TORONTO – Long recognized as a champion for freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and public service media, retired broadcasting executive Bill Roberts is taking his passion for advocacy to new heights.
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| Former ZoomerMedia TV president Bill Roberts will begin a 200 km journey July 11 to climb Mont D'Iberville to raise awareness for literacy. |
On July 11, the former ZoomerMedia TV president and CEO will embark on a 200-km wilderness trek through the Torngat mountain range to climb Mont D’Iberville, the highest mountain on the Quebec/Newfoundland and Labrador border, to raise awareness for Frontier College and its mission to improve literacy rates across Canada.
For many, scaling a mountain is a test of physical endurance, but for Roberts it’s much more than that. Roberts, who recently joined Frontier College as a member of its board of directors and is also an avid mountaineer, says it's about making a difference in the lives of Canadians who struggle with day-to-day literacy.
To prepare for the summit, Roberts has been training daily (although he did manage to find some time recently in his schedule to file stories from this year’s Banff World Media Festival for Cartt.ca). He has already climbed some of the world’s greatest peaks, including Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe; Mount Whitney, the highest in the contiguous U.S.; and Alberta's Mount Assiniboine in the Canadian Rockies.
He says he’s more than aware of the challenges he’ll face in taking on this trek: “Black flies that are the size of small birds, inaccessible routes, and complete and utter exhaustion. But honestly, that’s nothing compared to the challenge that learners face when they gather the courage to walk in the door of Frontier College to get help with their literacy."
If you would like to support Roberts’ climb for literacy, click here to make a donation to Frontier College.
