Grade P-2 category winners (left photo) were Oliver Long (left - third place) and Conlan MacKenzie (first place). Allison Gilfoy was the second place recipient but unavailable for photo. (Cassie MacGillivray photos)

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Friday, the community room at the People’s Place Library was overflowing with dignitaries and supporters recognizing Family Literacy Day.
The event was scheduled for Jan. 27 but was postponed due to weather conditions.
The delay did little to dampen the celebration of literacy which started out with traditional Mi’kmaw drumming from Paqtnkek First Nation’s Kiju’s Boyz.
The music was followed by greetings from Town of Antigonish Deputy Mayor Diane Roberts, Warden Herb Delorey from the Municipality of the County of Antigonish and Mary Imelda Lafford from Paqtnkek First Nation.
Short speeches from Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL) head librarian Eric Stackhouse and Karen Case from the Antigonish County Adult Learning Association was followed by Nova Scotia Attorney General and Minister of Justice Ross Landry giving the official proclamation for Family Literacy Day.
Landry, who has a Bachelor of Education degree, noted he was, “happily” filling in for Minister of Education Marilyn More and that they both share a vision about the “value of literacy as a stepping stone to success in the classroom, workplace and in life.”
In his speech, Stackhouse talked about the opportunity to work with books and literature and the value he sees in literacy.
“I see the promise of literacy, the promise of the written word and how much that can mean to individuals throughout the lives,” he said.
Other dignitaries speaking at the event included Karen Gatien, a director with the department of labour and advanced education and Donna MacGillivray from the same provincial department.
The event also presented Antigonish County Adult Learning Association (ACALA) with an opportune time to announce the winners of their annual writing contest and the recipients, most of whom were in attendance, were recognized by Kathryn Collicott from ACALA.
“This is the fourth year for the writing contest and we’re hoping to publish all the entries this year,” Collicott said. “They were all so wonderful, it was really hard judging them. (The other three judges) would contact me and say this is really tough and Lise (de Villiers, ACALA director) as well. She was impressed with the quality of the stories and the creativity so she decided we would try to publish all in a book this time.”
Collicott noted one of great things about the writing contest is that it becomes a family activity so it’s a good example of the Family Literacy Day initiatives.
“That’s what I loved about the stories,” she said. “Kids wrote with mom, dad or both. Brothers and sisters, whole families wrote together. Grandparents, aunts and uncles… it’s nice to see that whole mix of people joining in.”
de Villiers said that it definitely in the spirit of Family Literacy Day.
“Family Literacy Day is so important because it acknowledges that real learning is in the home and parents and care-givers are the first teachers,” she said.
“Whatever happens in the home creates that kind of climate of learning together so it’s pretty wonderful when you get situations where everybody is exchanging information, teaching and learning from each other and at all ages. So Family Literacy Day, to me, is intergenerational… from grandparents to parents to children.”