If you can read this, consider yourself lucky.

From an article on illiterate Canadians found here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/education/canada-shame.html

"When you think of literacy in Canada now, at the beginning of the 21st century, you probably expect to see a rate of close to 100 per cent. That would be wrong. The actual numbers are nowhere near that and should embarrass us all.

• Nearly 15 per cent of Canadians can't understand the writing on simple medicine labels such as on an Aspirin bottle, a failing that could seriously limit the ability of a parent, for example, to determine the dangers for a child.
• An additional 27 per cent can't figure out simple information like the warnings on a hazardous materials sheet, the kinds of warning that set out workplace dangers such as risks to the eyes and skin.

In total, 42 per cent of Canadians are semi-illiterate."

42%??? That's insane. I can't imagine not being able to read. Being semi-literate might be even worse than being fully illiterate - what if you saw a bottle that said "POISON! DO NOT EAT!" and all you could read was "EAT"? If you live in Canada and you'd like to help others learn to read, here are some organizations that are looking for volunteers:

Toronto:

http://www.mtml.ca

http://parkdaleprojectread.org/

http://www.worldlit.ca/

Literacy through Hip Hop - http://www.lthh.org/

Montreal:

http://tleliteracy.com/

http://bluemetropolis.org/index.php?id=66

http://cabm.net/en/node/717693

http://www.frontiercollege.ca/english_literacy.html

http://cabm.net/en/node/717866

Vancouver:

http://www.literacybc.ca/

http://www2.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/DBs/Redbook/orgPgs/1/11961.html

http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/find/details/adult_learning_centre

http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/find/details/literacy_resources

Ottawa:

http://www.occl.ca/

http://www.frontiercollege.ca/english/literacy/ottawa.html

Edmonton:

http://www.famlit.ca/

http://www.literacyday.ca/

http://www.cent4lit.com/

http://www.informedmonton.com/public/agency/0988.htm