Top Stories
Budget increases to OW and ODSP rates come into effect:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2015/11/increasing-support-for-people-receiving-social-assistance-1.html
- Increases won’t be enough to lift Oxford residents out of poverty: http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2015/11/03/provincial-increase-to-social-assistance-payments-including-ontario-works-and-ontario-disability-support-program-wont-be-enough-to-lift-oxford-residents-out-of-poverty
- ISAC’s new rate sheet: http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=0702c1fe1f&e=[UNIQID]
BC Welfare Food Challenge runs November 3 to November 9:
http://welfarefoodchallenge.org/
- The challenge should challenge us to ask, who benefits from poverty?: http://www.straight.com/news/570081/welfare-food-challenge-should-challenge-us-ask-who-benefits-poverty
- Singer Bif Naked and local politicians take the challenge to survive on welfare income for one week: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/it-s-not-enough-bif-naked-mp-begin-3-a-day-welfare-challenge-1.2641098
- BC family of six takes on welfare food challenge: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/welfare-food-challenge-bc-family-six-1.3303068
- BCGEU President takes on the challenge: http://bcgeu.ca/president-stephanie-smith-undertake-welfare-food-challenge-live-3-day
BC government significantly increases asset, gift, inheritance and trust payment limits for people with disabilities on social assistance:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015SDSI0069-001847
Mi’kmaq chiefs urge Nova Scotia MPs to join the fight on federal cuts to social assistance for First Nations:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1320556-mi%E2%80%99kmaq-chiefs-urge-mps-to-join-welfare-fight
- Harper legacy haunts First Nations welfare recipients: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1320670-harper-policy-haunts-native-welfare-recipients
- Supreme Court decision has Eskasoni chief “disappointed and upset”: http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2015-10-23/article-4320245/Court-decision-has-Eskasoni-chief-worried-about-those-on-social-assistance/1
Sheltered workshops for people with developmental disabilities: blessing, or slave labour?
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/11/02/sheltered-workshops-a-blessing-for-developmentally-challenged-or-slave-labour.html
NLS Blog: Child poverty and Canada’s immigration policies:
http://www.nlstoronto.org/blog/child-poverty-canadas-immigration-policies
United Way launches “Make the Month” online poverty simulator:
http://makethemonth.ca/
- Coverage from Vancouver: http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2015/11/03/poverty-hits-home-with-united-way-online-simulator.html
- Coverage from Winnipeg: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/united-way-launches-online-poverty-simulator-asks-winnipeggers-to-make-the-month-1.3302099
Toronto City Council unanimously supports 20-year anti-poverty plan, but the budget will tell:
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/11/04/toronto-council-launches-20-year-war-on-poverty-with-funding-feuds-on-the-horizon.html
- Funding will be key to the poverty reduction plan: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/11/04/funding-key-to-poverty-reduction-plan
Improving access to dental care in Canada:
http://www.cbc.ca/keepingcanadaalive/cards/show/alex-bus-improving-access-to-dental-care
Reports, Events, and Other Good Stuff
November 23: Professional development training in Windsor for those who support migrant workers:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9de587703062110954e080261&id=4ce0ae7369&e=473784de67
November 2-8 was Living Wage Week!
http://events.tamarackcommunity.org/celebrate-living-wage-week-2015
November 2-3 was Prosper Canada’s ABLE Financial Empowerment Conference:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/experts-from-all-sectors-convene-to-combat-poverty-and-financial-vulnerability-539282801.html
Ontario
Ontario Electricity Support Program accepting applications from low-income energy consumers:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-program-helps-low-income-ontarians-with-electricity-bills-539445691.html
New Ontario Human Rights commissioner vows aggressive approach:
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/11/01/new-ontario-human-rights-commissioner-renu-mandhane-vows-aggressive-approach.html
Hennessy: Ontario’s newest trend is Living Wage Emploeyrs:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/behind-numbers/2015/11/ontarios-newest-trend-living-wage-employers
Ontario passes law against strategic lawsuits:
https://news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2015/10/ontario-passes-law-to-protect-freedom-of-expression.html
Local Poverty Reduction Fund announcements:
- City of Brant research project to help reduce poverty aims to help OW families with post-secondary education costs: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2015/11/01/city-hall-program-to-offer-help-with-post-secondary-education-costs
Around the Province
London poised to take the lead on ending homelessness in Ontario:
http://www.thelondoner.ca/2015/11/05/london-poised-to-take-the-lead-on-provinces-plan-to-end-homelessness
St Catherines bus drivers form new coalition to help low-income riders:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/16/bus-drivers-want-to-help-low-income-riders
Nearly 1 in 4 children in St. Catherines lives in poverty: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2015/11/04/st-catharines-child-poverty-nearly-one-in-four
“Don’t drink the water” warnings on the Neskantaga First Nation and others:
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2015/10/28/tim-miller-third-world-standards-right-here-at-home
Kingston woman waiting for EI benefits as daughter battles leukemia:
http://www.thewhig.com/2015/11/02/frustration-level-is-through-the-roof
Northumberland legal clinic setting up injured workers group:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2015/10/29/group-will-support-injured-workers
Hidden homelessness is growing in York Region:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/10/31/hidden-homelessness-growing-in-york-region.html
Optimism abounds in Hamilton, but the city is becoming increasingly polarized between rich and poor:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6064505-poverty-project-hope-is-taking-root/
In Hamilton, the new economy is precarious and insecure:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6046405-the-poverty-project-the-new-economy-precarious-and-insecure/
Across the Country
Nunavut minister says social assistance review coming soon:
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_minister_says_social_assistance_review_coming_soon/
Ending poverty in Saskatchewan requires action in several key areas:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2304328/feature-ending-poverty/
Saskatoon’s living wage set at $16.77 / hour:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/saskatoon/anti-poverty-group-sets-saskatoon-living-wage-at-16-77-an-hour-1.3292832
Edmonton employment centre jammed with job seekers:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-employment-centre-jammed-with-job-seekers-1.3299088
Panhandlers in Winnipeg say social assistance is not enough to survive:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/reaching-for-change-social-assistance-not-enough-to-survive-say-local-panhandlers-1.3270857
High levels of child poverty in Nova Scotia are unacceptable:
http://www.capebretonpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/2015-11-04/article-4331450/High-levels-of-child-poverty-are-unacceptable/1
Living the housing and social assistance crisis in Nova Scotia:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1320521-the-people-who-live-the-housing-crisis
Montreal protesters call for increased social assistance, housing, health and education spending:
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/protesters-call-for-increased-social-education-spending-1.2638699
Big waitlist for affordable housing in Vernon, BC:
http://infotel.ca/newsitem/big-waitlist-for-affordable-housing-in-vernon/it24499
Vancouver’s already acute housing crisis deepening:
http://thevolcano.org/2015/10/13/vancouver-homelessness-forecast-for-2016/
Panhandling and poverty in Nelson, BC:
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/panhandling-numbers-poverty-39613#.VjzifiuTTk0
National
The case for taking “temporary” out of temporary foreign workers:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2302890/the-case-for-taking-temporary-out-of-temporary-foreign-worker/?hootPostID=d1e4158a576ab180ae83f193bd5d5261
Wellesley Huffington Blog: Enhancing EI will benefits all Canadians:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/wellesley-institute/enhancing-employment-insurance_b_8452200.html
Trudeau’s promises spark First Nations summit in Alberta:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/tsuutina-summit-liberal-promises-1.3299109?cmp=abfb
BC Finance Minister says economy “too fragile” to participate in expanded CPP:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/10/31/Economy-Fragile-Pension-Reform/
Canada Without Poverty “Spotlight on Poverty”: Derek Cook:
http://www.cwp-csp.ca/2015/11/spotlight-on-poverty-derek-cook/
International
Eleven major international companies to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace:
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_418001/lang–en/index.htm
Australia think tank says creative responses needed to tackle intergenerational poverty:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/children-follow-parents-along-path-to-welfare-deborah-cobb-clark/story-fn59niix-1227593837605?sv=cc5163c311e0a15c1543912205b4effd
Australian reality TV show blasted as “poverty porn”:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/susie-obrien/struggle-street-is-just-publicly-funded-poverty-porn/news-story/72a2405d4bb4aee7805151b7ea106c5a
Do US anti-poverty programs work better than we think?
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/11/do-anti-poverty-programs-work-better-we-think
Cutting US poverty rates with more Earned Income Tax Credit signups:
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-02/how-to-cut-poverty-rates-right-now
Some pockets of US poverty are so deep they’re hidden from sight:
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/6520/there-are-some-pockets-of-poverty-in-the-united-states-that-are-so-deep-they-are-hidden-from-sight.html
Ohio wants federal welfare-to-work rules eased:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/11/02/easing-of-work-rule-requested.html
Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs wants cities experimenting with basic income to come up with common plan:
http://www.basicincome.org/news/2015/11/netherlands-four-municipalities-make-uniform-plan-free-money/
Wired Magazine: Connecting the poor is the best hope for ending poverty:
http://www.wired.com/2015/11/connecting-worlds-poorest-the-best-hope-for-ending-poverty/