MARCEL LANDRY AND ERIN BLAIN

Marcel is a beginning reader and writer. At the time this booklet was published, Marcel could not read these words. However, with the help of Erin Blain, Marcel is showing remarkable progress. Erin is a student at theUniversity of Calgary. She volunteers to work with Marcel for three hours each week. But Erin's volunteer hours do not end with the time she spends tutoring Marcel. She prepares lessons, makes teaching tools such as flashcards, and keeps ongoing evaluation of Marcel's progress. As Marcel expressed it You need the right people to help you. Erin does this for nothing. You need more people like her! Marcel studies two nights a week at the Cochrane Learning Centre. One of these evenings he works with Erin, during the other he works primarily on math, which, for him doesn't require as much individualized attention. As there are many other adults in the same class and only one instructor, Marcel feels very fortunate that he has the benefit of both an instructor and a volunteer tutor. When Marcel joined the program, he could neither read nor write. As a youngster, he grew up inan isolated French speaking community on Quebec's north shore. This village had no electricity, no roads, no phones, and most significant for Marcel, no schools. This lack of opportunity to attend school is quite rare in Canada--probably even rarer now than when Marcel left his home town 20 years ago. Marcel's is a fascinating story.

On the north shore it was very isolated. In the winter we got around by dog sled and snowmobile, in the summer by boat. Supplies came in during the spring and fall, for the rest we lived off the land. There was fishing and hunting for survival. Work was more important than school, but I always wanted to study. At thirteen I left home and worked on cargo ships and oil tankers. I didn't need an education for the type of work we did on the ships. I caught on very quickly to the work, that wasn't a problem. But it was hard in the cities if you couldn't read. Along the way I learned to speak English, Spanish, and Italian. I still couldn't read, but sometimes on the ship I would copy out words.

When I left the ships and came to Alberta there was never a problem for me finding work. I've always had to work hard, sometimes at two jobs and often seven days a week.

For the past 10 or 12 years I wanted to study. People told me they could help only if I quit my job and went to school during the day. That didn't seem like a good idea. A few months ago my wife called around and found this class. Being able to go to class in Cochrane is important for me. It is just a short drive home which is much better than having to go to Calgary.

I look forward to coming to class every day. I just want to read and write, to sit down and read a book, a newspaper. At first I didn't tell my kids about my problem. I was scared about what they would think. If they asked me to read something, I'd send them to my wife. Once I started school, I told them that I never had a chance to go to school. They could understand that. Now my oldest boy helps me with my homework.

It was hard to start from nowhere. But I've only been studying for a few months and already there is a difference. Now I can read road signs. I can pick out a few words and put the rest together. Since Erin has been helping me I've written the first letter I've ever written. It was to my family in Quebec. This makes a big difference to me. I don't know how far I can go, but I plan to put in as much time as I can.

I don't really expect a better job out of this. If that's the only reason you're going to school you might as well stay home. There is no guarantee that you'll make $20 or $30 an hour. I think people expect too much. I enjoy school. I look forward to learning more.