Lack of funding puts literacy group on brink of shutdown

New Brunswicks only Francophone literacy funding advocacy group is on the brink of shutting down.

The lack of funding and the possibility of a closure was the main topic of discussion at the Council for Adult Literacy and Skills Development of New Brunswicks annual general meeting Saturday.

Patrick Jeune, the groups executive director, said the group depends on $200,000 per year in federal funding to support its four staff members and operational costs.

"We are pretty sure we will not be receiving funding for the next year, and we have to see how we can finance our operationwithout that we dont think that we can survive to July 2014," he said.

Anne-Marie Gammon, a Bathurst town councillor, said losing the council would be a blow.

"That would have a negative effect on the province as a whole. In order to be economically viable, we need to have people who have a higher capacity in literacy and numeracy," she said.

Jeune said one of the group's only options is to try for provincial funding.

About 66 per cent of Francophone New Brunswickers lack proper literacy skills. The council's goal is to bring down that number by helping employers and organizations create programs to develop literacy skills.