Your kids won't get books and you should be mad
Good morning from the Atlantic — three provinces, five communities, and the stories that cross every border. Now look, I tell you, some shocking news came out of the Legislature this week that really hit me square in the chest. They're cutting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. That's right, the one that sends free books to the wee ones, every single month, right to their doorstep.
This isn't just about a few less books, b'y, though that's bad enough. This program, it was a lifeline for families, especially those out in places like Winsloe or down by the North River, where getting to a library isn't always an easy jaunt. Think of the joy a child gets opening their own mail, a new story just for them. It built a love for reading, pure and simple. And to cut it, right when they're talking about a budget with *some* wiggle room, it just feels like they're telling our smallest Islanders they're not a priority. It's a real head-scratcher when we're trying to build a brighter future here on the Island.
### What This Means for Charlottetown Families
* Kids under five will stop receiving free, age-appropriate books by mail. * Families, particularly those with limited access to libraries or book-buying funds, will lose a valuable resource. * It sends a rather bleak message about the value placed on early literacy initiatives in the province.
You know, we're not a postcard here, we're a region with real problems and real solutions. This program was one of those solutions, a simple, effective way to put books in the hands of kids from Spring Park to Sherwood. It's a shame, and I think it's some shocking that this is where they decided to tighten the purse strings. We need to do better by our youngest Islanders.
Bridget Chicken-MacPhail, MiTL Sports Desk.
You can hear me getting worked up about this and more on the morning show, live over at mornings.live, b'y.