LPM e-bulletin

Two steps forward, ten steps back!
Feds cut funds to literacy coalitions and literacy programs

September was certainly Literacy Month in Manitoba. Good news at the provincial level was followed by the devastating federal cuts to literacy.

LPM has long been urging the government to raise the status of literacy in the province. They listened, and responded by proclaiming September as Manitoba Literacy Month and adding literacy to Minister McGifford's portfolio.

The bad news affects us all. Funding has been cut to all provincial coalitions such as LPM. Funding already in place will enable us to continue at least until April. Many individual programs relying on federal literacy grants for special projects are affected as well. The timing of the cuts was especially mean. Staff at literacy programs, who had recently been invited to submit proposals, learned that their time and energy had been wasted.

What are we going to do? The message from supporters in Ottawa is not to give up hope, but to let our MPs, especially conservative ones, know how the cuts will affect adults with low literacy skills. Phone your MP. Refute Treaury Board President John Baird's opinion that it's time to give up on "illiterate" adults:

"I think if we're spending $20 million and we have one out of seven folks in the country that are functionally illiterate, we've got to fix the ground floor problem and not be trying to do repair work after the fact"

More information will be coming to your programs by fax.

Premier Doer appoints minister of literacy

Literacy Partners of Manitoba (LPM) welcomes the appointment of the province's first-ever Minister for Literacy. On September 21 , Premier Gary Doer named Diane McGifford as the Minister for Advanced Education and Literacy. Previously, Ms. McGifford served as the Minister for Advanced Education and Training. More...

Daphne Prince receives Council of the Federation literacy award

Literacy Partners of Manitoba and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce hosted a Breakfast of Champions at 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. on September 18 at the

At the breakfast, Premier Gary Doer presented the Council of the Federation Literacy Award to Daphne

Daphne began in a literacy program, graduated from high school in June 2006, and has now moved on to post-graduate education.

Minister McGifford proclaims Manitoba Literacy Month at LPM's Open House

On September 7, 2006, Diane McGifford, Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy, proclaimed September as Literacy Month in Manitoba. Ms. McGifford spoke of the government's commitment to literacy and her own understanding of the good work done by LPM and literacy practitioners in the province.

Richard Frost of The Winnipeg Foundation announced that the Literacy for Life Fund, initiated by LPM several years ago, had raised $2 million before this month's deadline, to take full advantage of matching funds from the federal government.

Cindy Dowse of CanWest Global urged all literacy supporters to participate in Raise-a-Reader Day on September 28. More...

International Adult Literacy Skills Survey shows no improvement in literacy levels

According to a recent survey, the percentage of people aged 16 to 65 (working age) with low literacy has not changed between 1994 and 2003. The same can be said here in Manitoba. The 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) shows that 42% of working-aged Canadians - 9 million people - have low literacy skills. More...

Raise-a-Reader drive tops $22,000 in Winnipeg

More than 300 volunteers took to the streets of Winnipeg on September 28 to seek donations for family literacy. Augmented by literacy learners and other volunteers, the LPM team braved the cold weather at its usual corner on Tache and Goulet. Twelve nimble traffic dodgers including the intrepid Word Monster raised $989 for literacy programs.

In the photo, Daryl Giese offers a paper while an anonynous driver digs deep for change.

Later, the volunteers gathered for a hot breakfast generously provided by the Raddisson Hotel. Come out and join us next year!

LPM staff retreats to Selkirk for planning session

Even the LPM staff needs a change of scene. On September 22, they held a planning session at the Evergreen Bed and Breakfast in Selkirk, home of LPM project officer Rob Sarginson.

Seen against a backdrop of fall colours are, from left to right, western rep Alanna Hillis, financial manager Joyce Kehler, plain language consultant Charles Moody, executive director Lorri Apps, resource coordinator Debra Litkowich, project officer Rob Sarginson, office manager Connie Bell, and learner outreach coordinator Jan Graham.

Go to Theresa's Bookswap on October 14

MLA Theresa Oswald will be hosting the 2nd annual Seine River Bookswap at the Dakota Community Centre, 1188 Dakota Street, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This event is to promote family literacy for readers of all ages. The general format will be “bring a book, take a book”, although no one will be turned away if they do not have a book to swap.

Join ASEC for free and pay less to attend the conference on October 20.

LPM and ASEC have established a partnership offering free or reduced membership in their organization for each other’s members in 2006-07. ASEC is offering free membership to LPM members. This will reduce ASEC conference costs from $80.00 to $60.00.

How long does it take to say "no"?

A customer in England wrote to a company asking if it sold blank CDs. All she wanted was a simple yes or no. Instead, she received this reply. More...