Tackling low literacy rates: Sask. Roughrider inspires kids to read

Martensville, Sask. — At six-foot-four and 310 pounds, Logan Ferland is used to standing out in a crowd.

But as he walked into the Kindergarten classroom at Venture Heights Elementary School, the Saskatchewan Roughrider seemed even larger than usual.

Surrounded by little desks and tiny chairs, with a sea of green shirts staring up at him, Ferland settled into a rocking chair in the corner of the classroom, opened a book, and began to read.

Hear Saskatchewan Roughrider Logan Ferland on tackling low literacy rates:

“Ten years ago if you told me this is what I would be doing, I wouldn’t think you were telling the truth at all,” he said in an interview with 650 CKOM. “But there’s something about being able to impact kids and knowing that even if you affect one kid in there, you can change a life. It’s really special that I have that opportunity.”

During his Rider Reading Program presentations, Ferland highlights the importance of reading to kids in classrooms around the province. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

During the CFL season, you’ll find Ferland on the gridiron at Mosaic Stadium protecting the quarterback.

But in the off-season, the offensive lineman spends his days travelling around the province, visiting schools, sharing his story and reminding kids that even the biggest dreams can start in the smallest classrooms.

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In 2024, Rider player ambassadors spoke with 30,000 young people across the province as part of both the Rider Reading and Win With Wellness initiatives. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

From Melfort to Mosaic Stadium

Ferland’s journey to the Riders’ O-line began in a classroom much like this one. Growing up on an acreage in rural Saskatchewan, he never imagined that one day he would be speaking in front of a classroom full of kids, just as a Roughrider once stood before him and sparked his dream.

In the late 2000’s Jeremy O’Day, a former offensive lineman for the Riders and now the team’s general manager, visited Reynolds Central School in Melfort to speak to a group of elementary-aged students. Ferland was one of them.

“I remember J.O. coming in and talking about anti-bullying. It was a long time ago, but I just remember a Roughrider being at our school. It was a big deal!” Ferland recalled. “That moment stuck with me.”

At the time, Ferland had no plans to play football professionally, but the visit left a lasting impression. At 15 he finally decided to give football a shot, enrolling in the game that would eventually change his life.

Ferland’s passion for football was shaped through interactions with many Rider greats. He fondly recalls a presentation at his elementary school in Melfort from Jeremy O’Day, a former offensive lineman for the Riders and now the team’s general manager. (Submitted)

By his late teens, Ferland was playing for the Regina Thunder, a Junior football team that has seen several of its players rise to the CFL ranks.

Throughout his time on the Thunder, Ferland interacted with alumni he had long admired. He and his teammates would spend time post-practice speaking with Rider greats like Dan Clark, Chris Getzlaf, Paul Woldu and Zack Evans.

“They would talk to us about the importance of community involvement, things like that. Those were guys that really influenced me and kind of gave me hope to make it to the next level,” Ferland reflected. “So that was a cool bridge to the CFL, and it became my goal to play for the Riders one day.”

In 2019, Ferland achieved that goal. He’s spent the last six years proudly representing the green and white both on and off the field.

Ferland signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2019. (Submitted)

Ferland understands that just like O’Day, Clark, and other big-name players once did for him, he now has the power to inspire the next generation.

“I think some of these kids actually really look up to me,” Ferland said with a modest smile.

“You don’t realize it until you’ve done a few school visits. It sounds weird to say that because somebody watching from the outside would think, ‘Well, they know they’re a Rider. They know they’re looked up to,’” he reflected. “But a lot of guys don’t realize how much they are looked up to. You are that kid’s hero. To be a part of that is really cool.”

Kids and teachers alike donned their Rider green in anticipation of Ferland’s visit to Venture Heights Elementary School. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Tackling low literacy rates in Saskatchewan

Ferland and a handful of his teammates dedicate their off-season to empowering the next generation of readers through the Rider Reading Program, a community initiative that brings Roughrider player ambassadors into Kindergarten to grade five classrooms across Saskatchewan.

At the beginning of each presentation, Ferland asks students what they want to be when they grow up. One by one, tiny hands are raised, and dreams are voiced.

Children express their desire to be nurses, astronauts, teachers, and doctors. Some hope to become artists or mechanics. And, of course, there are always a few future football players sprinkled in.

Ferland uses their responses as an opportunity to underscore the importance of reading in every single career — even professional sports.

Ferland said he gets a kick out of the questions he is asked by younger classes and enjoys having kids guess his age. Students in the Kindergarten classroom at Venture Heights Elementary School said he looked about 60 years old. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

“Explaining to the kids that football players actually need to read is hilarious,” he said with a laugh. “You can almost see the wheels turning… the gears going in their minds, because they’re like, ‘Man, I guess I do have to read! I guess it’s something I’m stuck with, so I’m going to have to get better at it.’ It’s funny seeing that light bulb moment for them.”

Ferland takes it a step further, explaining to the children that even professional athletes rely on strong literacy skills to read playbooks, analyze scouting reports, and understand contracts.

Currently, Saskatchewan has the third-lowest literacy rate in Canada, and Ferland is acutely aware of the challenge this presents. But he’s equally determined to be part of the solution.

In 2024, Rider players visited 300 Saskatchewan schools, speaking with 30,000 young people across the province as part of both the Rider Reading and Win With Wellness initiatives.

Through the Rider Reading Program, Ferland and his teammates aren’t just teaching kids to read — they’re helping them understand that reading is the key to unlocking the future they dream of. Ferland believes that initiatives like the Rider Reading Program can create lasting change, one book, one classroom, and one child at a time.

Ferland said many students are surprised when they learn that even professional athletes rely on literacy skills. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Ferland’s full-circle moment

One of the most meaningful experiences for Ferland came when he returned to his roots. His first school visit as a Saskatchewan Roughrider player ambassador was to the school he attended as a young child in Kindersley.

“I got to go to my old elementary school and see a lot of my old teachers that actually taught me back there,” he said. “To be full circle in that moment, hearing their stories about my family and things like that was a lot of fun.”

For Ferland, the visit was a chance to reflect on how far he’d come, from a young boy growing up in small-town Saskatchewan to a Roughrider inspiring the next generation.

Students lined the halls of Venture Heights Elementary School, hoping for an autograph or high-five from the offensive lineman. Ferland, acutely aware of the impact of his role as a Roughrider, took the time to speak with every student who approached him. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

As he moved from classroom to classroom in Venture Heights Elementary School in Martensville, kids rushed to high-five him, wearing their Rider jerseys with pride. Teachers peeked out of doorways, watching with smiles as their students were captivated by the home-grown talent they’d cheered on from the stands. Students lined the halls with Sharpies in hand, hoping for an autograph, showing just how much Ferland’s presence meant to them.

Logan Ferland was once just a boy sitting at a tiny desk looking up at a Saskatchewan Roughrider.

Now, he stands proudly before classrooms full of kids, inspiring a new generation that no dream is too big and the road to it always starts with education.