Kathy Figueroa

Kathy Figueroa is primarily a Canadian poet, though she also enjoys various forms of writing, photography, and hybridizing lovely flowers. Occasionally, she’ll publish a book. Folks in and around the northern part of Hastings County have seen her articles and photographs in the Bancroft newspapers since 2004. In May, 2006, The Bancroft Times published her poem, SPRINGTIME IN PAUDASH. The resulting positive response prompted her to continue sharing her often humorous verse and, to date, her poems appeared in The Bancroft Times and/or Bancroft This Week newspapers on close to 150 occasions. Over the years, numerous other regional, provincial, national, and international publications have also included her work, examples of which can be found in the far reaches of cyberspace and sixty anthologies.

After self-publishing ten chapbook titles in 2012, Kathy’s newspaper poems were later published by Brian Wrixon Books in PAUDASH POEMS (2012), FLOWERTOPIA (2014), and THE CATHEDRAL OF THE ETERNAL BLUE SKY (2014). She self-published THE BALLAD OF THE POETRAIN POETEER: WINNIPEG TO VANCOUVER (2015), THE RENAISSANCE OF RHYME (2017), and CANADIAN PANDEMIC-ERA POEMS (2023). In addition, she compiled and edited an anthology, A REALM OF RHYME OF THE RURAL KIND (Brian Wrixon Books, 2014), of work by members of the POETS’ SOCIETY OF HASTINGS COUNTY NORTH, which she founded in September, 2010. In 2018, Kathy Figueroa registered a small publishing house, FLOWERTOPIA STUDIO, which published D. Bader's THE POETRY OF POT and Honey Novick's UNDEFEATED RELEVANCE.

Kathy has enjoyed sharing her work at readings in Ontario communities such as Bancroft, Belleville, Cardiff, Kingston, Marmora, Maynooth, Ottawa, Peterborough, Roblin Lake, and Toronto, as well as further afield in Edmonton, Jasper, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. She created two PAUDASH POETRY FESTIVALS (2011 & 2013), prior to staging THE WORD IS WILD LITERARY FESTIVAL, held over two days in June, 2014, in Hastings Highlands. This featured a variety of regional writers. In September, 2018, she organized and staged THE WORD IS WILD LITERARY FESTIVAL II, in Highlands East. From May - September, 2018, her POEM WALK PROJECT poster poems and photos were displayed at ten locations in Maynooth, Ontario, and later exhibited at the Hastings Highlands Public Library during the months of November and December, 2018.

Her short play CONFLICTED ABOUT THE WOLF was staged in Bancroft in 2012, as part of a “24 Hour Theatre Project,” at the Village Playhouse. For many years, Kathy was also involved with various aspects of Toronto film production, from the technical side to screenwriting. She was in the process of completing her first feature-length film, which Toronto’s Citytv had expressed strong interest in, when she was attacked and left disabled. Her injuries prevented her from returning to work and caused her to end up destitute and staying in a women’s shelter, before she was able to move to public housing and, eventually, out of the city. As a result, her film project came to naught and she was dismayed to see the intellectual property copyright of her screenplay and poster art “infringed” upon when a Toronto filmmaker plagiarized significant parts of both. (At that time, the laws were such that she could not afford to hire a lawyer to pursue justice.) She was the Poetry Editor of the Quinte Arts Council publication UMBRELLA from October, 2017 - March, 2019. ~updated 18/11/25

One additional note, which is a testament to her resilience, is the fact that she’s also a “Highway of Tears” survivor.

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BUOYED BY BEAUTY

The life of Canadian poet, Kathy Figueroa,

Has been rife with unexpected twists and situations

And her plans have oft times been crushed or delayed

Due to dire unforeseen complications

But throughout many a challenge

Of surmounting a destructive force

She’s been buoyed by beauty,

So “stayed the course”

...Tethered to the word

-November 18, 2025