The presentation stressed the fact that people whose literacy skills are weak need easy access to reliable information. Many are unable to get this information through print and need media outlets like the CBC radio to help them get the information which impacts on their daily lives.

The hearings have ended and results will be known by early summer.

Golf Day for Literacy 97 Plans Well Underway

LPQ is once again busy with plans for our annual Golf Day. With the experience of last year's perfect day, we are returning to Club De Golf Cedarbrook, an elegant private club in the Laurentians.

Work began much earlier this year than in the past, and we have been spreading the word since early February. Once again, we are pleased to have the CBC as our media sponsor and thrilled to announce that Dennis Trudeau will once again be our host and guest golfer.

No LPQ Golf Day would be complete without Dennis, and we look forward to him taking us through another day of challenging golf, good food and great music on Monday May 26. Plan to be there.

NLS Hosts International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) Workshops in Ottawa

Early in January the National Literacy Secretariat made it possible for coalition executive directors from across the country to attend information sessions in Ottawa on IALS. This was an excellent opportunity for directors to get a better understanding of the Canadian data. Facilitators included Scott Murray and Jean Pignal of the StatsCan IALS team and Jim Page, Marla Waltman-Daschko, Johanne Lussier and Margaret Robinson of the National Literacy Secretariat.

Canada was one of seven industrialized countries which participated in the IALS 1994 survey. The goals of the study were to develop scales for comparisons of literacy performance among people with a wide range of abilities and to compare literacy across cultures and languages.

The Canadian report, Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada. was released in December 1996 and provides the following key findings about literacy in this country:

• Differences in literacy skills matter.
• Literacy affects employment stability and opportunities.
• Use it or lose it--literacy skills can weaken if not used.
• Literacy skill is associated with educational attainment, but not necessarily equivalent to it.
• Adults with low literacy do not always recognize that they have a problem.
• There are large numbers of older Canadians with low skills.
• Literacy is a key factor in Canada's economic prosperity.

For more details about IALS information sessions or to borrow either the International or the Canadian IALS report please contact the LPQ office.

Quebec Board of Black Educators (QBBE) Holds Literacy Conference

On February 22, the QBBE hosted the 2nd conference on literacy entitled "Literacy and the Black Community: Building the Foundation" at Ruby Foo's Hotel in Montreal.

Dr. Ratna Ghosh of McGill, Faculty of Education gave the keynote address and spoke about the complexities of teaching and learning in a variety of cultural environments.

Workshop sessions focused on a number of areas including workplace literacy, family literacy, new directions in literacy and an overview of the Canadian report of IALS.

The highlight of the day was a panel of adults who shared

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