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Lieutenant Governor Updates Status of 2008 Book Drive for Aboriginal Youth in Ontario's North

TORONTO, Jan. 2 - The Hon. David C. Onley held a news conference this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in the Queen's Park media studio to outline details of his book drive to collect new books for aboriginal youth in Ontario's far north.

Following are his remarks in their entirety.

Good Afternoon,

I am here today to update you on an important initiative I have launched to collect brand new books for aboriginal children in the fly-in First Nation communities in the far north of our province.

The region where these reserves are located is so remote that there are no roads -- they can only be accessed by plane. Some 40,000 people live in 49 First Nation communities in this region known as the NISHNAWBE ASKI NATION. 28 of these reserves are isolated, fly-in First Nation communities.

Unlike Aboriginal people who live on or near urban reserves in other parts of Ontario, the distance between the fly-in communities and the closest cities or towns is significant. Residents of fly-in communities do not, therefore, have access to the educational, economic, social, health, goods, services or other amenities of nearby communities.

They live in abject poverty and an unchecked wave of youth suicides is paralyzing life in their communities. They live in a harsh climate where the socio-economic conditions are dire. The cost of living is very high and the income level is low.

Given these conditions, it is not surprising that young people in these remote communities lack self-esteem, in large part because they do not know how to read or write. Those that do are, on average, four to five years behind in reading skills and the large majority simply give up or drop out.

These are the conditions my predecessor, the Honourable James Bartleman was shocked to find, when he began visiting First Nations reserves in Northern Ontario, in 2002.

Like the Honourable James Bartleman, I believe giving a child the opportunity to read at a very early age is one of the most precious gifts a child can be given.

I was installed as Ontario's 28th Lieutenant Governor on September 5th and I am here today to reiterate the commitment I made that day when I stated that I was breaking with tradition and with the full support of the Honourable James Bartleman, we would work to continue and expand his important aboriginal literacy projects.

A month and half ago on November 15, Mr. Bartleman and I travelled to Timmins to speak at the meeting of the Chiefs of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, where we received their full support for this new book drive.

I am committed to the Aboriginal Youth Literacy Program because at its heart it is, in fact, a program of ACCESSIBILITY, where accessibility is defined as nothing more but nothing less than that which enables children to fulfill their potential.

As a former education reporter and writer, I fundamentally understand the importance of instilling in children a love of reading. Having faced several surgeries and recuperations in my early years, reading sparked my interest in aviation and outer space during the beginning days of the space program.

I cannot over-stress how important it is for children to have access to books, other than school text books, if they are to thrive. Without books, children cannot truly become literate. Without books, they cannot dream great dreams, learn about the world outside their own small community, or imagine their place in that world.

Those of us who live in southern Ontario take the availability of public libraries and book stores in every town and city for granted. For First Nations communities, living in isolated stretches of Northern Ontario there are no book stores or public libraries and books are a luxury that is not readily available.

That is why on New Year's Day 2004, Lieutenant Governor Bartleman launched a province-wide appeal for donations of gently-used books to send to those isolated northern communities. It was hoped that as many as 60,000 books might be raised. More than 1.2 million books were collected - enough to establish libraries in every First Nations school in Northern Ontario and to share books with all of the 134 First Nations in this province.

On New Year's Day 2007, a second book appeal was launched by Mr. Bartleman, and about 950,000 gently used children's books were received. They replenished the libraries that had already been established in the far north, and also created libraries in aboriginal communities in Nunavut and Northern Quebec.

As you can see Ontarians have wholeheartedly embraced the book drives and responded generously in the past. The book drives have become synonymous with the Lieutenant Governor's Office in Ontario.

Today, I am here to tell you about the 2008 book drive that I launched yesterday on New Year's Day. In fact, some of the books donated by guests at the first New Year's levee I hosted are beside me here on the table.

The drive will continue through to January 18th. This time, I am asking Ontarians to donate brand new children's books. Although I know this will mean a reduction in the quantity of books, it is time to refresh the libraries with a smaller quantity of high quality, current books that young people in other parts of Ontario can relish on a daily basis.

As in the past, books can be dropped off at any OPP detachment in Ontario and at Toronto Police Stations in the GTA until Friday, January 18th.

The compassionate response by Ontarians to previous book appeals has had wonderful results. Bridges have been built between aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities. The hopes and dreams of countless aboriginal children have been nurtured, not just by the books themselves, but also by the knowledge that they have not been forgotten, that people in southern parts of the province care about them.

I, therefore, appeal to Ontarians of all ages that while they are out shopping during this post Christmas season that they consider buying a children's book or two and donate it to an initiative that will make a difference to children in their home province. I am confident that, once again, Ontarians will open their hearts and contribute to this great cause.

Thank you.

For further information: Nanda Casucci-Byrne, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Tel. (416) 325-7780, www.Lt.gov.on.ca