Thank you Scotiabank!
Thanks go to the Scotiabank employees for their kind donation to the Alliance.

Congratulations!
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, the Honourable Joe Volpe has appointed Claudette Bradshaw Minister of State (Human Resources Development). This portfolio includes literacy. Ms. Bradshaw has a particular interest in examining sectors where the federal government can make a contribution to improve basic literacy and essential skills.

Support the Alliance
With Christmas just around the corner we would like to remind you about the Cangive.ca program. You can support the PEI Literacy Alliance by shopping on-line. Cangive.ca has gift ideas from over 75 leading on-line merchants. Up to 15% of the sale will go to the Alliance. We will use all funds raised for Alliance programs such as bursaries, scholarships, family literacy activities and our newsletter.

70 Years of Library Service
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Provincial Library Service, literacy partners gathered at a Literacy Expo at the Charlottetown Mall on Saturday, October 23, 2004.

The expo included: a display of historic library photos, a Reading Tent, a Storysacks presentation from the Provincial Correction Centre, an exhibit from Workplace Education PEI and a PEI Literacy Alliance display of literacy activities.

For information contact: 902-961-7330.

News from the Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL)

This Fall, MCL is planning a number of initiatives intended to influence action on a pan-Canadian literacy strategy and renewed federal literacy policy.

Over the past years MCL has had great success in helping raise literacy’s status on the public agenda.

Now, with a new parliament and new power brokers in Ottawa, MCL is planning a Fall Literacy Action Campaign aimed at getting literacy back on top of political agendas and government “to do” lists.

We have good reason to be optimistic about this. Many developments serve to strengthen our messages and our goals:

• recent research that proves literacy investments drive economic growth (see www.nald.ca/fulltext/oecd/oecd.pdf)
• the anticipated release of a new international adult literacy skills survey (IALSS) in 2005
• past commitments from government and parliament
• recent election promises
  (see www.literacy.ca/elect04/parties/main.htm).

MCL’s plans include connecting with every newly elected parliamentarian; working with the coalitions to support further advances at the provincial/territorial level; planning a successful Literacy Action Day on Parliament Hill in October, and other efforts to influence and inform key decision makers. Stay tuned to www.literacy.ca for more information.