J

ustin Trudeau’s Liberal government must reverse the harmful, inexplicable decision of the previous Harper Conservative regime to cut core funding to literacy organizations across Canada.

The survival of the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance depends on that very reversal.

No federal funding, no more literacy alliance for Prince Edward Island.

The local alliance’s board chairman, Ron MacDonald, is being honest, not alarmist, in stating that the valued non-profit organization is in “dire need of federally funded core support.’’

There is currently no core funding for staff at the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance, which provides programs like summer tutoring for kids and assistance such as the adult learning program bursary. The programs give Islanders young and not so young a much better opportunity to succeed in life.

Without federal funding, MacDonald says, the alliance will be forced to close its doors by this time next year. That would be a terrible shame. The literacy programs offered by the alliance here in the province are critically needed. The programs need to continue.

Consider that 45 per cent of Islanders, adults in particular, are below the literacy level needed to be able to fully function in society.

The P.E.I. Literacy Alliance does a great deal of work to support adult learners working to overcome literacy challenges.

The summer tutoring program, meanwhile, allows hundreds of P.E.I. children who are at risk with respect to literacy to be much better equipped for their next school year.

Raise-a-Reader, organized for the Island by The Journal Pioneer and The Guardian, was held Wednesday with volunteers from all walks of life hitting the pavement.

A big thank you is extended to the volunteers who raised funds by handing out newspapers for donations as well as a tip of the cap to all members of the public who handed over cash.

Thousands of volunteers across Canada took part in the initiative to raise money for literacy programs. Now it is Ottawa’s turn to step up to the plate. P.E.I.’s Literacy Alliance has joined forces with other literacy alliances from across the Maritimes and they will be bringing this issue to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in October.

Critical, than, that the collective plea for required federal core funding receives an intelligent, reasonable response.

‘Yes, funding will be restored’, would be the desired — no, the critical — reply.

Otherwise, the cost to Prince Edward Island will be large and long-term.