Summer reading club kicks off in Timmins

The launch of the Timmins Library's TD Summer Reading Club saw a healthy turnout of families at its main branch Saturday, aiming to be the first to sign up their children for the annual challenge and get them excited to read.

Big turnout for Timmins Library's summer book club launch. June 18/22 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

Childhood education coordinator Melissa Vieno said the latest edition of the reading club is focused on reinvigorating a love for literacy, with this year's club now able to include in-person programming for the first time since the pandemic began.

"You'll be able to find us a little bit everywhere this summer. We have programs every day," said Vieno.

"We'll be at the Urban Park every Wednesday. We will be doing 'Story Walks' in different parks every Monday and we will have programs at the library every other day. Our calendars are full and signups seem to be going well, we have quite a few children here today."

The club gives children aged two to 13 the chance to win prizes for logging 20 minutes of reading time every day, for the rest of the season.

Around 2,200 libraries nationwide offer the club and Vieno said it can set children up for a successful school year, once class resumes in the fall.

Parents like Stacey Theriault, whose daughter Aria asked to join the reading club for the first time, said she's proud of Aria's eagerness to read.

"It definitely excites me because most kids nowadays are kind of not really so much into the reading, as opposed to the watching," Theriault said.

"So with her being as excited as she is for the reading, I'm right on board to push as many books into her as I can."

The library also brought back its 'Literacy Fair,' which featured stations from local organizations like the Porcupine Health Unit, the Timmins DARE program and the local TD bank branch—to get kids thinking about everything from personal development, health and financial literacy.

Wale Oladapo attended the fair with his wife and three kids, saying he wants his children to build an early love of literacy.

"To imbibe the reading culture in the kids, get them to learn from an early age to get going with learning, reading new stuff," Oladapo said.

"It improves them in ways that we cannot begin to mention."