Road safety

Road safety is important in all seasons. In fall, there are fewer daylight hours and weather conditions change quickly. Wet leaves, fog, rain and black ice can make roads unsafe. Here are some tips for pedestrians to stay safe. Wear bright coloured or reflective clothing in low light. Use sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk,…

Give a Book. Give Literacy.

September is Literacy Month in B.C. Reading is a big part of literacy. It helps you learn new words, understand ideas and discover new things. It’s an important skill you use in school, at work and in life. Decoda Literacy is a charity in B.C. It helps people improve their literacy skills. This September, Decoda…

Word of the Year 2024

The Cambridge Dictionary is a popular tool for learning English. Every year, it picks a top word. The 2024 word is “manifest.” Over 130,000 people searched for it online. What does the word mean?  Manifest means thinking about something you want and believing it can happen. People picture their goals or say positive things to…

The Westcoast Reader is 40 years old

Joan Acosta was the editor of The Westcoast Reader for 27 years. She was the only employee of the newspaper during that time. She wrote all the stories and did the layout. Joan retired in 2009. After she retired, she created a website called Best of The Reader. The website has 15 ebooks with stories…