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From the The Timmins Daily Press at http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentID=54994&catname=Local+News

Lieutenant-governor visits
Scott Paradis / The Timmins Daily Press, May 31, 2006

The cure for high rates of suicide and depression at remote Aboriginal fly-in communities may be literacy, the Ontario Lt. Governor James Bartleman told a Timmins crowd Tuesday.

Bartleman was making his third official visit to the city as the lieutenant-governor. He made a presentation at the Days Inn Grand Ballroom following the Porcupine United Way's annual general meeting.

Bartleman's remarks highlighted his Aboriginal literacy program -- and he announced the initiative will grow from five literacy camps at First Nation communities to 35, including 27 communities north of Timmins.

"I think there's a link between literacy and self-esteem," he told the crowd. "I spoke to a principal in Attawapiskat and he told me since getting a library, students have been reading 30 per cent more."

The project, called the Club Amick Young Aboriginal Reader's program, will arm youth with new books, library access, literacy coaches, the ability to assemble a community news letter and more -- which Bartleman hopes will boost literacy rates within First Nations.

Although Bartleman didn't have statistics to show depression and suicide rates fell with the increased reading, he said anecdotal evidence came from the five literacy camps held in 2005.

"In the communities where camps were held, there were no suicides," he told local media after his presentation. "In surrounding communities, there were."

While the results from the literacy camp are positive, Bartleman said suicide rates among Aboriginal people are still 10 times higher than the national average.

As for the overall quality of living, Canada ranks in the world's top five. But the United Nation's quality of living list ranks remote First Nation communities in Canada far below that at close to 60 -- near many Third-World nations in Africa, he said.

With the new initiative Bartleman said he hopes to change those statistics for the better in Canada.

The Porcupine United Way jumped on board to support the program, dishing out $1,250 to support five children for five years.

The five year support will provide the selected children with access to used books from a library, new books to own, a literacy coach and other literacy-driven initiatives.

Children involved will also develop a news letter for their community.

"When we first heard about the program we were really excited about the potential," said Shawn Chorney, Porcupine United Way executive director.

The United Way had already allocated most of its programing funds when it heard about the literacy initiative, so the group quickly began searching for resources.

The United Way then received a call from a family wishing to remain anonymous. The family has experienced a recent death and, Chorney said, a last will and testament stated "they had a legacy gift for the United Way."

The United Way told the family about the literacy initiative and the $1,250 was quickly allocated to that program.

The rest of the money donated by the family will go towards other United Way programing.

While the program directly benefits communities north and outside of Timmins, Chorney said the United Way is excited because the results will have an impact locally.

"A lot of people living in Timmins are from those communities," he said. "They have relatives still living there."

He also said building a stronger region will lead to a stronger city. The total cost of the initiative will likely be $150,000, and that money will give the literacy opportunities to about 1,500 children.

Bartleman said he has raised about $40,000 for Club Amick thus far and said if more organizations, including other United Way affiliates, come forward, raising the remaining funds shouldn't be too much of a challenge.