| "39.5 per cent of adult Albertans do not have the literacy rates needed to function fully in today's knowledge-based economy."
I was fairly taken aback when Janet Lane, the executive director of Literacy Alberta, gave me that number – over one third of Albertans can't read? Well, not quite. As she explains, literacy is more complex than the ability to read headlines and sign your name. "It's the ability to decode a text, take the information you need, apply it to another source and form an opinion," she says. But today's literacy also involves computers and mathematics: "Everyday calculations like, ‘How much will this sweater cost at 30 per cent off? If I have this much gas in my tank, how far can I go?’ For some people, these are incredibly difficult." Literacy Alberta's goal is to overcome the literacy barriers that limit people's potential.
September 8th is International Literacy Day. To mark the occasion, Literacy Alberta has sponsored two events: a Think Tank and the Champions of Learning Gala Banquet. The Think Tank will feature speaker Scott Murray. Formerly employed by Statistics Canada, he and his staff wrote the report on the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey. He then moved to UNESCO, where his job is to tell the world about the importance of literacy. Murray will speak to a mixed group of officials from government, industry and the non-profit sector about Alberta's survey results and their social and economic implications. "This is the first time we've pulled together a group where all three sectors can start to work collaboratively and really start to get some work done," says Lane.
In the evening, the Champions of Learning Gala Banquet will include the presentation of the Council of the Federation Literacy Award, an annual award presented to one person in each of Canada's provinces and territories. This year, Alberta's award goes to Betty Martin, a volunteer tutor. "She's done an absolutely incredible job for literacy over the years," says Lane. The award will be presented by Alberta's Minister of Advanced Education, Denis Herard. The event will also include keynote speaker Jacques Demers, a former NHL head coach, who revealed in his 2005 biography, En toutes lettres (All Spelled Out) by Mario Leclerc, that he is functionally illiterate. "Jacques Demers managed to be very successful, but ran into the obstacle of his inability to read and write," says Lane. "He pretended that he could – he scribbled notes and did the things that many low-literate people do in order to avoid being found out, which is a very stressful way to live. He'll likely talk about the experience of learning to read and write as a middle-aged man and the successes he's had."
For more information about these and other Literacy Alberta events, visit www.literacy-alberta.ca.
WordFest: the Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival has just announced its 2007 lineup and schedule. You can find a stack of names and events at www.wordfest.com. Some potential highlights include Chester Brown, Svetlana Chmakova and Andrew Foley, three of Canada's hottest comic book creators; the prolific Saadi Youssef, who challenges traditional forms of Arabic poetry; Lucy English, described as "Bristol's slam sex goddess;" Jack Whyte, author of the Arthurian Camulod-Eagles series; journalist/novelist Linden MacIntyre; arctic explorer Jerry Kobalenko; francophone writers Camille Bouchard, Yvon Brochu, Anne Robillard and Danielle Simard; and a whole host of Governor General's Award-winners (David Bouchard, Erin Moure, John Ralston Saul, Rudy Wiebe), nominees (Carolin Adderson, Wayne Johnston, Jean McNeil, Eden Robinson), and even a former Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson.
Last week, I neglected to mention Red Mile Revenge, a regular reading/open mic series that took place on September 5. Hopefully, you were able to catch it. If not, you can get more information about the continuing series at www.redmilerevenge.bravehost.com.
This week at McNally Robinson, on September 8 at 6:00 p.m., Cathy Jacobs will read from Calgary's Own Pathway Angels, with touching local stories of inspiration and hope. |
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