(Orillia) – Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop said today that his continuing efforts to secure adequate funding for community-based literacy programs have finally been rewarded with an Ontario government announcement of $25 million for literacy and essential skills training.
“Today’s announcement is proof that Opposition can be effective in forcing government to act,” said Dunlop. “Because I feel very passionate about this issue, I worked tirelessly with literacy groups to convince this government that lack of basic skills like reading and writing are holding back far too many people in this province from gainful employment.”
Dunlop noted that his literacy resolution received all-Party support in the legislature on February 26, 2009. The resolution called on the Ontario government to “provide adequate funding to community-based literacy and basic skills programs so that the agencies can properly address the growing enrolment”.
Dunlop added that he also asked the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities on two occasions during Question Period to act on the resolution.
“This is a great news day for literacy and basic skills programs across Ontario,” said Sue Bannon, president of Laubach Literacy Ontario, which represents 55 literacy agencies across Ontario. “We would like to give special recognition and thanks to Garfield Dunlop who brought this issue on our behalf to Queen’s Park. We couldn’t have done it without him.”
Bannon noted that Laubach Literacy Ontario presented Dunlop with a special one-time award at their annual conference in Barrie last month. Dunlop was recognized for his efforts to promote the importance of literacy skills and the organizations that provide them in the Ontario legislature.
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