Overwhelming Support for Used Books for Natives Program

[www.Lt.gov.on.ca]

Lieutenant Governor's Book Program for First Nations in the North

February 4, 2004

The media are invited to attend the departure of the first shipment of books donated by the public to isolated First Nations in Ontario's Far North. A convoy of 12 Canadian Forces vehicles, carrying supplies for Canadian Rangers and pallets of books, will leave Canadian Forces Base Borden at 9:00 am on Friday, 6 February. The Honourable James K.
Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, will give the signal for the convoy to start its engines and head north.

The books will be going to 19 of the 33 First Nations in Northern Ontario
whose only land links are winter ice roads. The adults and children who will
receive the books are Ojibway, Oji-Cree and Cree.

Books will be transported by police planes to other First Nations communities at a later date by the Ontario Provincial Police and the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service.

On his visits to the Far North, the Lieutenant Governor found school
libraries in many of the communities had lots of shelves but no books. To
address that need and encourage Aboriginal students to pursue reading and education to get a good start in life, the Lieutenant Governor invited the public to donate gently used books for 33 communities by dropping them off at their nearest Ontario Provincial Police detachment or at Queen's Park. The public response has exceeded expectations and over 100,000 books have been donated.

Partners in this initiative include the Department of National Defence,
the Ontario Provincial Police, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, the Ontario Public Service and numerous not-for-profit organizations.

At 8:30 am on 6 February the Lieutenant Governor will attend a press
conference at the headquarters of 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, Gibraltar Road, Canadian Forces Base Borden. Major David Scandrett, Commanding Officer of the Canadian Rangers in Northern Ontario, will provide a briefing on the military delivery program. Acting Deputy Commissioner Su Dunn from the OPP will also review that force's role in the mission.

Soldiers driving the 10-ton military trucks, all of whom have received
wilderness survival training for the trip, will be available for interviews.
While driving on the winter ice roads, the soldiers will sleep in tents next
to their vehicles in temperatures that can drop to -50 degrees C.

A deadline for donations has been set for 6 February. Since many
organizations are still in the process of gathering books, the OPP will accept donations of books for children and young adults until 28 February. No donation will be turned away.

DIRECTIONS
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DRIVING NORTH
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North on Hwy 400
West on Hwy 89 to Alliston
Drive through downtown Alliston
North on King St. (becomes County Rd. 15)
Enter CFB Borden
First right on Dieppe Rd.
Drive 3.5 km
Left onto Gibraltar Rd.
3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group is in the wooden buildings on the south
side of Gibraltar Rd.
(Allow 90 minutes to drive from downtown Toronto to CFB Borden)

DRIVING SOUTH
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South on Hwy 400
West on Hwy 90 to Angus
Drive through Angus and enter CFB Borden
First left on Dieppe Rd.
Drive 0.9 km
Right onto Gibraltar Rd.
3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group is in the wooden buildings on the south
side of Gibraltar Rd.

For further information: Anthony Hylton, Office of the Lieutenant
Governor of Ontario, (416) 325-7789; Major David Scandrett, 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, (877) 902-4534 (enter 0 in menu); Sergeant Peter Moon, 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, (877) 902-4534

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Lieutenant Governor thanks Ontarians for their overwhelming support of his book program

"We will meet the needs of the 33 First Nation communities without road access"

Announces 6 February as deadline for book donations

February 2, 2004

The Lieutenant Governor is pleased to announce that the public's response to his appeal for books for people of all ages in Ontario's North has been overwhelming. The Honourable James K. Bartleman also
noted that Friday, 6 February will be the deadline for donating gently used
books for the Lieutenant Governor's Book Program. In just three weeks, over 100,000 books have been dropped off at Queen's Park and at OPP detachments across Ontario.

"The goals of the program have been exceeded. We will meet the needs of
the 33 First Nation communities without road access.

I am very happy that we will also be able to assist a number of additional First Nations through this initiative. Ontarians have recognized our common responsibility to help support the education and learning environment of Aboriginal students of all ages in our North," Mr. Bartleman said, "In Toronto, Mayor David Miller has gone out of his way to support the program, as has Mayor Anne Krassilowsky of Dryden.

Both have worked exceptionally hard to build bridges between Ontario's North and South in order to assist young people in the Far North."

Mr. Bartleman also praised the support of people across Ontario, "This
project struck a real cord in our province and I want to thank everyone who donated books as well as the volunteers who sorted and boxed them. I especially want to commend key partner organizations in this effort: the
Department of National Defence and the Ontario Provincial Police. Their help has proved invaluable."

On 6 February a shipment of almost 20,000 books will leave CFB Borden for 16 priority communities only accessible on winter ice roads. The 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, a mainly Aboriginal reserve unit of the Canadian Forces, has been tasked for this first mission. Towards the end of February, another 20,000 books will be transported to these same communities by the Rangers. The Ontario Provincial Police will transport the remaining books by air to 17 additional First Nations in the coming months.

While a deadline for donations has been set, many organizations are still
in the process of gathering books. To assist them, the Ontario Provincial
Police will accept donations until the end of February. Inspector Glenn
Trivett of the OPP First Nations Program said "The OPP will welcome books for children and young adults until 28 February. No one will be turned away."

The Lieutenant Governor's Book Program is part of His Honour's broader
effort to encourage Aboriginal students to pursue reading and to continue
their education. Mr. Bartleman is a member of the Mnjikaning First Nation and is committed to championing Aboriginal youth during his term as Lieutenant Governor.

For further information: Nanda Casucci-Byrne, Office of the Lieutenant
Governor, Tel. (416) 325-7781, www.Lt.gov.on.ca