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Moving the Hobbit House to Metlakatla in 2014

Hobbit House being taken to Metlakatla

The next delivery of a library is now in the planning stages. Project Coordinator Bob Blacker reports that the “hobbit house,” the “office on wheels” kindly donated by recently Western Camera Buildings, will be taken up to the far northern community of Metlakatla soon. Located just north of Prince Rupert, it’s a long way to drive to deliver anything, but the small library, equipped with computers and shelving and books, will make an impact in that community as all library deliveries have accomplished to date.

In a new development, Bob will be bringing a camera and video recorder with him and will be shooting video footage of the entire trip. The footage will come in useful as W2R plans to produce a documentary about our aboriginal library project soon. To date the problem has been a lack of video content. It’s not easy to transport libraries to remote destinations, and it’s not easy to shoot video footage while juggling many others tasks, but Bob is going to give it a go. Let’s stay tuned and see what happens.

Hobbit House being loaded onto the ferry

Libraries & Dentists Year-End Update of 2014

WRITE TO READ PROJECT UPDATE – JANUARY 1, 2015

Library already installed
1. Toosey (Williams Lake Daybreak, Langley Central Rotary Clubs)
2. Yunesitin (Williams Lake, Sechelt & Commerce City Colorado Rotary Clubs)
3. Halalt (Steveston Rotary Club)
4. Old Masset (Langley Central Rotary Club)
5. Bella Bella (Steveston Rotary Club)
6. Wuikinuxv – Rivers Inlet (North Vancouver Lionsgate)
7. Malahat (South Cowichan Rotary Club)
8. Fort Rupert (Burnaby Metrotown, Port McNeil, Port Hardy Rotary Clubs)
9. Ditidaht (North Delta Rotary Club)
10. Metlakatla (Steveston Rotary Club)

On the Radar – to be visited before the end of 2015
1. Nemiah (to be visited)
2. Klemtu (to be visited)
3. Tsay Key Deneh (North Williston Lake to be visited)
4. Kwadatcha (North Williston Lake to be visited)
5. Lx’Kwalaams (Prince Rupert – visited and plans are now being made for the library)
6. New Aiyansh (Initial discussions have taken place – planning for the team to visit the community)
7. Tl’entinqox (Anaham Chilcotin) – agreement to install community library when new school and library are built. Construction in progress.
8. Toquaht (Uclulet, Vancouver Island) – to be visited request made by community to assist them with a library.
9. Nooaitch – visiting community in December 2014 plus meeting with Merritt Rotary Clubs (Merritt Sunrise to work with the community Dec 4th)
10. Snuneymuxw (Nanaimo) First Nations. – Community to be visited; building will come from the Oak Bay Tennis Club. W2R project engineer to examine the buildings; more work to be done with potential Rotary Club to adopt the community.

Sponsors & Partners
1. Britco Structures
2. BC Ferries
3. RCMP
4. U-LOCK Mini Storage
5. TLD Computers (London Drugs)
6. Bandstra Transportation
7. Hewlett Packard
8. Investors Group
9. Western Buildings
10. BC Hydro
11. Frontier College
12. Success By 6
13. Accent Inns
14. BC Corrections Service

First Nations communities benefited from Dental Clinics

1. Penelakut Island
2. Halalt
3. Lyackson
4. Malahat
5. Chemainus
6. Anaham
7. Alexis Creek
8. Yunesitin
9. Toosey

Planned Dental Clinics for 2015

Clinics are in the planning process for July 2015 at DITIDAHT (Vancouver Island) and ANAHAM (Chilcotin – Williams Lake)

Library Furniture

BC Corrections Service, Vancouver Island and Nanaimo Correctional facilities have agreed to build furniture for all new libraries.

Summer Literacy Camps

Frontier College has partnered with W2R to conduct summer literacy camps at all of the communities libraries have been installed. These camps are set to start in summer of 2015.

All 12 of the buildings donated by BRITCO have been assigned to communities. We just have to work through the process of getting the buildings and books to the communities. By the end of 2015 BRITCO will be donating 4 more modules as a result of sponsoring the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George. There is more interest from Rotary Clubs as there are communities. Total modules from BRITCO 16.

Approximate value of all buildings so far: $1,200,000.00

Total number of books sent and sorted to libraries so far: 35,000
Total number of computers 27.

The impact of the libraries: Priceless!

TELUS TO EXPLORE CONNECTIVITY FOR W2R COMMUNITIES

As a result of great work by our W2R team member Christoph Neufeld of Britco Structures, TELUS is now working with W2R to study the viability of connectivity for our First Nations communities.

This can mean that W2R libraries are becoming truly the hub and gathering place envisioned in earlier planning. Our implementation team is now working hard to set up our newest library, NOOAITCH. We are calling this library W2R Version 3.1 because NOOAITCH will become our template for future libraries. Each will contain a computer lab, a tablet lab, video conferencing, and a fully stocked aboriginal library along with other books. The modular building that Britco has supplied to the Canada Winter Games will be the structure will use for our Version 3.1. TELUS is studying the viability of connectivity for the community that could enable video conferencing capabilities and allow NOOAITCH to be the prototype for future libraries..<

Sue Sterling and Andrea Inwards from the Merritt Sunrise Club are the spark plugs for this project and have already secured funding from both the Merritt Clubs (Sunrise and Noon club) to purchase aboriginal books plus the furniture to go into the building. Our implementation team of Christoph Neufeld, Brian Van Sickle, Margaret Fletcher and Bob Blacker will be going up to Merritt to meet with the community to confirm the final configuration for the library.

TELUS has asked for coordinates of all our existing libraries,< to see what connectivity they currently possess. We will build our future network from there. For the libraries already functioning, we will verify if we can also install video conferencing and tablet labs. So, another giant step for the entire Write to Read Project!

Three politicians

Ditidaht library opening now on video

Library 8Members of the Royal Family officially openedthe new Write to Read library in Ditidaht, a small village on Vancouver Island, last summer. A video of that event has been produced and can be viewed at the link below. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Princess Sophie, Countess of
Wessex, cut the ribbon.  A feat was held and a ceremony honoured the “champion” of the library, teacher Eva Clarke. Log on to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OROrvJsv73s

Remote First Nation Communities

Pathways to Technology set to bring Internet access to all BC First Nations

The Write to Read Project hopes to partner with Pathways to Technology to expand the scope of both projects. The installation of the new Write to Read Library in Nooaitch, near Merritt, will include teleconferencing capabilty, thanks to TELUS joining the Write to Read Project as a participating partner. Pathways to Technology (http://www.pathwaystotechnology.ca/home) will be working with TELUS on the new NooaitchElectrical library, as well as providing high speed internet to many other First Nations acorss BC.

Reliable high-speed Internet access for all First Nations in BC is the goal of Pathways to Technology, recognized as a high priority by several organizations including the First Nations Leadership Council.  In January 2006, the First Nations Technology Council (FNTC) emphasized the high priority placed on broadband connectivity.  Broadband connectivity is also a key priority for the First Nations Health Council (FNHC) as part of their efforts to create a fully integrated First Nations clinical tele-health network.

In 2009 $40.8 million was granted to All Nations Trust Company by the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. That funding, for instance, has allowed for a new fibre optic line to be built between Port Alberni and Ucluelet that will connect nine remote First Nations with high-speed Internet service that community leaders say will unlock a wealth of business, social and nation building opportunities. The nine First Nations communities – Opitsaht, Macoah, Uchucklesaht, Ahousaht, Esowista, Huu-ay-aht, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet), Hesquiat, and Ty-Histanis – currently have no Internet access or only limited service. It is anticipated that the infrastructure build will be complete by early 2016, when work will then begin to connect First Nations communities to the broadband service.

While the majority of Pathways projects have focused on connecting one or two First Nations communities at a time, the program is also working with partners to enhance services across entire regions.  An example of this cooperation is the Coastal Radio Upgrade, which began in March of 2013 in collaboration with TELUS and Alcatel-Lucent (ALU). The team set off to complete an overhaul of the existing telecommunications network on the central and north coast of the province, upgrading the Internet capabilities in the communities of Heiltsuk (Bella Bella), Klemtu/Kitasoo, Gitga’at (Hartley Bay) and Gitxaala (Kitkatla).

Write to Read has received queries about the installation of a library from many First Nations communities across BC. With Pathways to Technology bringing in high speed broadband to many new communities, the chances of new libraries being built becomes even better. For a video clip of this project, click here. http://www.pathwaystotechnology.ca/project-video.

Merritt Interact kids join in Nooaitch library project

The Nooaitch First Nation, located 20 minutes outside of Merritt, is due to receive a new library. On October 3rd, the Lt. Governor of British Columbia Her Honour Judith Guichon will be in attendance for the official opening. Also in attendance will be members of the Merritt Interact club, who have been active in the project. They have been helpful with sorting books. More interesting, they have also made a video of their work. Hopefully the Interact club will stay involved with the library, perhaps assisting the kids in the Nooaitch community learn how to shoot video. If so, Write to Read supporters can look forward to updates after the library opens and in the future. For more, log on to:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zLqRDmd-J1Q

Nooaitch library opening a great success

Ribbon Cutting in Nooaitch
Wade Fountain, Chief Marcel Shackelly, Hon. Judith Guichon, former chief Joyce Sam, Elder Joan Shackelly and Michael Shackelly cutting the ribbon. David Dyck/Herald

It was a warm and sunny day on October 3rd when Her Honour Judy Guichon, the Lt. Governor of BC, arrived to open the 11th Write to Read library in the community of Nooaitch, near Merritt. A large crowd of dignitaries and local folks was on hand to witness the ribbon cutting, including Meriko Kubota, the Director of Strategic Partnerships for TELUS, the telecommunications company that will be supplying fibre optic service to the library in the near future. Also on hand were Nooaitch elders, chief and council members, Rotarians from several clubs and one young Interact member from the Merritt club.

The library is fully stocked with a wide variety of books including children, adult and aboriginal titles, all hand picked by the LRT group, the reliable Library Response Team that chooses titles for all W2R libraries. Computers were supplied, as always, by London Drugs and Hewlitt Packard. The modular building was donated, as always, by Britco Structures who have been supportive of the literacy initiative from the very beginning.

Her Honour seemed especially delighted to be on hand for the ceremony, the 8th library she has opened, because she calls the Nicola Valley region her own home. All the children that attended seemed delighted with the opportunity to access the computers. Nooaitch seniors touring the library were delighted that there was now an opportunity to record native history and language that could be passed on to future generations via video.

The next step will be to hire and train a librarian, install fibre optic wiring, open the library to the community, and see how use of the building evolves. The partnership between all parties involved is a relationship that requires First Nations communities to operate the library on a standard community library basis, with books and materials checked out and due back on a set date. The Nooaitch community now has a fully stocked building and everyone is looking forward to hear how events proceed from here.

Shaw Community TV profiles Write to Read at Nooaitch

Nooaitch openingThe opening of the new Write to Read library at the First Nation community of Nooaitch this summer was attended by a member of Shaw TV, who produced a video about the event. In attendance were Lt. Governor of BC the Honourable Judith Guichon, elders, band members, Rotarians, Britco Structures (who donated the modular building), TELUS Corporation, and a reporter from Shaw TV. The video is available on YouTube at”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhczPQWhxa4

Write to Read profiled again in Vancouver Sun

Write to Read profiled in Vancouver SunThe editorial page of the Vancouver Sun contains an OpEd article about W2R on Tuesday, Dec 15. Written by Write to Read publicist Michael McCarthy, his opinion piece suggests that monies possibly directed by the federal government towards yet another study of Missing Aboriginal Women might be better directed towards positive actions rather than more reviews, committees, talk and blame. This is the third OpEd about Write to Read that has been published in the Sun. To read the article, log on to:

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/opinion+money+inquiry+could+better+spent/11589331/story.html