ED's closing remarks at LPM's Open House September 2007Last year in recognition of the impact and importance of literacy skills in our province, September was proclaimed Literacy Month for the first time. Manitoba is the only province in Canada to have a month designated to Literacy. Premier Doer also announced the first Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy, the Honourable Diane McGifford. In addition, over the last year provincial funding to support community based adult literacy programs was increased by more than 30%. As we celebrate these significant steps today in advance of International Literacy Day on September 8, we applaud Premier Doer and his government for showing leadership in the area of adult and family literacy. Minister McGifford is taking forward a bill to establish an Adult Literacy Act in Manitoba. This will be another first in Canada. She and her staff have met with members of Literacy Partners’ Literacy Strategy Committee to discuss the development of a new provincial literacy strategy. The minister has assured us that LPM will be included in the development of the strategy. We are also celebrating twenty years as a coalition. In September 1987, we came in to existence as the Literacy Workers' Alliance of Manitoba. The organization was renamed and incorporated as Literacy Partners of Manitoba in 1996. On behalf of our membership, Board of Directors and staff, I want to extend a sincere thank you to all of you for the letters, personal meetings and calls you made demanding the reinstatement of federal funding to literacy organizations, programs and coalitions in Manitoba and across the nation, following the announcement of a huge cut in federal literacy funding at the end of September last year. I also want to extend our thanks to Premier Doer; Minister McGifford; Anita Neville, MP for Winnipeg South Centre; Ray Simard, MP for St. Boniface; Judy Wasylycia-Leis, MP for Winnipeg North; and to Senator Carstairs and Senator Zimmer for their support as well.. They all looked for every opportunity to raise the issue of literacy funding in private meetings, wrote strong letters of support, and time after time in the House of Commons and in the senate they fought for literacy. They all contacted me frequently for updates. And I’m thrilled to say their efforts were successful!! On September 4 the federal Office of Literacy and Essential Skills was announced. A call for proposals for literacy projects under the new office was recently posted. National literacy organizations and provincial and territorial literacy coalitions will receive multi-year funding. Thank you to wonderful community volunteers who have come forward to raise funds to support the services and work of LPM: Sylvia, Joan, Angela and Merlin for Manitoba Reads – be sure to purchase one or more – they’re great gifts! To Jim at the Fairmont Winnipeg and the wonderful staff who volunteered their time to give us a magical Harry Potter weekend. To Dorene, who recently moved to Norway House, and all the contributing writers for the three editions of Prairie Writers Anthologies. We have much to celebrate during Literacy Month in Manitoba. Each night take a moment to reflect on your day, and ask yourself what new thing did I learn today? I usually find more than one. Thank you for joining us today.
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