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Author: Patty Bossort

Canucks make changes

Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Vancouver Canucks are not in the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. The goalie, Roberto Luongo, moved to Florida. The Canucks fired the General Manager, Mike Gillis. Read the PDF and do the exercise Canucks make changes Visit the links Learn more about the Canucks. Watch the videos Watch the…

Sports
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David Booth kissed a grizzly bear

Adapted from The Province and The Vancouver Sun Level 1 David Booth plays hockey. He is a Vancouver Canuck. Booth went to Abbotsford. He visited Mark Dumas. Dumas trains animals. His animals are in movies. Dumas trained Billy. Billy is a grizzly bear. David Booth and Billy kissed. Billy weighs 600 pounds. He is a teenager. Dumas…

Animals
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Successful foster kids: Robert Davidson

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It is hard for foster kids to finish high school. Only 32 percent graduate by age 19. Foster kids move a lot. They change homes and schools often. This makes keeping up at school difficult. The BC government stops supporting youth in foster care at age 19. They…

Family
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Successful foster kids: Bayleigh Marie

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Bayleigh Marie lived in foster care all her life. She lived in 10 different foster homes. She lived in three group homes. “When I turned 19, they gave me the boot,” said Marie. “They said I was grown up. Now go face the world on your own.” Marie…

Family
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Successful foster kids: Chris Tait

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Chris Tait lived in foster care from the age of one. Tait is 22 years old now. He is an aboriginal youth. He lived in one foster home until he was 13 years old. His five brothers and sisters lived with him. At age 13, Tait moved to…

Social Issues
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Foster care and education in BC

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Who graduates from high school in BC? About 80 percent of kids graduate from high school. Only 32 percent of kids in foster care graduate from high school. How long do young people get help from their parents? Many young people live with their parents until they are…

Social Issues
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Doorknobs are changing

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 The City of Vancouver is changing the building code. The new rules start in March 2014. They are changing how we open doors. All new door handles will be levers. The round doorknob will disappear. Read the PDF and do the exercise Doorknobs are changing Visit the link…

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Chocolate chip cookies are a Canadian favourite

Adapted from wikiHow Level 2 Who invented the chocolate chip cookie? Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie in 1924. Ruth and her husband ran a tourist lodge. Ruth made very good desserts for her guests. One day she did not have powdered cocoa for her favourite cookie recipe. Instead, she found a chocolate bar. She…

Food
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Driving the Coquihalla in winter

Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Coquihalla is a highway in British Columbia. The highway runs from Hope to Merritt. It is also called Highway 5. The highway runs through the mountains. It goes over high mountain passes. The Coquihalla is a dangerous highway in the winter. Read the PDF and do the exercise Driving…

Community
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Lighthouse Park is worth a visit

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 The lighthouse Point Atkinson lighthouse is a national historical site. It was built 130 years ago. The lighthouse overlooks Burrard Inlet. It protected ships on the Strait of Georgia. The federal government of Canada owns the lighthouse. They want to sell the lighthouse. The community loves the Point Atkinson…

Nature
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Peak to be named for Tim Jones

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Tim Jones loved Mount Seymour. He walked his dog there. He rescued people there. He died on Mount Seymour. He was 57 years old. Thousands of people came to Tim Jones’ funeral. Police, firefighters, mountain rescuers, hikers, climbers and skiers came. People lined the street to watch the procession….

Life Stories
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Young girl fights bullying

Adapted from The Province and the Nanaimo Daily News Reposted February 24, 2016. This year Pink Shirt Day is February 24. Level 2 Alvena Little-Wolf Ear is 9 years old. She is in grade 4. Alvena was unhappy. Children at school made fun of her. They would not play with her. Annette Little is Alvena’s mother….

Social Issues
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Bunnies run and jump

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Ridge is a rabbit. Rabbits are also called bunnies. Ridge is good at sports. He loves to run and jump. The bunnies jump and run in the Abbotsford Pet Lover Show. Children cheer for the bunnies at the show. Read the PDF and do the exercise Bunnies run and jump…

Animals
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Sisters go to the Olympics

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Justine is 19 years old. Chloe is 22 years old. Maxime is 25 years old. They are sisters. They are from Montreal. They are on the Canadian Olympic Team. They ski the women’s freestyle moguls at the Olympics. Read the PDF and do the exercise Sisters go to Olympics Visit the…

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Atira wins award

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Atira is an organization. Atira helps women in Vancouver, Surrey and White Rock. Atira builds homes for women. Atira owns 13 buildings. They house 1,200 women. The homes are safe places. The homes are low-cost. They built a new apartment in downtown Vancouver. They used old shipping containers. The…

Business
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Henrik Sedin stays home

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Henrik Sedin plays hockey. He plays for the Vancouver Canucks. Sedin is the captain of the team. Sedin is injured. He broke a rib and a finger. He has not been able to play. Read the PDF Henrik Sedin stays home Watch the videos Watch the Canucks play here. Find out…

Sports
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People with disabilities are good workers

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Scott Fattedad works two days a week. Fattedad works one day at the Thrifty’s. He works one day at Starbucks. Thrifty’s hired him 11 years ago. Fattedad has Down Syndrome. He is friendly. He likes to chat with customers. He does his job very well. He gets awards for…

Community
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Valentine’s Day

Adapted from Best of the Reader Level 1 Valentine’s Day is on February 14. It is a romantic day for many adults. They buy cards, chocolates or flowers for each other. They say, “I love you.” Visit the link: Make your own Valentine’s Day card. See the seven steps to make a simple Valentine card. How…

Holidays
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Simple steps to composting

Level 3 What is compost? Nature makes compost naturally all the time. Leaves, grass, and branches die and pile up. Slowly they turn into dirt. That dirt feeds the living plants. It is called compost. People make compost by piling garden and kitchen waste in piles, bins, or barrels. It’s easy to make! Feed your…

Environment
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Legal Aid can help

Contributed by Nate Prosser, Legal Aid BC Level 3 Do you have a legal problem? Are you unable to pay for legal help? Call Legal Aid. Legal Aid is free. Legal Aid BC helps people with legal problems. Legal Aid BC can help you in many languages. Ask Legal Aid for help if: you have been…

Social Issues
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Kamloops Daily News closes doors

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 The Kamloops Daily News was the only daily newspaper in Kamloops. It published for 80 years. The paper had 27,000 subscribers. The Kamloops Daily News stopped publishing in January. Fifty-five employees lost their jobs. They got two months’ notice. Read the PDF and do the exercise Kamloops News Visit…

Business
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Sea otter recovers

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Walter is a sea otter. He was found on the beach near Tofino. Someone shot Walter with a shotgun in October. He was shot many times. Read the PDF and do the exercise Sea Otter Watch the videos Watch sea otters swim and play at the Vancouver Aquarium. He…

Animals
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International students come to BC

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Students come to British Columbia from many countries. They are called international students. They go to schools all over BC. They like Vancouver. Vancouver is a multicultural city. The city values its environment. These students spend $2billion every year in BC. This income supports more than 23,400 jobs in…

Education
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Hero rescues family from fire

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Trevor Yellowbird is a hero. Trevor and his sister, Robin, saved three people from a house fire. Trevor lived in a basement suite. Robin was visiting. Robin smelled smoke about 3 a.m. Gurbux Dhanjal was Yellowbird’s landlady. She lived upstairs with her daughter, father and mother. The fire…

Life Stories
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How many bald eagles?

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Volunteers count bald eagles. They count them every year. It is an annual event. The birds gather near Brackendale, BC. Seventy people looked for the birds. Read the PDF and do the exercise Bald Eagles Visit the links See the bald eagle photo gallery from The Vancouver Sun. Watch…

Nature
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Tinsel the bear cub

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Tinsel is a black bear cub. In December, he was 10 months old. He was starving to death. He weighed only 20 pounds. Tinsel found a chicken coop in Midway, BC. He moved in. Read the PDF and do the exercise Tinsel the Bear Visit the links Learn more about…

Animals
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Canada Post makes changes

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Canada Post has a new business plan. The corporation needs to make more money. They will make more money in three ways. Stamps will cost more in 2014. A stamp costs $0.63 today. On March 31, a stamp will cost $1.00. In 2000, a stamp cost $0.46. The cost…

Business
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Family literacy

Adapted from ABC Life Literacy of Canada and Decoda Literacy Solutions Level 3 Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is important. Children learn and develop through fun family activities that include reading and learning. For the entire month of January, families in BC are encouraged to learn together. Read…

Education
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The world’s newest mammal – the olinguito

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and The Smithsonian Level 3 Researchers found a new mammal in South America. The new mammal is called an olinguito. Olinguitos are small. Their fur is reddish-brown. Olinguitos are cute! They have faces like teddy bears. They jump through the trees and travel at night. Olinguitos live in Ecuador and Columbia. They…

Animals
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Remembering the life of Nelson Mandela

Written by Tracy Defoe Level 3 Hero People in Canada, and around the world remembered the life of Nelson Mandela in December 2013. He was a hero to many people for the way he lead his life. Mandela was devoted to democracy, equality and learning. He was a leader for change in his country. He…

History
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How to make apple butter

Adapted from wikiHow Level 2 ELSA students at the Collège Éducacentre in Vancouver made apple butter. The students peeled, cut and boiled apples. They poured in honey. They added cinnamon and cardamom. They canned the apple butter. Each student got a jar of apple butter to take home. It was the most delicious English lesson of…

Food
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Shoppers plan to spend less this Christmas

Adapted from The Province Level 1 BC shoppers want to spend less for Christmas this year. Financial managers advise families to make a plan. A plan for spending is called a budget. Families should make a holiday budget. They should plan how much to spend. Spending tips for the holidays: Shop early. Shop with a plan….

Business
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An accident can change a life forever

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Trevor Philips walked home from a concert. A car hit him. Philips broke both his legs. He crushed his ankle. He broke his ribs, collarbone and backbone. He may lose the sight in his left eye. Philips was an active person. He worked in a restaurant. He ran a company…

Life Stories
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Libraries help newcomers

Level 2 Ten libraries in the Lower Mainland are part of a new project. The project is called NewToBC. The NewToBC project helps newcomers feel at home in BC. The NewtoBC website is helpful and easy to use. The website is www.newtobc.ca. The library staff can help immigrants. They can help you find what you…

Community
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Typhoon hits the Philippines

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 A typhoon hit the Philippines on November 8, 2013. It is the worst typhoon in the history of the Philippines. The typhoon was called Haiyan. The typhoon brought huge winds and rain. Authorities expect to find 10,000 or more dead. About 700,000 people lost their homes. Altogether, about 9.7…

Environment
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Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 What is it like after the typhoon? The cities have little food and water. People are hungry and thirsty. People are searching for food and water. They have no shelter. Doctors are desperate for medicines. Read the PDF and do the exercise Typhoon Haiyan Watch the videos “We Are…

Social Issues
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A new kind of orchard in the city

Adapted from The Province Level 3 A vacant lot in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside became an orchard. Ten years ago, the city removed a gas station. That empty lot is now an orchard. Solefood runs the orchard. The design of the orchard solved two problems. 1. The city still owns the land. City land is valuable. The…

Environment
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NASA sends LADEE to the moon

Shorter version of this story in the November, 2013 edition of The Westcoast Reader Adapted from The Province Level 1 NASA has a new spacecraft. It is the size of a small car. There are no people on the spacecraft. It is a robot. The spacecraft is called LADEE. LADEE means Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer.   Read the PDF…

Technology
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Snow geese

Adapted from The Province Level 3 Snow geese migrate over the coastal area in Delta, BC. They rest in the fields around Delta. Snow geese fly here from Wrangel Island. Wrangel Island is north of Siberia. They fly about 5,000 km each direction. They arrive at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta between the middle of…

Animals
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Dolphins remember sounds for a long time

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Imagine an old friend calling you on the phone after 20 years. You have not heard this person’s voice in all that time. Could you recognize him or her just by the sound of their voice? A dolphin could. Every dolphin has a name. The name is a special…

Animals
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In praise of Alice Munro

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alice Munro is a writer. She won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature. Canadians are very proud of her. She is the first Canadian to win the prize. Read the PDF and do the exercise Alice Munro Wins Nobel Prize Visit the links Meet Alice Munro on Facebook. Watch the…

Education
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Thousands of crows gather in Burnaby

Adapted from The Province Level 2 In Burnaby, thousands of crows gather. Watchers say that 3,000 to 5,000 crows gather here every night. They stay for the whole night from sundown to sunrise. You can see them at Still Creek at the corner of Willlingdon Avenue and Highway 1. They gather here every evening during the…

Animals
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A special day

Adapted from a story printed in the December, 2013 edition of The Westcoast Reader I’m Angela. I’m originally from China Wenzhou, Zhejiang. Wenzhou is a coastal city, it means “song and dance of the rural.” I’m a professional dancer and I used to dance in a troupe in Wenzhou. I was also a dance teacher in an…

Life Stories
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Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders of BC vote

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Readers of The Province newspaper named the Seven Wonders of BC. The Haida Gwaii won. Andrew Merilees is mayor of the Village of Masset. He says, “It’s an amazing place.” Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders Visit the WCR links: Learn more about the Haida…

Culture
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Pilot crash-lands a glider

Adapted from The Province Level 1 A young cadet is lucky to be alive. He crash-landed his plane on the roof of an apartment building. Read the PDF. Try the exercise. Pilot crash-lands a glider Watch the videos: Flying in a glider 1 Flying in a glider 2 Learning to fly a glider

Life Stories
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Safety on the Internet

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 How do you stay safe on the Internet? How do you keep your children safe on the Internet? Telus started a program for parents, kids and teachers to help keep us safe on the Internet. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise Safety on the Internet Visit the links: WCR…

Technology
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Golf teaches about life

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Kids learn best when they are having fun. Learning to play golf can be fun. Kids learn more than golf skills at First Tee. Kids learn the basic skills to play golf. At the same time they learn important values. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. GolfTeaches Visit the…

Sports
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Are you using your cell phone at work?

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Many young people less than 30 years old are very attached to their cell phones and tablets. In their personal lives, they use them all day, everywhere. They need to learn how to use these devices in their workplace. Communication at work is different. “What we need are social…

Technology
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Olesia dances in her wheelchair

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 Olesia has cerebral palsy. She is 35 years old. Olesia has difficulty speaking. People thought she was not very capable. They were wrong. Olesia dances in her wheelchair. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. WheelchairDancing Visit the links: A dancer invented a new wheelchair just for dancing. There are wheelchair dance…

Life Stories
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Survivor stories

Survivors of Indian Residential Schools tell their stories. Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alvin Dixon Alvin Dixon was 10 years old. He was taken from his home in Bella Bella. After that, he lived at a residential school for 8 years. Visit the links: Residential School Survivor Margaret Commodore speaks. Click here to watch the video.

Social Issues
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