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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 29 September 2017

September 29, 2017

Top Stories

Stats on homelessness in Timmins, Cochrane, Hearst and Moosonee shared at summit: Low social assistance shelter rates a fundamental problem:
http://www.timminspress.com/2017/09/27/latest-district-stats-on-homelessness-shared-at-summit

  • City of London calls for a higher Ontario Works rate: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/city-hall-meeting-tuesday-1.4297702

Ontario is complicit in precarious employment: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/09/27/ontario-is-complicit-in-precarious-employment-cohn.html

  • Recycling plant ordered to pay $1.33 million in fines, back wages:
    https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/09/25/recycling-plant-ordered-to-pay-133m-in-fines-back-wages.html
  • Employment Law: Doughnut shop facing “hole” lot of trouble:
    https://www.thespec.com/news-story/7558967-ed-canning-teens-fired-from-doughnut-shop-over-going-home-at-end-of-shift/
  • Workers, know your rights: https://thevarsity.ca/2017/09/25/workers-know-your-rights/
  • Op-Ed: Low-waged, precarious employment taking toll on North Bay community:
    http://www.nugget.ca/2017/09/27/low-waged-precarious-employment-taking-toll-on-our-community
  • Proposed law would give paid leave to domestic and sexual violence survivors: https://www.thespec.com/news-story/7583692-proposed-law-would-give-paid-leave-to-domestic-and-sexual-violence-survivors/
  • Ontario inching closer to significant employment and labour changes: http://www.fasken.com/en/ontario-inching-closer-to-significant-employment-and-labour-changes/

Province tries to allay business fears over minimum wage hike:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/09/28/province-tries-to-allay-business-fears-over-minimum-wage-hike.html

  • Extend minimum wage implementation: Sudbury chamber: http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/09/28/extend-minimum-wage-implementation-sudbury-chamber
  • Business coalition urges five-year implementation of minimum wage hike: http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/business-coalition-urges-five-year-implementation-of-minimum-wage-hike
  • A $15 minimum wage could cost Ontario up to 90,000 jobs, TD bank says: http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/a-15-minimum-wage-could-cost-ontario-up-to-90000-jobs-td-bank-says
  • They huff and they puff: More overblown claims about a $15 minimum wage:
    http://behindthenumbers.ca/2017/09/27/they-huff-and-they-puff-about-minimum-wage/
  • Government release: Annual minimum wage increase to come into effect October 1: https://news.ontario.ca/mol/en/2017/09/annual-minimum-wage-increase-to-come-into-effect-october-1-1.html

87% of small business families see no benefit to income sprinkling:
http://www.bnn.ca/87-of-small-business-families-see-no-benefit-to-income-sprinkling-survey-1.866344#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=Facebook&_gsc=WtjyhKm

  • CCPA news release: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/news-releases/least-87-cent-small-biz-families-see-no-net-benefit-income-sprinkling-report
  • CCPA Report: Splitting the Difference: Who really benefits from small business income splitting?: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/splitting-difference
  • Closing tax loopholes is an important step toward tax fairness: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/09/19/closing-tax-loopholes-is-an-important-step-toward-tax-fairness.html
  • Wealthy Canadians already pay enough taxes, argues Canadian Taxpayers Federation: https://globalnews.ca/news/3767145/wealthy-canadians-already-pay-enough-taxes-argues-ctf/
  • Stay the course and finally close these unfair tax loopholes: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/jerry-dias/stay-the-course-and-finally-close-these-unfair-tax-loopholes_a_23223692/
  • Tax changes to make system fair, not stifle business growth: Trudeau: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tax-changes-to-make-system-fair-not-stifle-business-growth-trudeau/article36390873/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&

Ontario taps Hamilton groups to help with recruitment for basic income study:
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/7580340-ontario-taps-hamilton-groups-to-help-with-recruitment-for-basic-income-study/

  • Intentional neglect or callous oversight? How ‘progressive’ basic income proposals fail migrants:
    http://socialistproject.ca/bullet/1489.php

Ontario names advisory group to help with jobs for people with disabilities:
http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/ontario-names-advisory-group-to-help-with-jobs-for-people-with-disabilities

  • Government release: Ontario taking steps to increase employment for people with disabilities: https://news.ontario.ca/acc/en/2017/09/ontario-taking-steps-to-increase-employment-for-people-with-disabilities.html
  • Backgrounder: Members of the Employers’ Partnership Table: https://news.ontario.ca/acc/en/2017/09/members-of-the-employers-partnership-table.html

Tackling racist, sexist hurdles to be part of anti-poverty plan, Duclos says:
http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/tackling-racist-sexist-hurdles-to-be-part-of-anti-poverty-plan-duclos-says

  • Federal release: Minister Duclos meets with stakeholders at National Poverty Conference to talk about his government’s commitment to a Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy:
    http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/minister-duclos-takes-another-step-in-developing-the-canadian-poverty-reduction-strategy-648497313.html

Northern Ontario First Nations take federal and Ontario governments to court over $4 annual treaty payments:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/robinson-huron-treaty-annuities-claim-court-case-1.4303287

Toronto Community Housing asks city to commit $1.6 billion over next 10 years for repairs:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tch-10-year-repair-plan-1.4312478

 

Ontario

A housing benefit would reduce the need for food banks:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ontario-association-of-food-banks/a-housing-benefit-would-reduce-the-need-for-food-banks_a_23218477/

  • Government release: Ontario removing barriers to building affordable housing:
    https://news.ontario.ca/mho/en/2017/09/ontario-removing-barriers-to-building-housing-faster.html
  • Homeless shelter demand rising in Ontario as facilities close: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/homeless-shelter-ontario-closures-1.4299243

Legal Aid Ontario gets input from African-Canadian community on new ‘black-led, black-focused’ legal clinic:
http://pridenews.ca/2017/09/28/legal-aid-ontario-gets-input-african-canadian-community-shares-information-new-black-led-black-focused-legal-clinic/

  • New legal clinic for Black Canadians will be in place within a year:
    http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/09/26/new-legal-clinic-for-black-canadians-will-be-in-place-within-a-year-lao.html

Ontario invests $18 million in 45 projects to help end human trafficking: https://globalnews.ca/news/3774970/ontario-invests-18m-in-45-projects-to-help-end-human-trafficking/

  • Windsor legal clinic part of province’s plan to fight human trafficking:
    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-legal-clinic-part-of-province-s-plan-to-fight-human-trafficking-1.4312550
  • Government release: Ontario supporting specialized services for human trafficking survivors: https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2017/09/ontario-supporting-specialized-services-for-human-trafficking-survivors.html

 

Reports, Events, Campaigns and Other Good Things

Getting Legal Help: Directory of Community Legal Clinics in Ontario: New Edition:
http://mailchi.mp/cleo/getting-legal-help-a-directory-of-community-legal-clinics-in-ontario-201718-edition

Citizens for Public Justice: September 2017 Justice News:
http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a90945b6cbae71eebd4485b0b&id=ecc72284d8&e=9276d85427

Homeless Hub newsletter:
http://mailchi.mp/edu/costs-managing-homelessness-too-high-2883341?e=6da7d6f883

Maytree Policy School starts January 2018:
https://maytree.com/maytree-policy-school-program-overview/

Stats Can: Population estimates, second quarter 2017:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170927/dq170927e-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan

Stats Can: Payroll employment, earnings and hours, July 2017:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170928/dq170928a-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan

Stats Can: Chronic low income among immigrants in Canada:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170929/dq170929f-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan

  • Here’s the study: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2017397-eng.pdf

Poll: Premiers’ performance: Horgan enters on a high, wall is set to depart on top:
http://angusreid.org/premier-approval-sept2017/

 

Around the Province

London tenant in wheelchair faces tough choice after learning elevator repair will take five weeks:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-ontario-tilley-homes-disabled-tenants-1.4305970

Mississauga tenants living in grimy apartment complex fight rent hike:
https://www.mississauga.com/news-story/7569243-mississauga-tenants-living-in-grimy-apartment-complex-fight-rent-hike/#.WcqRhHEdSpQ.twitter

Local MPP outraged at lack of funding for homelessness in Windsor:
http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/mpp-gretzky-outraged-at-lack-of-funding-for-homelessness-in-windsor

  • Windsor West MPP wants more funding to fight homelessness: http://windsor.ctvnews.ca/windsor-west-mpp-wants-more-funding-to-fight-homelessness-1.3610173

Barrie, Orillia affordable housing projects get millions in provincial funding:
https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/7580717-barrie-orillia-affordable-housing-projects-get-millions-in-provincial-funding/

Oakville symposium focuses on poverty elimination:
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/7563214-oakville-symposium-focuses-on-poverty-elimination/

Thunder Bay’s Shelter House looks for stable funding for street outreach as SOS program resumes:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/shelter-house-continued-funding-1.4301304

Five big ideas for Northern Ontario:
https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/columns/five-big-ideas-for-northern-ontario-724264

 

Across the Country

Struggling to get off welfare, Nova Scotia single mom looks to provincial budget for help:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1506271-struggling-to-get-off-welfare-single-mom-looks-to-provincial-budget-for-help

Minimum wage to increase in Manitoba for first time since 2015:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/minimum-wage-to-increase-in-manitoba-for-first-time-since-2015-1.4312519

  • Women and the fight for $15 in Manitoba: http://rankandfile.ca/2017/09/29/women-and-the-fight-for-15/

Hike to $15 minimum wage in Alberta could lead to 25,000 job losses: CD Howe Report:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2017/09/26/minimum-wage-hike-could-lead-to-25000-job-losses-cd-howe-report

  • Opinion: Raising minimum wage in Alberta won’t reduce poverty: http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-raising-minimum-wage-wont-reduce-poverty
  • Alberta Party call for minimum wage halt – seek provincial poverty reduction strategy instead: http://morinvillenews.com/2017/09/26/alberta-party-call-for-minimum-wage-halt-seek-provincial-poverty-reduction-strategy-instead/
  • Alberta’s minimum wage set to go up again on the weekend: http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/alberta-s-minimum-wage-set-to-go-up-again-on-the-weekend-1.3609925

Alberta justice minister halts plan to require deposits from legal-aid clients:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-legal-aid-deposit-1.4308459

Affordable housing units open in Moose Jaw:
https://globalnews.ca/news/3768141/affordable-housing-units-open-in-moose-jaw/

Vancouver rally held to push NDP government to raise minimum wage to $15 per hour:
https://www.straight.com/news/973031/vancouver-rally-held-push-ndp-government-raise-minimum-wage-15-hour

Rising prices push out long-time Vancouver residents:
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/vancouver/vancouvers-rising-property-prices-push-out-long-timeresidents/article36365883/?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theglobeandmail.com&

Bedroom-sharing rules shut door on affordable housing for some Vancouver families:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/national-occupancy-standards-housing-canada-bc-co-op-vancouver-couple-denied-girl-baby-1.4295849

Vancouver outstrips rest of Canadian cities for higher percentage of low-income households:
http://vancouversun.com/business/local-business/vancouver-outstrips-rest-of-canadian-cities-for-highest-percentage-of-low-income-households

Poverty-level income tax filings prompt questions in mega-rich Richmond, BC:
http://www.richmond-news.com/news/poverty-level-income-tax-filings-prompt-questions-in-mega-rich-richmond-b-c-1.22946657

 

National

First Nations hold a long-term vision of a renewed nation-to-nation relationship:
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2017/09/19/first-nations-hold-long-term-vision-renewed-nation-nation-relationship/

Collecting employment insurance may be harder than you think:
https://nowtoronto.com/news/collecting-employment-insurance-may-be-harder-than-you-think/

Ontario Superior Court warns federal government it desperately needs more judges:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/09/25/ontario-superior-court-warns-federal-government-it-desperately-needs-more-judges.html

Federal politics: Trudeau still seen as best PM, but Conservatives “best to form government”:
http://mailchi.mp/angusreid/federal-politics-trudeau-still-seen-as-best-pm-but-conservatives-best-to-form-government?e=9e305f90ee

 

International

For young women in the UK, poverty and poor mental health are a fact of life:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/29/young-women-poverty-mental-health-pay-jobs-debt

UK Labour’s £10 million pledge to tackle period poverty:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41402914

Britain’s 21st century housing catastrophe bears an eerie resemblance to my childhood:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/19/britain-housing-catastrophe-harry-leslie-smith-childhood?CMP=share_btn_tw

New Irish welfare reforms aimed at lowering number of jobless families:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/new-welfare-reforms-aimed-at-lowering-number-of-jobless-families-1.3232402

Target’s move to $15 an hour in the US “blows up” the myth about raising the minimum wage:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/27/targets-15-an-hour-move-busts-minimum-wage-myths-commentary.html

Millions mired in poverty as US upturn passes them by, study finds:
https://www.ft.com/content/82f5f0e8-9fcf-11e7-8cd4-932067fbf946

Inequality, low wages weaken global growth: IMF official:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-4918678/Inequality-low-wages-weaken-global-growth-IMF-official.html

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This site contains general legal information for people in Ontario, Canada. It is not intended to be used as legal advice for a specific legal problem. ISAC is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization. ISAC is funded by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). The funding for this website is also provided by LAO. The views expressed in any of ISAC’s publications (including written, oral, or visual) are the views of the clinic and do not necessarily reflect those of LAO.