The Rotary Club of Bowen Island has invited Bob Blacker, Past District Governor of Rotary International District 5040 to speak to the Club on The Write to Read Project. In 2007, the Honourable Steven L. Point, Lt. Governor of British Columbia, and Rotary started this initiative. Bob Blacker, the Aide de Camp at the time, coordinated the project between the Government House Foundation and participating Rotary Clubs.
The Write to Read Project secures books and creates libraries that reflect First Nations’ interests and issues, selecting fiction and non-fiction books for youth and adults.
BRITCO Modular Buildings has been a major donor towards the project by donating 14 modules valued at over $700,000 for the purpose of creating new libraries. At the 2010 Olympics at Whistler the international press used these buildings. TLD Computers (London Drugs) and Hewlett Packard have donated computers and Internet connectivity. These libraries are very popular and have become gathering places for the communities that have received them.
The Write to Read Project includes the following partners: the Lt. Governor of BC and the Government House Foundation, Rotary Clubs of District 5040 & 5020, First Nations of British Columbia, non-profit societies with an interest in literacy, socially responsible businesses, and members of the public.
The partners are working together to establish libraries in First Nations communities in Chemainus, Williams Lake (Chilcotin), Rivers Inlet (Oweekeno), Malahat, Fort Rupert, Haida Gwai, Metlakatla, Ditidaht and more. Currently there are now 10 community libraries and 10 more in various planning stages
The project was featured on the CBC NATIONAL in May of this year.
The Rotary Club of Bowen Island invites all to hear Bob Blacker speak on Thursday, 15 January 2015 at 7:30 pm at Collins Hall.
