University to unveil Alistair MacLeod Walk

The late and beloved Windsor author Alistair MacLeod will soon make an even greater impression on the University of Windsor.

On Monday at 10 a.m. in front of Dillon Hall, the school will unveil the Alistair MacLeod Walk — formerly the portion of Patricia Road stretching from the Stephen and Vicki Adams Welcome Centre to the Leddy Library.

The dedication will honour MacLeod, one of the University of Windsor’s most acclaimed scholars, who died in April 2014.

MacLeod taught English and creative writing at the University of Windsor for more than three decades, mentoring young writers and producing his own awardwinning work.

His books often portrayed the rugged beauty of Cape Breton Island and its people, typically with straightforward lyricism. His 1999 novel No Great Mischief won the 2001 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Trillium Book Award, and the Lannan Literary Award — and was voted Atlantic Canada’s greatest book of all time.

He was also known for his mastery of short stories, displayed in such collections as the Lost Salt Gift of Blood (1976), As Birds Bring Forth the Sun and Other Stories (1986), and Island (2000).

MacLeod was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2000, and in 2007 was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian literature.