Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 17/05) - Despite an improved effort in the NWT, Nunavut again out-read the Northwest Territories in the Read for 15 Challenge, held Oct. 4 during Literacy Week.

Brad Heath, promotions co-ordinator with the NWT Literacy Council.

Last year Yellowknife challenged Iqaluit to see who could record the greatest number of readers and lost.

This year, the challenge involved all residents of both territories.

"The way the challenge runs is that the winner is the territory that gets the greatest percentage of its population to read," said Brad Heath, promotions co-ordinator with the NWT Literacy Council. "Although we had more people reading, Nunavut had a greater percentage of its population reading."

Nearly 32 per cent of Nunavut residents read for 15 minutes on Oct. 4 while more than 22 per cent of NWT residents took up the challenge.

A total of 9,676 NWT residents out of a population of 42,944 read for 15 minutes. This represents an increase of about 27 per cent from last year.

In Nunavut, 8,483 readers out of a population of 26,745 took part - an increase of about 16 per cent.

Readers phoned, e-mailed, faxed and dropped ballots off at various locations throughout the territories to add their names to the tally.

"Right across the territory pretty much every school took part," Heath said. "We received calls from all over."

College campuses, various GNWT government departments, members of the Legislative Assembly, the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre and a number of businesses also took part.

"We'll try to come up with a prize next year," Heath said. "The good thing is that both territories increased the number of readers taking part."

The NWT Literacy Council is considering challenging both Nunavut and the Yukon next year.

"This year it's just bragging rights," he said.