Honourable Tom Hedderson visits Brigus on CAP Day

On CAP Day, October 19^th, Education Minister Tom Hedderson visited the patrons of the site at the Brigus Public Library. As minister responsible for the Community Access Program and the Provincial Information and Library Resources Board, he spoke about the close relationship between CAP and libraries. These two groups have worked closely during the past ten years and have expanded public Internet access throughout the province. The minister was very excited to join in the festivities, as well as get a first hand view of all the great things CAP sites have to offer.

A sample real-life colouring sheet

The secret to a successful CAP Day is to have a little fun. At the Fox Harbour CAP site, patrons were invited to a creatively planned Open House for the young and the young at heart. From CAP Day word searches, to scavenger hunts, to online gaming, the event brought in over 40 people from the community. The most unique activity involved customizing coloring books for children. Youth intern, Janice Perham, took pictures with a digital camera and turned them into cartoons and coloring pages. The idea was a hit with kids…and parents! Janice says that patrons “left with a smile on their face and a lot more information on what their CAP site is and what it can do for them”.

A little patron proudly displaying her personalized t-shirt

The CAP site in La Grand'Terre has never had trouble attracting youth. Sharing a building with the local school will bring in those patrons without much effort. However, getting adults to use the site has proven a little trickier. With that in mind, a unique idea was designed for CAP Day. "Bring an Adult to CAP Day" was designed to get a good cross-section of the community to visit the CAP site. The first 30 students that brought an adult with them to the CAP site were given a prize. They were allowed to choose from CDs, 8 x 10 photos, or t-shirts. For those that chose the t-shirts, they were able to design their own original graphic that was printed onto a transfer and then ironed onto their shirt. The idea worked and many people who were unfamiliar with CAP and the services offered visited the site for the first time. The kids, of course, were also very impressed especially with the one-of-a-kind t-shirts they were able to help design and bring home.

As a special treat to the community, the Lumsden CAP site debuted a slide presentation which is a pictorial view of the history of Lumsden and its connection with the land and sea. As Kay Stagg, librarian, stated: “We showed our slide show presentation Day's Gone By – Memories of Lumsden North in the 1960's. This went over really well.” Included in the presentation are many ‘old’ pictures of what the community was like years ago. Lumsden has a population of approximately 654 people and depend heavily on the fishing industry for their livelihood. Thanks to all the work that Angie Norman, youth intern, put into developing the presentation which helped to make the CAP Day celebrations a success. Now, you too can view "Days Gone By" (7 MB). Enjoy!

Our intern tutors the King

The Mount Pearl Public Library CAP site experienced a CAP Day like no other! The past was brought into the future when Sheldon Parsons, youth intern, helped surprise guest Elvis (yes, The King) check his e-mail, do his banking and look for a new pair of Blue Suede Shoes on the Internet. Elvis (a.k.a. site patron Gord Tracey) then wooed the crowd with a song and signed autographs for his adoring fans. A lot of CAP creativity went into the planning, preparation, and promotion of the event. Not only did the event go off without a hitch, it drummed up some interest in the training courses offered at the site. What a great way to shake things up!

The Native Friendship Centre found a spooky way to attract folks on CAP Day. They turned the building into a spectacular haunted house complete with headless bodies, bloodied walls and scary tunes. Visitors began their heart stopping tour in the youth centre downstairs and ended in the CAP site where they could catch their breath, have some refreshments, participate in an online scavenger hunt and enter to win prizes.

Pointing out the CAP Day Ballot

Women Interested in Successful Employment (WISE) CAP hosted an afternoon open house in celebration of CAP Day. The public and employees of neighboring offices were treated to refreshments, CAP prizes and an introduction to the CAP site and Internet. Robyn Byrne was on hand to assist the public as they tried their luck at winning an iPod.

To celebrate CAP Day, the Kindale Library Board decided that a senior’s tea would be a good way to have some new faces come by the CAP site. Residents of the Emile Benoit House, Silverwood Manor and the Acadian Village were sent special invitations to come for tea, a tour of the library, and computer demonstrations. They put on the coffee and tea, and had an abundance of squares, molasses buns, and tea buns. Newfoundland music played in the background while board members, PILRB directors, and staff mingled with the attendees. Loot bags including pens, notepads and bookmarks were given to all. Overall, the event turned out to be a big success.

While CAP program officers and the youth employment coordinator visited sites on CAP Day, CAP staff also celebrated the 10th Anniversary of public Internet access in the main lobby of the Confederation Building. The CAP booth, along with our brochures, was on display for the general public and employees of the provincial government to view. Over 200 people visited the booth and entered their names for a chance to win CAP prizes. This provided staff the opportunity to raise the awareness of CAP, the services available, and the site locations throughout the province.

CAP Day 2005 was a huge success! Approximately 3300 patrons visited the CAP web site and entered their name for a chance to win an iPod Shuffle. The winners of the iPod Shuffles are: Holly Pye, Lodge Bay, Labrador; Caitlin Pardy, St. John’s; and Rebecca Cole, Victoria. Congratulations!

We would to thank all CAP site administrators, youth interns, and volunteers who made CAP Day 2005 such a success. Over 140 CAP sites hosted events across the province. Thank you for helping us celebrate 10 years of public Internet access in Newfoundland and Labrador!

One of the many great CAP Day cakes we've seen. This one was enjoyed by the patrons at Gambo!