64 King William Street, Huntsville, ON P1H 1G3

Phone: 705.789.1850              Fax: 705.789.8689

mlch@vianet.ca

 

 Mentoring adults to achieve greater participation in our community through literacy

 

 Dear Friend of Literacy:

  

When you are living with a secret, with nowhere to turn, courage and compassion at the right time can change your whole life around.  Clarence Brazier is celebrating his 100^th birthday this August and triumphed over adversity when he learned to read at age 93.  He studies with his daughter, Doris Villemaire, a retired teacher and tutor with the Muskoka Literacy Council.  This is a story of achievement, courage and growth.

 

In 1911, I was five years old when my life disastrously changed.  My father had miscalculated the timing on a small dynamite charge, and although he survived, he lost his eyes, and with it the family income.  As the second of six children, I felt responsible to take over my father’s chores at the farm – trapping beaver, sharpening tools and guiding hunts.  Anything I could do to relieve my mother and help my siblings. 

 

During a few months in the winter, when there were fewer chores, I attended school.  But, I went infrequently and fell behind.  Even though I was the tallest in my age group, my teachers kept me with the younger children, and I grew embarrassed and then ashamed.  Before I learned to read, I left school for good, which was just as well because my mother needed me at home.

 

When I left my parents’ farm at age 18, I found success in logging and mining across Northern Ontario, and laugh to remember singing and calling all male square dances for the lonely Timmins loggers.  These were dangerous and often life threatening jobs, but I had a positive attitude and good work ethic.  More importantly, a working man can keep his secrets.

 

I found more safe work for a few months as a security officer for the Sudbury police until there were papers to complete.  Instead of asking for help, I quit. I charmed housewives as a door-to-door salesman by “tripping” over their doorsteps to gain entrance.  I could do the math, but I couldn’t fill out the order forms, and so I moved on to my next career.

    

I managed on my own until I met Angela.  We were married for 64 years and she kept my secret a little longer.  She took care of the household books, wrote letters and cheques, and avidly read alone and with our four daughters.  I always encouraged my

girls to excel in school, and they all had successful careers in nursing, teaching and business.

 

When Angela passed on, it was difficult for me living alone in Timmins.  Grocery shopping became a challenge.  I would cut off the labels of food boxes and compare the labels at the grocery store to buy my preferred foods.  That was when I knew I had to give reading a try.

 

I started with the junk mail delivered to my house and stood on my stoop struggling through the words.  At that time, I never did ask for help.  I just decided it was time to learn.  My daughter recognized my interest and introduced me to the Muskoka Literacy Council.  They had programs and literature that suited my interests, and tutors who encouraged my progress.  

 

Today, I live just outside of Huntsville with my daughter, Doris, and her husband, James.  Everyday, I read for at least two hours – books on history, novels on farming, and newspapers for current events.  I rejoice in every e-mail I receive from my grandkids and great-grandkids.  Every story is a new joy and every word a small blessing.

 

At Muskoka Literacy Council I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see adults like me learning math, reading, writing and computers.  We all have life regrets – I’m sure you can guess mine.  Yet, my story is similar to so many others.  More than 50 per cent of adults in our community have low literacy skills by the simple misfortune of unforgiving circumstance.  I am proud of my achievement and hope that others will find inspiration from my story.  For me it took a positive attitude, hard work and a bit of courage to tell my secret to the world.

 

Clarence’s story is just one person who has received tutoring free of charge on a one-on-one basis from Muskoka Literacy Council.  We design programs to meet the needs of each student and provide upgrading in reading, writing, mathematics and computers.  We serve adults over the age of 19 who, for whatever reason, are considered literacy disadvantaged, and students aged 16 –19, who have been out of the regular school system for at least one year.

 

If you have a friend who will benefit from our services, please call us for more information on how we can help.  Please remember it is never too late to learn.

 

Thank you for your support,

 

Susan Lowe

President

Muskoka Literacy Council