Council proclaims Family Literacy Week in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN — Family Literacy Week will be celebrated in Fort St. John at the end of January with the theme, “Let’s Have a Family Party.”

On Monday, council proclaimed January 21st to 28th Family Literacy Week in the city, with Family Literacy Day being observed on January 27th. 

Jessica Kalman, executive director of the Fort St. John Literacy Society, penned a letter to council on December 20th, 2023, requesting the proclamation.

Family Literacy Week is a yearly event taking place at the end of January with the goal of encouraging literacy in children as well as having fun and creating family bonds while learning. 

In her request to council, Kalman said, “Literacy is especially important when it comes to children and families.” 

“When families learn together, they build good habits around literacy and learning, share ideas, build strong family connections, develop independent thinking and gain confidence,” said Kalman, who was accompanied by Taylor Mills, the society’s program coordinator, during her presentation to council.

Activities taking place during the week will include a Provincial Literacy Week photo contest, book scavenger hunts, library escape rooms, group buddy reads and more. 

The city will also be hosting a story walk at Fish Creek Community Park during this time. 

Fort St. John Literacy Society is a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to providing literacy to everyone throughout Fort St. John and the local region since 1990. 

The society also has a title sponsor this year and will be moving forward with naming the 2024 event: “North Peace Savings Unplug and Play Family Literacy Week.

For more information on the upcoming events, visit the Fort St. John Literacy Society’s website.