What's Literacy?

In celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 19–25), we’re proud to shine a spotlight on an incredible volunteer making a difference. Hear from special guest Kirtan Varasia, a dedicated volunteer tutor with RECLAIM Literacy, as he shares his experiences, what he’s learned through volunteerism, and the impact of helping learners build essential literacy skills. We’re also featuring Joy Fyckes, Executive Director of RECLAIM Literacy, who speaks about her organization’s work and the incredible services they offer to diverse learners on their literacy journeys.RECLAIM Literacy website: https://reclaimliteracy.ca/Have questions or need help? Contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or call 1-888-521-8181. Jump onto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.literacyquebec.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for events and to find what literacy services our members can offer you or someone you know. What's Literacy? is a podcast for English-speaking listeners and learners interested in everything and anything to do with literacy in Quebec and beyond. Follow our host, Dan Laxer, as he explores community building, lifelong learning, and the multiple types of literacy through his interviews with a range of special guests. Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at [email protected], call us at 514-508-6805. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LiteracyQuebec Special thanks: Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music ‘No Math’ by Cú: Jaan Eerik Priks & Brian Francis Devaney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

In celebration of Adult Learners’ Week (March 29–April 4, 2026), Dan chats with Lina Shoumarova, Senior Research Associate at Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), about what adult learning can look like and why it matters. Plus, hear a sneak preview of our upcoming research project with QUESCREN!We’re also highlighting members making a difference: Wendy Seys (Yamaska Literacy Council) on innovative literacy programs for individuals living in Brome-Missisquoi and Haute-Yamaska, and Michelle Osbourne (Quebec City Reading Council) on inclusive, community-driven learning for English-speaking learners in Quebec City. QUESCREN website: ⁠https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/scpa/quescren.htmlYamaska Literacy Council website: https://yamaskaliteracy.ca/Quebec City Reading Council website: http://www.qcrc.org/Have questions or need help? Contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or call 1-888-521-8181. Jump onto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.literacyquebec.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for events and to find what literacy services our members can offer you or someone you know. What's Literacy? is a podcast for English-speaking listeners and learners interested in everything and anything to do with literacy in Quebec and beyond. Follow our host, Dan Laxer, as he explores community building, lifelong learning, and the multiple types of literacy through his interviews with a range of special guests. Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at [email protected], call us at 514-508-6805. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LiteracyQuebec Special thanks: Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music ‘No Math’ by Cú: Jaan Eerik Priks & Brian Francis Devaney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

In this episode, Dan is joined by Ronika Khanna (CPA, CA, CFA) from Montreal Finance to break down the essentials of income taxes and the real power of financial literacy. From understanding why filing matters to practical tips that make tax season more manageable (and far less intimidating), Ronika shares advice to help you approach your finances with clarity and confidence.We’re also proud to feature our Member, Françoise Bravay, Executive Director of the Chateauguay Literacy Council, who highlights the literacy-based programs her organization offers to individuals in her community.Montreal Financial website: https://www.montrealfinancial.ca/Chateauguay Valley Literacy Council website: ⁠⁠https://cvlc-chateauguay.weebly.com/Have questions or need help? Contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or call 1-888-521-8181. Jump onto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.literacyquebec.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for events and to find what literacy services our members can offer you or someone you know. What's Literacy? is a podcast for English-speaking listeners and learners interested in everything and anything to do with literacy in Quebec and beyond. Follow our host, Dan Laxer, as he explores community building, lifelong learning, and the multiple types of literacy through his interviews with a range of special guests. Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at [email protected], call us at 514-508-6805. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LiteracyQuebec Special thanks: Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music ‘No Math’ by Cú: Jaan Eerik Priks & Brian Francis Devaney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

In this episode, we're celebrating World Read Aloud Day! Held on the first Wednesday of every February, this day highlights the power of reading aloud in building community and promoting literacy. To honour this day, Dan chats with children's author Sara O'Leary about her work and the benefits that reading aloud has. Sara's children's books include A Kid is a Kid is a Kid, This is Sadie, When You Were Small, and The Little Books of the Little Brontës. Her new book, A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, comes out in April of this year.Sara O'Leary's website: ⁠https://saraoleary.ca/⁠We're also featuring our Member, Executive Director Darlene Brown from The Learning Exchange (TLE) in Laval, who shares all the wonderful literacy-based programs her organization offers for adults and families.The Learning Exchange (TLE) website: ⁠https://tleliteracy.com/Have questions or need help? Contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or call 1-888-521-8181. Jump onto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.literacyquebec.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for events and to find what literacy services our members can offer you or someone you know. What's Literacy? is a podcast for English-speaking listeners and learners interested in everything and anything to do with literacy in Quebec and beyond. Follow our host, Dan Laxer, as he explores community building, lifelong learning, and the multiple types of literacy through his interviews with a range of special guests. Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at [email protected], call us at 514-508-6805. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LiteracyQuebec Special thanks: Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music ‘No Math’ by Cú: Jaan Eerik Priks & Brian Francis Devaney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

In this episode, Dan speaks with Tracy Woodward, Social Integration Skills Instructor at Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB), about the impact of mental health on literacy skills. Tracy shares her experiences at the Douglas Mental Health Institute, where she helps individuals reintegrate into the community by teaching essential social skills. She compassionately explains how mental illness can hinder the ability to maintain literacy skills for some adult learners, and how traditional methods may not work for everyone.We're also featuring our Member, Julia Asselstine from Literacy Unlimited in Pointe-Claire, who discusses the various forms of literacy, the incredible programs her organization offers, along with upcoming initiatives for Family Literacy Day.In honour of this episode's topic, we'd like to shine a light on mental health services and hotlines available to those in Quebec:If someone is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Info-Social 811 811 htps://www.quebec.ca/en/health/finding-a-resource/info-social-811 Free and confidential telephone consultation service. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Anyone who lives in Québec can call Info-Social 811 for themselves or for a family member or friend. 211 Services 211 htps://www.211quebecregions.ca/en/ 211 is an information and referral service that refers citizens towards community organizations, public and parapublic services and programs near them. Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 Text CONNECT to 686868 htps://kidshelpphone.ca/ Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, multilingual and confidential support to help all young people Feel Out Loud. Drugs: Help and Referral (Drogue-aide) 1-800-265-2626 htps://www.aidedrogue.ca/en/ Drugs: Help and Referral (DHR) provides support, information and referrals to anyone worried about their use of drugs, alcohol, and/or medication, as well as, to their loved ones.Literacy Unlimited website: https://literacyunlimited.ca/Have questions or need help? Contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or call 1-888-521-8181. Jump onto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.literacyquebec.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for events and to find what literacy services our members can offer you or someone you know. What's Literacy? is a podcast for English-speaking listeners and learners interested in everything and anything to do with literacy in Quebec and beyond. Follow our host, Dan Laxer, as he explores community building, lifelong learning, and the multiple types of literacy through his interviews with a range of special guests. Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at [email protected], call us at 514-508-6805. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LiteracyQuebec Special thanks: Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music ‘No Math’ by Cú: Jaan Eerik Priks & Brian Francis Devaney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠