Event Tents - 2019

We've wrapped up our 2019 Event Storytents for the summer.  This year's Community Literacy Project saw us visiting Fredericton Junction, Browns Flat, Grand Bay-Westfield, Campobello Island and several Saint John parks and neighbourhoods; four urban and four suburban / rural communities.

We believe a storytent can enhance a community fair, a school festival, or an organization’s summer picnic, and also send a positive message about literacy.  Effective event tents promote a reading culture.  They demonstrate that reading can happen anywhere.  They encourage children and families to keep books and reading in their quality pictures of a fun outing.  As well, they provide a way to promote or outreach additional services; or to gauge interest in new programming.

We met 370 children and adults over the eight events, and were able to give away 770 quality New Brunswick books for children and families; books written and illustrated by New Brunswickers as part of a project undertaken by the University of New Brunswick.

Major support for this 2019 Quality Storytent Project came from the Province of New Brunswick, Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, and the Province of New Brunswick, Department of Social Development.  Additional funding was provided through private donors.

Brundage Point River Centre Little Free Library Grand Opening

Local youth Keegan (far left) and Chase (far right) join (L-R)  MLA for Kings Centre
Hon. Bill Oliver, Quality Learning New Brunswick representative Wendell Dryden
and Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier in cutting the ribbon
and officially opening the Brundage Point Little Free Library.

Quality Learning New Brunswick is very pleased to partner with the Town of Grand Bay-Westfield to create a Little Free Library at the Brundage Point River Centre to make borrowing books more fun and accessible for families in this neighbourhood.  Funded by the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, with the Saint John Free Public Library as a partner, this Little Free Library can house approximately 50 books for patrons of all ages.  With no fees or fines, patrons are encouraged to take a book, and bring it back when they’re done.

According to the Little Free Library Organization

Through Little Free Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Having access to books is an important factor is learning to read and in keeping up your reading skills.

The Grand Opening of the Brundage Point Little Free Library took place on Wednesday, Aug 7, 2019 at the Brundage Point River Centre Playground.  Mayor Grace Losier and Hon. Bill Oliver, MLA were on hand to deliver messages and stories of inter-generational reading and to cut the ribbon. We had a lovely donation of several books from a local resident, and Mayor Grace donated a copy of  Abigail Eats Bugs by Grand Bay-Westfield resident Virginia Pye.  Local residents Pat and Keegan were the first to borrow after the opening.