ERIN INSIGHT – 500 weeks of not being a bot

When I sit down to write for the Advocate every week, I gather all of my information into a numbered folder, a system that started with my first column in July 2008.

This week I have the satisfaction of hitting a milestone, with a folder labeled “Week 500”. The series includes one (or sometimes two) columns per week, hundreds of news stories, and a whack of features, photos and editorials.

The first column was called Moonlighting for Gas Money. I’ve enjoyed the freedom of picking my own topics and putting a personal twist on local news. I’ve been like one of those pesky horseflies that just keeps buzzing around.

It has been like writing three or four essays a week, for an English course that never ends. That can be challenging, but it’s way more fun than being the editor – good riddance to that job.

In case you missed an article, or are having a hard time falling asleep, the columns and major news stories are available on my blog, erininsight.blogspot.com. There are no comments from readers.

The blog is useful for checking an older story or reading up on an issue, maybe prior to the October municipal election.

Not only can you search for key words or phrases, but there is a topic index – for example, 57 stories on education, 61 on farming, 105 on history, 11 on suicide, 18 on theatre, and (the grand-daddy) 112 on sewers.

Warning: Do not attempt to read all the sewer articles in one day. The fumes could be hazardous.

I’m not sure if readers are actually any better off as a result of all my scribbling, but I know for sure that anyone who cares about Erin’s public affairs certainly has had the opportunity to be well-informed.

The key bits in the previous sentence are “anyone who cares” and “public affairs”. People are often so overloaded with information from the internet and other media that they are forced to retreat into not caring about pubic business. Jobs and family needs come first, and can consume all of your energy.

For those with some attention to spare, contact with the outside world often includes Facebook, Twitter and a variety of platforms that engage people on topics of their choice. That can be good, but there are dangers.

First of all, you get inundated with crap you don’t want. Second, spammers and programmers are always trying to invade your devices, scooping up private information and ensuring that you receive ads and “news” that match your interests.

If you only engage with people who are almost the same as you, and only receive news that simply entertains you or reinforces your existing attitudes, how will you ever develop an understanding your society or other cultures?

Then there are the bots, computer programs that control a robotic virtual character, imitating human behaviour on the web. I am persistent, but I am not one of those.

Bots can analyze information and carry out tasks much faster than a human brain. They can answer questions, chat with you, teach you, search for information such as on-line bargains and even make comments on news stories.

Bots can be used for cheating at video games, conducting attacks on major networks, or the rapid spreading of news that may be “fake” or slanted to promote a political cause. They could even help steal an election.

Traditional news sources, on the other hand, are good for democracy. Truthful news and diversity of opinion (whether on-paper, on-air or on-line) help bind communities together.

Old-fashioned journalists may not be totally unbiased, but at least they apply a filter to the flow of information that guards against manipulators and upholds the public interest.

County wants ideas for new Hillsburgh Library

As published in The Erin Advocate

Libraries have done a good job of moving beyond books in the services they offer, but with a new library complex opening in Hillsburgh next year, there is an opportunity to do even better.

Wellington County staff and +VG Architects are seeking input on what features people would like to see. Pick up a comment card at existing local branches or the Town office, send an email to HillsburghLibrarycomments@wellington.ca or visit the library section of the county website.

Libraries are all about sharing, learning, community engagement and culture. So what can we share in that physical space that is not readily available on the internet?

How about the work of local artists? Of course, the library foyer should be filled with a series of art exhibits. But what if you could borrow a piece of art for free, with the option to buy it?

How about face-to-face conversation? An enclosed veranda overlooking the pond, with a café and comfortable seating, would be an attractive social meeting space.

How about seeds? A seed library would allow patrons to take home a variety of seeds for their gardens and flowerpots, and later in the season, contribute seeds from their plants back to the community stock.

How about tools, and toys, and musical instruments? A co-op for sharing these would require some initial investment, and perhaps a membership fee, but it could start small and be built up with fundraising and item donations.

How about garden plots? We’re long overdue for a community garden, which would allow apartment dwellers or owners of small properties to work a borrowed patch of fertile soil. It could be a secure, supervised facility, one of many outdoor features on the spacious site.

How about a trails welcome centre? This is a unique, beautiful public space. We need to promote it and take advantage of the opportunity for nature education. The library could be a hub for use of an around-the-pond trail, the Elora Cataract Trailway (owned by Credit Valley Conservation) and the nearby Nestlé parklands.

How about a stage overlooking the grounds, for outdoor concerts? How about canoe and bicycle rentals? How about permanent chess board tables on a patio? Once the ideas start flowing, there’s no telling what could be considered.

The Library has made a good effort to use new technologies, with services such as its e-book system and 3D printers. It should remain vigilant for opportunities to add on to what people can already do at home.

Within the structure, dedicated spaces are needed for functions such as children’s programming, workstations that can be reserved by business people and older students, and perhaps a magazine lounge. There should be a small meeting room, and a larger room for lectures, small-scale performances or travelling exhibits.

Perhaps the treasures of the Museum and Archives could be displayed more throughout the county. How about a local history corner, instead of just a couple of shelves?

When I was a kid, our school did not have a proper library, but the public library arrived in the school parking lot once a week in the form of a Bookmobile. It was a converted bus filled with bookshelves.

Now that schools do have adequate libraries, county staff should think about what unique services they might be able to deliver to the public outside the library buildings, either at schools, special events or other community facilities.

And then of course there’s the book collection. DVDs may be following videotapes into oblivion, but books are not going away. So we’ll need a good selection of those too.

Warden George Bridge says the Hillsburgh Library will be “a showpiece of our library system, and indeed the envy of library systems throughout the Province.” The building needs to be attractive, complimenting the 1892 house that will be part of it, but its form must be driven primarily by the needs of its users.

Getting the inside story on Great Lakes novel

As published in The Erin Advocate

It is interesting how personal connections from the past will spark the interest of people, especially when it comes to the myriad of subcultures that thrive outside the mainstream of Canadian society.

Erin publisher Tim Inkster received a manuscript in 2005 for a semi-autobiographical novel called Sailor Girl, by Sheree-Lee Olson, about the adventures of a young woman working in the kitchen of a Great Lakes freighter.

He did not publish it until 2008, but he initially gave it a serious look because he knew about that culture – his father and grandfather had worked on the boats. He is proud of his grandfather, Captain Walter Inkster of Collingwood, who became a friend of Scott Misener while travelling across the Atlantic to deliver a boat to Montreal in 1903. Misener went on to operate a shipping fleet, and that same boat was later named after Inkster.

Shelley Austin, Sheree-Lee Olson and Tim Inkster

Shelley Austin, a member of a book club called the Joyous Erin Wine & Literary Society (JEWLS) was recently looking for ideas for a book event. Elke Inkster of Porcupine's Quill suggested Sailor Girl, and she took an immediate interest because her grandfather had been an engineer for Misener Steamships from 1925 to 1950.

She planned an evening that brought together about 30 women from four local book clubs last Friday at Tintagels Tea Room on Main Street, to meet Sheree-Lee Olson. The event was sponsored by Jim and Audrey Devonshire, owners of Tintagels and the Devonshire Guest House, and by Tim and Elke Inkster of Porcupine's Quill, who also run a small bookstore, located in comfortable surroundings at the back of the Renaissance store in downtown Erin.

When Shelley asked me about covering the event, I was interested not only because of the local aspects, but because my uncle had been a Great Lakes freighter captain. I grew up within earshot of the boats on the Welland Canal, and as a kid found it strange that my uncle Bernard had a job that only allowed him to be home with his wife and children during the winter.

Conditions could be harsh on that edge of society, as Olson discovered over seven summers, working her way through university. She went on to be the Style Editor at The Globe and Mail, and is currently a copy editor for Globe Life.

"I was so thrilled to finally get this book published, after spending twenty years writing it," she said. After many false starts in her 20s, she finally found an opportunity to work all week at her job, and every weekend for four years on the book.

Finishing it in her 40s made it "much more informed by my own experiences in the working world, and by feminist issues, and just trying to honour people whose lives are pretty much invisible...They are an outlier society."

While she had personal experience on the lakes, she found it was necessary to do a lot of research to recapture details about the lifestyle. Some characters were based on real people, others were composites, and others, like Calvin, were inventions. "I made him up because I wished I had Calvin, instead of the other jerks," she said.

She promotes Sailor Girl as having "salty dialogue and gripping description", as a "uniquely Canadian story, one that distills a vanishing part of our heritage", and as a love story in which "a middle class girl finds a deep connection with the unruly young men and toughminded women of the lakes."

The book has had critical acclaim and won a bronze in the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards, but sales have been modest, and she describes marketing a book as something of a "crapshoot".
Sailor Girl got a boost with the placing of a "Bookmark" in Port Colborne, at Lock 8 on the Welland Canal, in 2011. Project Bookmark Canada installs plaques bearing selections from notable Canadian works, in the exact locations where scenes are set.

There is also a movie version of Sailor Girl in the works, with Markham Street Films (MSF) planning to start shooting this year. Naturally, Inkster is hoping that goes well, since there's nothing like a successful movie to propel book sales.

MSF describes it as a coming of age story, in which "19-year-old art student rebel Kate McLeod signs on to a Great Lakes freighter and sails off into an unexpected world of stormy, sexy and dangerous adventures."

Olson said that to distill the story, screen writer Johanna Schneller had to "really collapse the book – a whole new treatment that was very visual and very visceral, and really cut out all the boring stuff – it was great."

For more about the author, go to www.sheree-leeolson.com, and for a taste of that Great Lakes shipping culture, go to www.boatnerd.com.

Free e-book downloads popular at libraries

As published in The Erin Advocate

Wellington County libraries are reaching out to an increasingly on-line public with an expanding selection of audiobooks and e-books that can be downloaded at no cost.

"In 2011 the library circulated approximately 10,000 e‐book titles and that number will increase in 2012 as e‐readers become more prevalent and collections of e‐titles are increased," said Chief Librarian Murray McCabe in a report to the County Information, Heritage and Seniors’ Committee.

He said the current level of e‐book technology is still far from user friendly, but that e-book vendors are working to simplify downloading procedures.

"The public library continues to fulfill its role as a guide to the use of information technology, a service much valued by the public."

Many patrons, especially seniors, are not familiar with installing software, setting up on-line search criteria or downloading files.

"Lots of people got e-readers at Christmas," said librarian Janine Morin, who has been teaching people how to use their devices with seminars at the Erin branch. "Kobo seems to be the most popular."


In January, there were 2,157 e-books borrowed county-wide, compared to 85,135 physical items such as books, magazines, DVDs and CDs. But the e-book total is almost six times the total for January 2011, and up about 54 per cent from December 2011.

There are some restrictions compared to a regular book: when your 7 or 14-day borrowing period is over, your copy of the material goes dormant and is unusable. There are never any late fines, and if no one else has reserved it, you can download it again. You cannot lend your library files to someone else. Some e-book publishers allow you to burn a copy of their digital files to a CD to keep, while others do not.

Wellington has only 150 titles of its own, but through a partnership with the Southern Ontario Library Service, local residents have access to 18,000 titles. Libraries buy the rights to a limited number of materials, so if someone else has "borrowed" the digital item you want, you have to wait – just as with a regular book.

The category of e-books includes not only downloadable books, but also audiobooks, newspapers, videos and music. Audiobooks were originally in cassette tape format, and can still be borrowed on CDs instead of downloading.

A new audio product available free at the Erin library is the Playaway book, with selections for both children and adults. It is a small, battery-powered, plastic device weighing only two ounces, with only one book on it. Just plug in headphones or link it to a car audio system, then push buttons to play, pause, skip chapters or change the speed of narration. Essentially, it saves you the trouble of using a CD player or loading book files onto an MP3 player. There are also video productions loaded into Playbook View devices – only five ounces, with a small screen that looks like a smart phone.


To download library materials, go to the library website, which is a section of www.wellington.ca, and click on the download icon. Click on Getting Started for advice. You'll need to install Adobe Digital Editions on your computer, to manage books like iTunes manages music. You may need to install Overdrive Media Console to enable reading on various devices.

Log in to the Overdrive system of the Ontario Library Service with a valid library card (they expire every two years), browse the material, put items in your cart, then check out (download) up to five of them. You can read them on your computer, or transfer material to devices ranging from an under-$100 e-reader to and over-$500 iPad. Some devices, especially the Kindle, are not compatible with Canadian library e-books. Call or visit the library if you need help.

Wellington is also researching the 3m Cloud Library, which will compete with the Overdrive system. It includes in-library discovery stations, lendable e-reader units, a simplified set-up and log-in process and an option to either check out or buy an e-book. You could start reading a book on one device, then add bookmarks and continue reading on other devices, including computers, smart phones, tablets and some e-readers. Your digital "bookshelf" would reside in the internet "cloud", instead of on your computer.

A new Wellington County website will be launched this year, including a new base page for the library. It will have links to the on-line catalogue, advanced search features and improved navigation. The library subscribes to various databases that are especially valuable for students.
They provide reliable and reputable information not available through Google or Wikipedia, all available for free with a library card.

The current website provides access to the main iBistro catalogue, allowing you to search and to manage your own account. It also has branch details, the LINK newsletter, and information on book clubs and programs for pre-schoolers, older kids and teens.

Learning to communicate should stay in fashion

As published in The Erin Advocate

I was reading some on-line forums, in which people post comments in response to news stories, and was surprised at the poor spelling and grammar displayed by many contributors.

Not that I think the comments should be edited or censored – poor spellers have every right to engage in public debate. But if you are going to present your words to thousands of people, why wouldn't you read them over, or at least use the spell-checker before submitting?

When I encounter poor spelling, it alters my view of the writer. Do they lack education or they are too lazy to express themselves well? This is undoubtedly unfair, since intelligence can be quite independent of communication skills, and everyone makes mistakes, but that is my reflex reaction. Today, when I see people with poor writing skills rise to positions of influence and authority, I wonder if I am just old-fashioned and out-of-touch.

Still, I think all parents want their children to be competent at writing, because they want them to be confident, persuasive and have many choices for study and work. There are many things parents can do improve kids' literacy, especially during the summer when the regular academic stimulation is missing.

I encountered a new word last week: palaver. It was used in reference to my column, so I had to look it up. I was shocked to discover that it means "prolonged and idle discussion". Well, at least the columns are short.

The point is not that people should learn lots of obscure words, in hopes of impressing others. But if kids see their parents using a dictionary or computer to check on a word, it sends a strong message: the accurate meaning and spelling of words really matters.

Parents act as role models when kids see them reading books, or the local newspaper. Literacy involves many things, from reading maps while on vacation, to navigating with signs and billboards.

"Reading is like a muscle – if you don't use it, you lose it," says Margaret Eaton, President of ABC Life Literacy Canada. "It's important for parents to encourage children to read over the summer to keep their minds sharp. All it takes is 15 minutes a day of reading or engaging in a fun literacy activity."

Other ideas include writing postcards to friends and family while on vacation, or playing word games while on the road. Outings to places like the zoo can lead to useful reading. So can following a recipe or playing a board game.
Naturally, local libraries have many books and events to stimulate young minds.

There's the Bug Safari, a mix of bug games, crafts, collecting and identifying, in Hillsburgh July 15, at 10:30 am, and in Erin August 11, at 2 pm. The African Drumming workshop will be a boost to musical literacy, today (July 14) at the Erin Branch, at 2 pm. There are Jungle Family Storytimes, Toronto Zoo presentations, clay mask-making sessions and a model tree house building contest.

Call or visit a branch to register for events, or for the TD Summer Reading Club – this year with a jungle theme. Last summer, more than 2,000 Wellington kids read over 33,400 books through the club. There is also the Teen Summer Reading Challenge, with some nifty prizes.

Now there's a word you don't hear much any more – "nifty". My on-line dictionary tells me it means skillful, as in "nifty footwork", or stylish as in "a nifty black shirt". After 150 years, the word has fallen out of fashion. Perhaps it is just as well.

If music be the food of literacy, sing on

As published in The Erin Advocate

One of the best ways for children to develop their language skills is an activity that ranks high on the fun scale. Our brains are programmed to respond to music and our voices are voices are built to sing it out – when we get the right opportunity.

Family Literacy Day is coming up on January 27. The theme this year is Sing for Literacy, and there are several Erin events designed to promote better communication skills. Research has shown that music can be an effective tool for developing reading and writing ability, according to the ABC Canada Literacy Foundation.

"Singing together is a fun way to strengthen language skills, and an easy way to involve every family member," said ABC President Margaret Eaton.

Getting people to feel comfortable singing is a specialty for Betty Wise of Erin, a former teacher-librarian who is hosting Sing for Literacy sessions, for people of all ages. She starts out with simple chants and familiar snippets of melody that make it easy for everyone to chime in.

"It doesn't matter what your voice is like," she said. "Music is stimulating, it gets you energized – it gets more of your brain active."

Call to register for the events, to be held at the Erin Library this Saturday, January 23 at 10:30 am (519-833-9762), and at the Hillsburgh Library, January 30 at 10 am (519-855-4010). The libraries are also running the annual Family Literacy Bingo game, in which children complete various activities on the squares of a bingo card to win a prize.

The Bookends used book store, operated by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) at 45 Main Street, is having a half-price sale on all books, January 23-30. Any child who comes to the store on January 27 will be allowed to choose a free book to take home.

Parents should read to their children from the day they are born, as one of the ways to stimulate their imagination. People develop as communicators, not only by speaking, reading and writing, but through touch, spirituality, visual art, music, academics, theatre and sports. Learning to play a musical instrument helps develop math skills through the study of structure and rhythm.

Music education in the school system is quite variable. It can be good, depending on the school budget, the priorities of the principal and the talents of teachers, but it often falls short of parents' hopes.

EWCS will present the eight-week program, The Moon is Round and Other Rhymes, at the Hillsburgh Library starting March 25. Caregivers will learn songs, rhymes, finger plays and lullabies for babies, birth to twelve months only. Call Marlene MacNevin at 519-833-9696, ext. 223 to register. There is no fee.

School-aged children are invited to the Paws for Literacy event at the Hillsburgh Library this Saturday, January 23, 1-3 pm. With the help of Spirit Ridge K9 Training and Rescue, young people read stories to dogs that have chosen for their calm temperament. Animals, of course, are a non-judgemental audience.

"It is amazing how kids take to the dogs," said Librarian Donna Revell. "It is the only program where boys outnumber the girls."

Boys the world over are slower than girls in improving their language ability, but there is debate about the nature of the problem. Are parents and schools overly concerned with promoting higher levels of skill at younger ages, possibly taking the fun out the process and setting kids up for frustration?

Is it beneficial to make kids sit still for long periods of time, when they might learn more by moving and doing things? Is there an over-emphasis on reading, at the expense of other forms of literacy? Maybe young boys need more things to read that match their interests, like comics, science fiction, sports and adventure.

For more information, try these websites:
familyliteracyday.ca
county.wellington.on.ca (libraries)
eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com
spiritridge.net

Literary treasures at fantastic prices

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Bookends store in Erin is one of those treasures that keeps on being discovered – by people who didn't know it was there.

In an era when it seems almost everything can be found on one website or another, it turns out that people still want to hold a real book in their hands, open it when they please, be guided by the skill of an author and be entertained at their own pace.

This process does not require brand new books, and so we share our used ones. As a fundraising venture operated by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS), Bookends accepts donations of books and CDs, and sells them for a small profit.

"The money stays in the community to fund programs," said Robyn Pyrczak, Retail Coordinator and Event Planner at EWCS. Bookends contributes about $20,000 per year to the organization's revenue.

This Saturday, June 27, EWCS (known as EWAG until recently) is celebrating its 25th anniversary by offering a free breakfast to anyone who drops in to the Seniors Centre at Centre 2000, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Powered by volunteers and supported by fundraising efforts throughout the community, by local businesses and service clubs, and by all levels of government, EWCS operates programs for children and seniors, an information centre, a food bank and three thrift clothing stores. They serve Erin, Hillsburgh, Rockwood, Orton and Guelph-Eramosa Township.

For more information or to find out about volunteering, call 519-833-9696, or go to www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com

The Bookends store is located in the EWCS building at 45 Main Street, at the corner of Millwood Road, between the LCBO and Mundell's. The main entrance is on the side, towards the back, but recently a passageway was opened up inside, allowing people to walk between the book store and the New to You thrift clothing store and EWSC offices at the front of the building.

"This has made a huge difference," said Pyrczak. "Some people thought it was a separate entity. We have had good feedback and increased sales."

The store is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, operated by a team of 24 volunteers on three-hour shifts, coordinated by Enid Acton and Charles Lewis.

Although the store has been around for many years, some local residents are still surprised to discover it – a useful service they had overlooked. There are signs, but the store does not have a high profile as you drive down Main Street.

It was opened in December 1985, with Gillian Cantrell as its first coordinator. She was assisted by her husband David, Fran Hoag and Joanne Page. It was originally in the small, green shed behind the building, donated for use by Bob McEnery.

Bookends is very well organized, like a mini-library, and it is not too crowded. The fiction sections have useful names like "War/Spy/Adventure", "Horror" and "Christian Novels". Non-fiction areas like Health have subsections such as "Stress", "Cancer" and "Pregnancy".

The books are in good condition, with many paperbacks selling for 50 cents or less, ranging up to fancy coffee-table books for $6. There are also vintage books. Most donations are welcome, but they do not accept magazines (including Reader's Digest) or VHS tapes.

Their CD collection is very small and could use a boost. With many people transferring music collections to their computers, the number of redundant CDs in the community must be huge. Used CDs are a great way to build up your collection at very low cost, and once you've got the songs you want, you can donate the CD back to the store for someone else's benefit.

Bill Smiley was a welcome guest

As published in The Erin Advocate

Bill Smiley was a newspaper columnist who barged his way into the lives of millions of Canadians by the sheer force of his personality.

I have been reading old issues of The Erin Advocate at the library (back to 1974) and they draw a fascinating sketch of this area, even for someone who did not grow up here. Bill did not write about Erin, but he was our guest almost every week for some 22 years.

Known as Sugar and Spice, the column appeared in weeklies across Canada. It was in 18 papers when Erin picked it up in 1957, and the customer list grew to more than 130 with syndication by The Toronto Telegram, as editors and readers learned to love his small-town wit and wisdom.

He was honored as most outstanding columnist in 1974 by the Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA). According to the CCNA website, he became Canada's most-read columnist and continued writing until two years before his death in 1987, at the age of 67.

Bill's column was very personal. He spoke of his father's depression and his mother's frantic work to support five kids in the 1930s. "There was no way we were going on relief. It was shameful. Somehow we staggered through." He predicted another economic depression, though it has been slow to arrive.

He often talked of being shot down during the Second World War and his time in a prison camp. He did not care for the annual gatherings of POWs who wanted to relive the experience after the war.

For 11 years, he was the editor and publisher of The Wiarton Echo. Later, he worked on "the assembly line at the pupil-factory," as head of English at the high school in Midland, and did not mince words about the quality of some of the finished product. "Some of the rottenest people, physically, morally and emotionally, whom I have ever met, have been honour students. With no sense of honour."

His grandson, however, was a great source of joy. "The existence of so much delight and charm and laughter and love, all wrapped up in one perfectly formed nine-month old creation, restores my faith, which at times becomes a little tattered around the edges, in God."

His wife Sue became well-known, though I doubt she appreciated the attention. He was calling her "old trouble and strife" in 1957. Their fighting and making-up continued as column topics for decades. In 1974, he described his feelings when she went away for a weekend: "When I put the old battleaxe on the bus, or see the car drive off, I try to look mournful. Then I give a great sigh of relief, and feel like a fellow who has just walked out the jailhouse gates."

It appears that The Advocate stopped carrying the column when the paper was sold to a new owner in 1979. A new column appeared, called The Way I See It, by James Burnett.

For all his crankiness, Bill Smiley had a wonderful way with words: "There's a certain sadness in the knowledge that summer is over, but it only lasts a day or so. Any red-blooded Canadian knows deep in his boots that summer is merely an unreal state of mind that has no more substance, no more staying power, than a pleasant dream."

I wish I had written that. Maybe I will write that, or something like it. After all, there are no new ideas waiting to be discovered – just old ones that need to be polished up.

Reading skills essential for well-rounded citizens

As published in The Erin Advocate

Is it not wonderful that children these days are text messaging their friends and using the Internet to learn about the world? Will this modern digital literacy mould new generations of responsible cyber-citizens? If it comes at the expense of traditional reading skills, the answer is probably no.

The ability to do web research may be useful, but perhaps it is too easy. When what you think you need is served up to you, less thinking is needed. Reading a good novel, allowing yourself to be guided and entertained by a skilled author, is more likely to expand the mind.

With a little web surfing, I found this quote from Sunil Iyengar, a researcher at the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts: “We can no longer take the presence of books in the home for granted. Reading on one’s own – not in a required sense, but doing it because you want to read – that skill has to be cultivated at an early age.”

The NEA found that regular readers are more likely to vote, join community organizations, support the arts and be employed. Family Literacy Day (January 27 annually) reminds us that developing a love of reading, writing, and math at home is crucial for our economy and culture.

The Erin library is running a Family Literacy Bingo game. Children can fill in squares on a bingo card by completing literacy activities such as: writing a letter to the editor, making up a joke, Googling their name, designing a birthday card, following a recipe or reading a book. Pick up a card at the library and return it by January 31 to win a small prize.

The ability to read well, and enjoy it, does not always come easily, despite the efforts of teachers and parents. About half of Canadian adults have literacy skills that are poor, or barely adequate for their jobs.

The Wellington County Learning Centre offers help to children and adults who want to improve their reading and other basic skills. It is free and confidential. Some of the teaching is done at their facility in Arthur, but a network of about 80 volunteer tutors does much of the work at local centres such as the library, or students’ homes.

Consider becoming a tutor. I did it many years ago (not for WCLC) and it was a great experience for both the student and me. The WCLC provides training, and needs people who can commit three hours per week. Get more information on becoming a student or tutor by calling – 1-888-368-7889, emailing – literacy@thewclc.ca or visiting their website – www.thewclc.ca. They also refer people to similar agencies in Guelph and Acton when needed.

The WCLC website has a newsletter section with very specific advice for tutors and parents. There are techniques to improve spelling, pronunciation, story writing, comprehension, vocabulary and reading aloud with expression, plus information on different learning styles.

Funding from the Guelph-Wellington United Way supports a program for children, and teens up to 18 who are still in school, providing one-to-one teaching to upgrade basic skills. This benefits up to 60 students per year.

Adult programs for literacy, numeracy, resume development, basic computer use and workplace communication are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

“We have funding for 68 adult students, but we serviced 148 last year, so we’re feeling the crunch,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Debergh.

“The main reasons people join are for independence and helping their children learn to read, for further education and for employment needs.”

Relatively new is a college preparation program at the Centre, in partnership with Conestoga College, allowing people to earn prerequisite college admission credits they did not get in high school. There is also a General Education Development program that is recognized by colleges, apprenticeship programs and employers as equivalent to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

For programs in Arthur, there is a transportation subsidy available. Publications on sale through the WCLC include a Skills Level Checklist, a Budget Workbook for money management and The Road Ahead, an easy to read driver’s handbook.

Ads from yesteryear strike familiar chords

As published in The Erin Advocate

The ad seemed somehow familiar, promising to mail out a sample box that would make me a lot of money. “Live at home and work in spare time, or all the time. Capital not required. We will start you. Immense pay sure for those who start at once.”

Tempted though I was, it was too late to respond, since I was reading the front page of an 1885 Erin Advocate. The offer sounded just like various modern email spam messages, except that the price was 10 cents in postage stamps.

On the same page was another ad that reminded me of email scams: “Lecture to Young Men on the Loss of Manhood…the radical and permanent cure of Nervous Disability, Medical and Physical Incapacity, Impediments to Marriage, etc., resulting from excesses. Price, in a sealed envelope, only 6 cents, or two postage stamps.”

Looking down the page, there were ads for “medicines” like Burdock Blood Bitters, Hagyard’s Yellow Oil, Freeman’s Worm Powders and Dr. Chase’s Mandrake Dandelion Liver Cure. Catchy names, but what was inside? Fortunately, there have been major advances both in medicine and advertising standards. Perhaps certain types of ads are inevitable when a medium has few regulations.

According to a book called Friendly Persuasion – Canadian Advertising of Yesteryear, by Nick and Helma Mika, early ads were called “notices”, set in ordinary type to make them look like “news”.

“In those days, the very fact that the cures were advertised was sufficient for many to believe in their value; the printed word was the gospel for many persons, usually of limited education,” they said. The suspicious ads usually had American addresses.

Canada’s first newspaper ads appeared in 1752 in the Halifax Gazette, an official government publication. Those first ads were for legal services, private teachers and “Choice Butter, by the Firkin” (a firkin being a nine-gallon cask, one quarter of a barrel).

Like most local ads both now and then, they were for legitimate goods and services that people need. Claims of high quality were of course crucial to their success. The Erin drug store run in 1885 by R. & J. Wood, for example, sold eye glasses made in England that have “given in every instance unbounded satisfaction – they are the best in the world.”

Now that we live in an age of highly sophisticated advertising, it is fascinating to look back on older styles, in an era when people in small villages like Erin were relatively isolated.

Ads also reveal the nature of a village economy. In the 1877 historical atlas of Wellington, printed ads show Erin as a small-scale industrial centre. John S. Walker operated an iron foundry, making ploughs, harrows, cultivators and iron and brass castings to order, with repairs “at short notice”. At Main and Church, the Rott Brothers ran the Ontario Foundry & Carriage Works, making buggies, lumber wagons and sleighs.

William Cornock, who represented Erin Township on Wellington County council in 1868, owned a mill that paid cash for any type of grain from local farmers.

W.R. Chisholm was the proprietor of the Globe Hotel on Main Street, advertising stagecoach transportation to Guelph three times per week. That is better public transit than the town has today.

Everything from parlour stoves to Swiss watches could be bought on Main Street, long before Erin village was incorporated in 1879. Thomas Carberry, who sold groceries next to the Queen’s Hotel, made a little extra income as an issuer of marriage licenses.

It is just a small glimpse of a community that was growing very rapidly, with hard-working farmers, skilled trades people and ambitious merchants. By December of 1880, they finally had a weekly newspaper in which to advertise – the one you are reading now.

Low literacy a stubborn problem

As published in The Erin Advocate

The news was discouraging to folks who write for a living.

A report last month from the Canadian Council on Learning says that 48 per cent of Canadian adults have low literacy skills. That does not mean they are illiterate (cannot read or write), but that their abilities fall below internationally-accepted standards for coping in a modern society.

The study, Reading the Future, contradicts the idea that literacy is improving in Canada. As the population grows, the proportion of people in the low literacy categories is expected remain the same, with the total rising from 12 million to 15 million by 2031.

This is in spite of the serious efforts of parents and teachers to instill a love of reading and writing in young people. While these efforts are worthwhile, they are only partially successful.

The low literacy group spans all age groups, English and French speakers, immigrants and those born in Canada, and includes some with high school diplomas and post-secondary education. Most are employed, have a strong dislike of computers and believe their skills are “adequate” for their work. Most are relatively close to meeting the international standard.

At the lowest level, a person may, for example, be unable to determine from a package label the correct amount of medicine to give a child. Those at the next level are literate enough to get by from day to day, but their poor literacy makes it hard to conquer challenges such as learning new job skills.

“Millions of our fellow citizens may learn to read, but they cannot read to learn,” said Dr. Paul Cappon, President of the Canadian Council on Learning. Adult literacy levels have been shown to have a profound influence on the growth or decline of a country’s economy, according to the report.

"The Canadian economy will suffer as the number of Canadians with low literacy skills increases, so we need to prepare workers for shifts in their industry and new technologies," said Margaret Eaton, president of the private-sector ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation.

“The issue of literacy in Canada cannot be solved by any one group,” said Dr. Cappon. “Achieving success will require concerted effort from all levels of government, educators, employers, workers, community groups, families and individuals.”

Reading tends to be a quiet, inexpensive activity. Flashy entertainment on television / internet and a whirlwind of activities outside the home don’t foster a reading environment.

“In our busy world, it is hard for people to sit down and read a book,” said Beverley Picken, Supervisor of the Erin branch of the Wellington County Library. “It is important for children to see their parents reading.”

The library runs programs like the Summer Reading Club for children, using posters, stickers, activity books and prizes to make reading more fun. In the Summer Reading Challenge, teens can get a ballot for every book they read, in hopes of winning an iPod. Adults can read from a list of 10 nominated books and vote to choose the winner in the Evergreen Reading Award Programme. Check www.wclib for more library information.

Word literacy is not an end in itself. It is about having the skill and confidence to be a communicator, which can include physical touch, speech, spirituality, music, theatre, visual arts, academic learning and athletics. The school system is dedicated to helping kids reach their potential as well-rounded citizens, but the process starts at birth.

“Early infant reading develops an attitude towards books and print that is vitally important for reading later on,” says Paul Kropp, in his book How to Make your Child a Reader for Life (available at the Erin library).

“We encourage parents to read to their children right from birth,” said Marlene MacNevin, Children’s Services Manager at EWAG (East Wellington Advisory Group) in Erin.

“Each time they help their child connect books to their own experiences – their toys, friends and activities – they are introducing them to literacy by allowing their children to use their imagination.”

EWAG runs provincially-funded “Ontario Early Years” programs in Erin and Rockwood for children up to six years old. Activities include crafts, songs, finger plays, games and stories. Call 519-833-9696 for details.

At the other end of the spectrum are the program offered by agencies like the Wellington County Learning Centre (see www.thewclc.ca) for adults who want to improve their skills. But that is a topic for another day.

As a society, we are right to set high goals for literacy. People should not, however, pass negative judgment on those with lower (or higher) skills than their own. No one should be afraid to expand his or her horizons.

The important thing is to provide opportunities for everyone to improve, at every age. It is a basic democratic right.