Cambridge Bay (Oct 09/06) - Facing a near total loss of funding, the Nunavut Literacy Council is looking everywhere to save money, even at their own salaries.

In a conference call on Oct. 5, the five full-time employees and the one part-time employee agreed to take a voluntary salary cut to help keep the council alive.

"Mine is being cut 10 per cent right off the bat, but I don't know if that is enough," said council executive director Kim Crockatt.

As for the salaries for the other employees, the cut will be similar.

"I don't want to put anybody in a bad position financially. A few of them offered to go on EI, but we are holding off on that as well," said Crockatt.

The federal government completely cut the $17.7 million nation-wide Improved Targeting of Adult Learning and Literacy Skills program, labelling it under "value for money."In a press release, the federal government explains what "Value for money" means.

"Funding for third parties to further their interests or programs that are not effective, do not achieve results or are being re-focused or targeted for improved effectiveness," is the bureaucratic wording of the definition. Around 27 per cent of the $1 billion total cutback comes from various programs labelled "Value for money".

"What does re-focusing mean? No one knows what this means. Are they going to put the money into skills," wondered Nunavut's Education Minister Ed Picco.

Picco was at a national meeting of education ministers when the cut was announced, and the members issued a press release signifying their disappointment.

Picco has subsequently scheduled a meeting with the federal education minister "in the next couple of weeks."

"As a former adult educator, and the president of the forerunner to the Nunavut Literacy Council, I understand the importance of adult literacy," said Picco, but he is waiting for the definition of re-focusing before making any funding commitments.

Crockatt explained that not all of the council's funding comes from that one pot, but it does represent a substantial portion of the council's budget.

The death watch for the literacy council has begun, and it could close its doors very soon.

"If we can't identify funding in the next two months, I'll have to lay off half of my staff. Right now, we are looking for anything, " said Crockatt.