It’s no secret that child literacy rates correlate strongly with future success, and with a recent study demonstrating that the number of books in a child’s home is linked directly to academic achievement, the need for promotion of reading, and access to the necessary resources, at a young age has never been greater.

In an effort to promote the importance of literacy in our community, several Bison Transport team members joined Corus Entertainment and First Book Canada this morning to donate books to kids at Winnipeg’s Brooklands School and had the opportunity to sit down and read with them afterward.

"Price is the number one barrier to book ownership." - First Book Canada

Grade one and two students from Brooklands were treated to an exciting presentation by Maureen Fergus, author of The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten, before signed copies of the book were given to each student to take home and keep. After the presentation, volunteers from Bison and Corus Entertainment read with the students and gave each of them additional books to take home.

The event provided the students a chance to learn and grow their literacy skills, all while having a lot of fun. With students and staff alike decked out in pajamas, the kids were very engaged throughout Fergus’ presentation, peppering the author with questions and demonstrating an obvious interest in the books being shared.

 “This was an exciting opportunity for our team to promote literacy and empower children in our community,” said Linda Young, Bison’s Vice President of Human Resources and People Development.

Bison’s involvement in today’s event ties directly into our organization’s Mission and Core Values, particularly our desire to Empower Our People and our values of Spirit and Service.

"The majority of low-income families do not have a single book for their children." - First Book Canada

Empowerment is a focal point of our business at Bison. It’s right in our mission statement - Empower our People - and we strongly believe that our team members are best positioned for success when they feel empowered. Not exclusive to Bison, the importance of empowerment stretches beyond our walls and we see events like today’s, where children are given the opportunity to grow and develop their reading skills in a positive environment, as a great example of that.

At Bison, we also foster a Spirit of family, fun, and giving back and place great value in the importance of serving our community. When the opportunity to get involved and make an impact on children in our community presented itself, several of our team members jumped at it, eager to participate. Our staff’s desire to get involved in activities like this, and our Bison Cares program, have fun doing it and make a difference is a great illustration of the commitment to Spirit and Service that we’re so proud of.

Our involvement in the Books on Wheels event ties directly into our organization’s Mission and Core Values, particularly our desire to Empower Our People and our values of Spirit and Service.

Brooklands Principal Rex Ferguson-Baird was also in attendance and commented on the importance of corporate involvement in initiatives like this one. Ferguson-Baird stressed that the kids may just be young grade school students now, but before long they will be entering the workforce and it’s important for companies like Bison to get involved at a young age and prepare them for future success.