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Notes for remarks

by

The Honourable Laurel Broten
Minister of the Environment

Family Literacy Day
“Environmental Lessons for a Lifetime”

Islington Junior Middle School
Toronto, ON
Friday, January 27, 2006

Speech preceded by Minister Broten reading of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax to children.

I am delighted to be here at Islington Junior Middle School. I want to thank Principal Jane Philips-Long, Vice-Principal Eileen Dick, Superintendent Kathleen Meighan and Monica Watters’ class for the warm welcome. And of course, a big thank you to my little listeners – what a pleasure to read to you!

I want to tell you how impressed I am by the leadership initiatives that you are providing for your students – like the Student Parliament. I just met my two counterparts, Environment Minister Madison Dow in Grade 7 and Environment Minister Prateek Rao in Grade 6.

It’s great to see so much energetic participation from young people. They’re learning lessons that will last a lifetime.

One of the reasons Ontario is such a great place to raise a family is that we give our children the best possible start on the path to succeed. There are literally dozens of nations, such as Haiti, Senegal or Cambodia, where less than half the population has basic literacy skills. Statistics like that tell you that in much of the world, children are starting out at a tremendous disadvantage.

Today we are here to celebrate how fortunate we are to be able to offer our children so much great opportunity, starting with literacy.

Family Literacy Day has a special meaning for me this year because our family just doubled. My boys are just newborn babies but I look forward to seeing them get as excited about reading as these children are.

At every age in our lives, learning shapes us. It gives us the tools we need – like reading – to do great things.

One of the most important things we can do is work hard for a better environment. And children are the future when we talk about a cleaner and greener world.

Nothing is more important to the future of these children, and their children, than to be able to breathe clean air, drink safe water and enjoy well-protected lands.

Today I read from a book that tells us what happens when we don’t keep the future in mind.

The Lorax isn’t as famous as Green Eggs and Ham, but now I’m thinking that it may be the most important book Dr. Seuss ever wrote.

I’m sure it’s not the first time these children have heard about the environment, but for many of us The Lorax was our first exposure to the message that we need to protect our air, water and land.

The messages here are simple: Don’t waste. Don’t pollute. We share our world and we should take responsibility for it.

Of course, this is not just a lesson for kids. We all need to be reminded of this over and over.

In Dr. Seuss, the environmental lesson was learned when it was almost too late. Here in Ontario, we still have time to change for the better.

If we ever needed an incentive to work for a cleaner, greener future, it’s right here in this room.

Thank you again to Islington Junior Middle School for inviting me to be a part of their learning day.

Thank you.

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