I shared something good Aug 16, 2011

Introduction
Literacy Central Vancouver Island is bringing back its “Kids Reading to Dogs” program! This popular program is offered at our downtown Nanaimo “Well Read Books" location, where we have a special, cozy reading area in our children’s section specifically for the kids and dogs.
The program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a dog. But not just any dog. The dogs are registered therapy animals who volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team as reading companions for children
The Need
The statistics about reading are perennially discouraging. The (Canadian) National Adult Literacy Database states that there are 9 million people in Canada handicapped by poor levels of literacy. That is people who have trouble accessing jobs, healthcare, and government services. We as a society end up paying for this. A high percentage of unemployed and the prison population have poor literacy skills. For example, 79 of 100 people

I shared something good Aug 12, 2011

Humble Nanaimo’s hidden gems
Walking the dog today on Invermere Beach was extraordinary!
The sand at low tide stretched as far as you could see. Camella frolicked in the gentle waves and chased the geese and seagulls. Mount Arrowsmith’s rugged peaks jutted in the distance with snow on its flanks. The sand was firm and smooth making for excellent footing. We walked for miles; only the occasional small stream required a bit of a scramble. We could have been on a beach in Mexico or Long beach – but we almost had the place to ourselves.