Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 30/99) - A Fort Smith man overcame a debilitating injury to educate himself and recently won a national literacy award for his efforts.

Archie Paulette won Canada Post's seventh annual Literacy Award for his submission about how he battled back from a work-related injury that led to a massive stroke and left him partially paralysed.

It's been a long and difficult journey back for the former carpenter, who takes great pride in winning the award.

"I'm overjoyed," Paulette beamed. "Very happy."

He's no stranger to achievement awards. Paulette also won the Golden Hammer Award at Fort Smith's Arctic College for excellence in the carpentry program and went on to earn his journeyman carpenter papers from NAIT in 1977.

Just after his 37th birthday, on Oct. 11, 1983, Paulette suffered a debilitating stroke that left him without the motor skills to work as a carpenter.

Through sickness and health, Paulette's wife Angeline has stayed by his side since the two were married on March 3, 1973. Angeline said the struggle back from his stroke has been a tough road for Archie.

"When he got back, he didn't know his mom and dad, he didn't know his brothers," Angeline recalled. "He got very frustrated because he couldn't do his work anymore -- he thought he'd be like that for life.

"I kept encouraging him...encouraging all the time," she said. "I brought him all over the place in Fort Smith, trying to get his memory back."

With her encouragement and help from a local educator, Angeline said Archie slowly started to show signs of improvement.

"Gradually, he started to get his memory back, but I was really thankful for his teacher, Don Gillis," Angeline said. "He brought out all the hidden things that were in Archie's mind after the stroke.

"He brought it out in the open. If it wasn't for Don..."

His tenacious spirit and thirst for knowledge took him back to Aurora College to get some computer training and upgrade his high school credits.

"He went back to school when he got his memory back," she said. "He's a real go-getter. He wanted to go to school to better himself."

Archie's need to succeed has also motivated Angeline to achieve, she said.

"He's taught me to better myself, he's taught me to type and all about computers," she said proudly. "When he was a carpenter I was always his apprentice.

The two have shared a lot of hard times together, but Angeline says they still have a great life together.

"Our life has been cut down quite a bit, but in our way, we have a lot of fun."

She said the experiences she's shared with Archie have her thinking about writing her own story.

"The next time they have that contest, I'll write my story about my life with Archie," she smiled.

Canada Post spokesperson Rheal LeBlanc said Paulette's submission was exactly what judges look for in the contest.

From the 224 submissions, they chose Paulette's as the best from the Northwest Territories.

"They look for learners who have overcome social and economic barriers, because of a lack of literacy skills," LeBlanc said.

"Individual achievement award winners submit a composition that explains what gains they've made to their reading and writing skills and how that has impacted their lives and the lives of others in the community," he said.

"The final judging is done by a group of people who have been working in literacy for a number of years," he said. "They look for originality, what efforts the person has made to improve their reading and writing skills."

Reading through the contest entries, LeBlanc said the entries were all very well done.

"The submissions are truly inspiring," he said. "Especially the individual achievement award winners -- their stories are extremely moving.

"It's wonderful to read about how people's lives have been greatly improved through reading and writing," LeBlanc added. "We're delighted to be able to support them through their endeavours."

Along with the distinction of winning the award, Paulette will also be presented with a new computer at an upcoming awards ceremony in Yellowknife.

With some good advice for everyone, Paulette says his education will never end. "Everyday I learn something," he smiled. "Something new always comes up."