In April 2008, the Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum brought together 3,000 learners, literacy experts, and representatives from the education, non-profit, business, and labour sectors. Using webcasting to link participants in nine cities across Canada, this first-of-its-kind forum underlined the commitment of ministers of education to literacy and to consulting with multiple partners to address the literacy challenges facing Canadians.
The forum's theme was “Literacy: More than Words,” with sessions addressing:
A rich legacy of forum materials is available on-line. Webcasts include keynote presentations, regional speakers, workshops and modules on community literacy in Canada, and literacy for newcomers, as well as highlights from the host cities of Vancouver, Whitehorse, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Arviat, Toronto, Montreal, and Saint John. Information can also be found on the many literacy initiatives that provinces and territories have launched since the forum.