Alberta News

Performance Measurement Publications - The Measuring Up component of the government annual report provides information on the government's progress in meeting social and economic goals published in the previous year's Government Business Plan 
- incl. links to individual ministry business plans

Servicealberta - "one stop. thousands of answers."

Alberta Catalogue of Statutes and Regulations

Legislative Assembly 
Legislative Assembly Proceedings - Bills, Hansard, House records, links to Committees

Ministry of Human Services

The Ministry of Human Services is part of Premier Redford's strategy to take action on Albertans' priorities.
Human Services is responsible for programs and services related to:
* Children and Youth
* Employment and Immigration
* Homeless Supports
* Alberta Supports <=== including Alberta's Income Support (welfare) program

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Alberta Supports
- Seniors - Employment & Training - Persons with Disabilities - Lower Income - Children & Youth - Abuse & Bullying - Homeless - Making Life Decisions
NOTE : This link may not work in your browser, because the URL contains a "+" symbol that apparently converts into something else in some browsers. If the link doesn't work, go to the Alberta Human Services home page [ http://humanservices.alberta.ca/ ] and click the "Alberta Supports" link at the bottom of the list of programs and services.

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Department responsible for welfare
Human Services

For links to welfare program information, scroll back up to the grey box on the page you're now reading.

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Selected News Releases:

October 22, 2008
Province provides more help to Albertans in need
Increases to benefits and earning exemptions will help those who need it most
Albertans receiving Alberta Works income support will receive higher monthly benefits beginning November 1. In addition single Albertans who work and qualify for income support assistance will see earning exemptions double from $115 to $230 a month - meaning they can make more money before their benefits are affected. (...) The maximum qualifying income levels for the Alberta Child Health Benefit (ACH) and Alberta Adult Health Benefit (AAHB) also increased allowing families to earn more and remain eligible for the benefit.

More info on Alberta Works / Income Support

Related link:

Albertans on welfare to get payment boost
October 24, 2008
Albertans in 46,500 households receiving welfare payments will get a boost in their monthly payments next week. On Nov. 1, those who receive income support through Alberta Works -- the government's official name for welfare -- will receive an increase after the province approved a rate hike. (...) Earning exemptions will double to $230 from $115 a month, meaning those Albertans can make more money before their benefits are affected. Of the 4,000 Albertans receiving those benefits and working either part-time or full-time, 1,400 will notice the increase to the earnings exemption.
Source:
Calgary Herald

Alberta Works implements debit card program province wide:
Debit cards save government and Albertans with low incomes time and money
February 12, 2007
Edmonton... Starting in summer, 2007, Albertans who receive income support through Alberta Works and who do not have bank accounts will have the option to receive their benefits with a debit card. A successful six-month pilot project showed debit cards to be faster and less expensive to administer than conventional cheques and that Albertans on social assistance overwhelmingly preferred the cards. The program is the first of its kind in Canada.
- includes a backgrounder on the pilot project

April 24, 2006
Alberta Works [welfare] debit card pilot a Canadian first
A new six-month pilot project is using debit cards and direct deposit to deliver Alberta Works benefits, instead of traditional paper cheques. The pilot is the first of its kind in Canada.
Related News Release - April 24 --- includes a detailed backgrounder
Source:
Government of Alberta News Page

More supports help families invest in children's futures - Alberta
News Release
March 15, 2005
Edmonton
"Effective April 1, 2005, changes to Alberta Works will increase the time low-income parents have at home with young children, make it easier for youth to finish high school and help families save for their children's education."
Changes include:
- a parent receiving income support will have one year instead of the current six months to stay home with a child before being required to seek or accept employment
- the requirement to be out of school for one year before receiving training benefits to complete high school is waived.
- a new one-time $100 benefit for Albertans receiving income support to help offset the costs of setting up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) to participate in Alberta's Centennial Education Savings program (to help cover costs such as the fee for obtaining a birth certificate and the initial deposit required to open an RESP account).
- to better address domestic violence, the existing $1,000 allowance to set up a new household for a person fleeing a violent spouse will now be extended to anyone eligible for income support and who needs help to leave an abusive situation, such as individuals who experience abuse by people other than a spouse.
Source:
Alberta Works
(Human Resources and Employment)

Related link:

Education investment of $500 for each child born in 2005 or later
News Release
February 17, 2004
"Babies born in Alberta in 2005 or later will benefit from a $500 investment by the Alberta government into individual education savings plans. The Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan Act, which is the first bill introduced in the spring sitting, sets the stage for a new program that will encourage parents to open a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for their child with a $500 grant from the government."

Alberta Centennial Education Savings (ACES) Plan website
- program info and links to related resources

Alberta Works… for farmers (PDF file - 73K, 1 page)
June 2004
"Alberta Human Resources and Employment office can help farm families through brief periods of financial difficulty and with long-term planning for the future."

More families qualify for free health benefits
Alberta Works News Release
September 9, 2004
"Edmonton... More families are now eligible for premium-free health benefits for their children through the Alberta Child Health Benefit because eligibility levels have been increased. 'This benefit has a positive impact on children's health and parents' workforce participation,'said Clint Dunford, Minister of Alberta Human Resources and Employment. 'More than 70,000 children are receiving health services, and increasing the qualifying levels will help us extend coverage to even more.'"

Related Link:

Alberta Child Health Benefit
"The Alberta Child Health Benefit (ACHB) program is part of Alberta’s role in the National Child Benefit – a series of programs designed to address child poverty across Canada. The ACHB is a premium-free health benefit plan that provides basic dental, optical, emergency ambulance, essential diabetic supplies and prescription drug coverage for children living in families with low incomes."

Alberta Works focuses on training people for employment
News Release
March 30, 2004

Supports for Independence is changing : What you need to know about your benefits (PDF file - 100K, 4 pages)
Alberta Works Pamphlet
"New Alberta Works Income Support Program starts with May benefits"
NOTE: on page 4 of this pamphlet, you'll find the following under Asset rule changes:
"The following assets will not affect your benefits:
• Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) for your children,
• Up to $5,000 per adult in the family in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), and
• Up to $5,000 equity in vehicles and any amount of equity in a vehicle adapted to accommodate a disability."
[RRSPs and RESPs were formerly subject to lower exemption limits, as they are in many Canadian jurisdictions]
In my view, this is a progressive asset-based welfare policy initiative. Well done!
[ For more info about asset-based social policies in Canada, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Asset-Based Social Policies page ]

Source:
Alberta Human Resources and Employment
Hot Topics - March 30, 2004

New Act strengthens link between income support and training
News Release
December 17, 2003
"Legislation building on Alberta's success at helping people move from income support to the work force will be phased in starting in January 2004. The Income and Employment Supports Act establishes how the government will help families meet their basic needs and help employable people find and keep jobs."
Source:
Alberta Human Resources and Employment

Income increases for SFI families with children
Alberta Government News Release
July 18, 2003
"About 12,000 families receiving Supports for Independence (SFI) benefits will have more money for their children due to Alberta's decision not to offset a federal increase under the National Child Benefit (NCB) program. This is the second phase of a two-stage increase for families with children included in Budget 2003."
Related Links:
Budget 2003 targets additional assistance to people most in need (April 8, 2003)
The National Child Benefit in Alberta
Supports for Independence (SFI)

Two new information resources to help low-income Albertans
July 16, 2003
Edmonton... Albertans looking for information on the province's income support programs and the appeals process will now be able to find what they need through a new guide to the Supports for Independence (SFI) [welfare] program and a new Appeals Secretariat Web site.

Your [SFI] Guide (PDF file - 565K, 44 pages)
July 2003
"...will be of use to Albertans with questions on SFI, the provincial program that provides employment supports, financial assistance, and health benefits to people who cannot meet their basic needs. The guide includes information on conducting job searches, how financial benefits are calculated, the amount of assistance available, how earning exemptions are calculated, and the rights and responsibilities of SFI recipients."

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Appeals Secretariat website
"An additional source of information on the right to appeal decisions made on income support programs such as SFI or Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) is the new Appeals Secretariat Web site, which outlines how the government's appeal process works from beginning to end."

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Budget 2003 News Releases:
April 8, 2003
Homeless Shelters integrated with housing programs
Backgrounder: Homeless Shelters and Support Programs

Budget 2003 targets additional assistance to people most in need
- Changes to the Supports for Independence (SFI) program (PDF file - 72K, 1 page)
- People leaving AISH due to increased CPP-D keep health benefits (PDF file - 94K, 1 page)
- more about Supports for Independence
- more about Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped

Bill 32, Income and Employment Supports Act, will help low-income Albertans
March 20, 2003
"Legislation to integrate income and employment training programs, increase accountability for training service providers, and build on Alberta's success in helping people on income support move into the workforce has been introduced in the Alberta legislature. Bill 32, the Income and Employment Supports Act, will establish a new program and benefit structure that will help people meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing and shelter, and provide additional building blocks of support to respond to people's unique circumstances. That might mean academic upgrading, help to get child support, or longer-term financial assistance for people who are unable to work. Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) will continue as a separate program.

Market Basket Measure (PDF file - 142K, 6 pages)
November 2002
"The Market Basket Measure: Calculating the cost of Albertans basic needs"
- incl. links to eight online reports about the Market Basket Measures (at the end of the report)
Source: Alberta Human Resources and Employment
HMMMM - this file was no longer available when I checked July 5/04.
A search of the HRE website turned up only a link to the Market Basket Measure paper produced by the federal government

Working parents leaving SFI keep health benefits
News Release
Oct. 30, 2002
"Effective Nov. 1, parents who find a job and no longer receive financial benefits through the Supports for Independence (SFI) program will be able to keep their health benefits, subject to an annual review based on their net income. To qualify, parents must have dependent children and must be leaving SFI for employment. (...) Offering health benefits to parents who leave SFI for employment is a National Child Benefit (NCB) reinvestment."
Source : Human Resources and Employment

 

Low-Income Programs Review Website (2001) - Alberta Human Resources and Employment NOTE: 1. this is the program review that led to the development and implementation of Alberta Works. 2. this site is now dead - the above link is to a copy of the page that was saved in 2005 from the Internet Archive - http://www.archive.org Low-Income Programs Review Reports (Nov. 2001) * What We Heard (PDF file - 589K, 108 pages) * What We Recommend (PDF file - 436K, 30 pages) Low-Income Review presents a vision for the future Press Release May 22, 2002 "Social programs will become fairer and more equitable as the government moves to implement the recommendations of the MLA Committee to Review Low-Income Programs. In a presentation to low-income stakeholders in Calgary, Alberta Human Resources and Employment Minister Clint Dunford released the committee's reports and confirmed that their recommendations will set the future direction for income support programs in Alberta." - incl. (all in the same file) : Backgrounder - Government Response Checklist - Low-Income Fact Sheet

Employability Council calls for action to improve services and raise awareness
April 10, 2002
"Edmonton...An independent advisory committee report suggests new strategies to improve work opportunities for Albertans with disabilities. Breaking Barriers, enhancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities is the final report to government from the Minister's Employability Council (MEC)."

Breaking Barriers - Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
Final Report of the Minister's Employability Council
April 2002
PDF Format (438K, 32 pages)
Text (RTF) Format 
Audio Format (RealAudio)

Rotary Club Speech by Hon. Clint Dunford Minister of Human Resources (PDF file - 19K, 8 pages) 
Edmonton - April 10, 2002 

Disability Related Employment Supports Brochure

SFI earnings exemption increase for families
News Release
November 14, 2001
Edmonton - Single parents and families with two working parents on Supports for Independence (SFI) can now earn up to $230/month before their SFI payment is reduced, doubling the previous employment earnings exemption. This is one of four changes to the Social Allowance Regulation designed to further encourage parents receiving SFI benefits to find and keep a job.
- incl. funding under the NCB

Some of Alberta’s low-income programs are being publicly reviewed by a five-member panel of government MLAs.
June 2001
News Release

National Child Benefit - One-page description of the NCB in Alberta - includes a short overview of services available to Albertans under the NCB and links to more information about each of those services...

Alberta Child Health Benefit
"The Alberta Child Health Benefit (ACHB) program is part of Alberta’s role in the National Child Benefit – a series of programs designed to address child poverty across Canada. The ACHB is a premium-free health benefit plan that provides dental, optical, emergency ambulance, essential diabetic supplies and prescription drug coverage for children living in families with low incomes."

Evaluation of the Alberta Child Health Benefit October 2001 A recent evaluation conducted by Nichols Applied Management (covering the period from January to April 2001) found "the ACHB is having a positive impact on children's health, child poverty, and the workforce participation of low-income parents and that there is a high level of client satisfaction with the program." The evaluation identified the need to increase awareness of the program among low-income Albertans. Executive Summary (PDF file - 60K, 4 pages) Final Report (PDF file - 370K, 100 pages)

Alberta Supports Low-Income Families Through the National Child Benefit (July 30, 2001)
- includes a detailed backgrounder with rate calculation information

Alberta families benefit from the National Child Benefit
May 01, 2001
"The news that fewer children are living in poverty and more low-income families are earning money from employment is a very positive sign, says Alberta Human Resources and Employment Minister Clint Dunford..."

Family Maintenance Program
The Family Maintenance program helps single parents and parents of blended families receive financial support from the other parent of their children. It is a mandatory service for all single parents or parents of a blended family who are receiving welfare [Supports for Independence].

Governments of Canada and Alberta sign an Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care
News Release
July 7, 2005
"CALGARY, ALBERTA — Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development, and Heather Forsyth, Alberta ’s Minister of Children’s Services, announced today an important Agreement in Principle that further supports the development of quality early learning and child care for young children and their families in Alberta."

Moving forward on early learning and child care:
Agreement in principle between the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta (PDF file - 245K, 10 pages)
July 7, 2005

Early Learning and Child Care Agreements in Principle
- links to the Early Learning and Child Care agreement that each participating jurisdiction has signed with the government of Canada since April 29, 2005 (as at July 8/05):
Alberta - Nova Scotia - Newfoundland and Labrador - Ontario - Saskatchewan - Manitoba

Source:
Social Development Canada

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Alberta deal props open the door to big box child care
Federal government & province sign deal that forks over cash to for-profit operators
July 7, 2005
"OTTAWA – The federal and Alberta governments have propped open the door to giant commercial child care chains in the deal they signed today, says D’Arcy Lanovaz, president of the Alberta division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). 'Without public delivery conditions attached to the federal funding, the door is now open in Alberta for giant commercial operators to pad their profits with taxpayer dollars,” says Lanovaz.
[NOTE: scroll to the bottom of the CUPE article for links to five more articles about child care .]
Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees

Related Links:
- go to the Government Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm

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Mike Harris in province to launch new initiative benefiting children
NewsRelease
May 20, 2003

Alberta's Promise
"Alberta's Promise is based upon the following five promises:
1. Providing a Healthy Start
2. Safety, Growth and Development
3. Interaction, Mentoring and Inspiration
4. Participation and Volunteering
5. Leadership and Innovation"

Related Link:

America's Promise
"The Five promises:
1. Caring Adults.
2. Safe Places.
3. A Healthy Start.
4.Marketable Skills.
5. Opportunities to Serve."

Uniting for Children Forum
October 2 - 3, 2001 
Calgary Roundup Centre
Calgary, Alberta 
The second children’s forum, Uniting for Children 2001, will expose delegates to new and innovative approaches to providing services for children, youth and families in Alberta. This is an opportunity to develop a united vision for the future of young people in Alberta.

For related links (incl. the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada) :
- see the Canadian Social Research Links Medicare Debate in Canada Links page

- incl. links to : Protecting Persons in Care - Human Rights, Diversity, and Equality -- Building Strong Communities - Volunteer and Community Development - Youth - Funding and Partnerships - Human Rights Education Funding - Commissions, Boards, Councils and Foundations - and much more...

New disabilities office to provide better coordination, improved access, increased awareness
News Release
February 20, 2004
"Edmonton... The new Office for Disability Issues, announced in this week's throne speech, will allow government to better coordinate policies and programs. As a central place to discuss disability issues, provincial government departments and stakeholders will have the opportunity to collaborate on and strengthen long-term planning to address the needs of Albertans with disabilities."
NOTE: when the new ODI is added to the Alberta Community Development website, it will be under the Helping Albertans link...

Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD)

Premier's Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Alberta Seniors and Community Supports

The Ministry consists of four functional units: Seniors Services, Housing Services, Strategic Planning and Supportive Living, and Strategic Corporate Services. In addition, the Alberta Social Housing Corporation (ASHC), and the Seniors Advisory Council for Alberta are part of the Ministry.

Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)
- incl. links to: What is AISH? - Am I eligible to receive AISH? - Who receives AISH? - How can I apply for AISH? - Can I work and receive AISH? - Can I appeal decisions about AISH? - Can I receive Alberta Works Income Support benefits while I'm receiving AISH benefits? Where can I get more information about AISH?

AISH clients can earn more while still receiving financial assistance
Employment income exemption increases, effective July
July 21, 2008
Edmonton... Albertans receiving assistance through the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program can now earn more money and still remain eligible for financial assistance. The employment income exemption increase is retroactive to July 1. (...) On July 1, the upper limit of the employment exemption formula increased by $500 to $1,500 per month for single AISH clients and to $2,500 per month for couples and clients with children. Close to 7,000 AISH clients are currently working.

Government increases AISH rates and supports employment
January 31, 2008
Edmonton
AISH benefits will increase for the second time in a year, and interested clients are able to access employment supports.

$1.6 billion in benefits provided to Alberta seniors
Information Bulletin
May 6, 2004
- incl. a list and brief description of Government of Alberta benefits to help seniors maintain their well-being and independence; these benefits total approximately $1.6 billion annually
- incl. Alberta Seniors Benefit - Health Care Insurance Premium Exemptions - Special Needs Assistance for Seniors program - Dental and Optical Benefits - Alberta Blue Cross Coverage for Seniors - Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL)

Other Alberta Sites - Autres sites de l'Alberta
(links are added in reverse chronological order, more or less...)

University of Calgary: Alberta, Ontario barely meeting needs of people with disabilities - BC failing
New study compares support for disabled across three provinces
Sept. 21, 2011
Calgary, Alberta
Most people will agree that a fundamental role of government is to provide a safety net for people who are disabled and have no source of income. However, in a groundbreaking comparative study released today by The School of Public Policy, Prof. Ron Kneebone reveals a disparity between the support provided by BC, Alberta and Ontario to disabled residents, and argues that BC is failing to provide for basic needs.
Source:
MarketWatch

Action to End Poverty in Alberta

The Inter-City Forum on Social Policy (ICFSP) has been researching the impacts of poverty in Alberta for several years. In 2010, member municipalities of ICFSP agreed to play a leadership role in engaging interested stakeholders to promote the need for a comprehensive poverty-reduction plan for Alberta. In November 2010, "A Dialogue on Poverty" was hosted by the ICFSP and the Family and Community Support Services Association of Alberta (FCSSAA). Over 100 concerned Albertans from across the province participated. Response from the forum unanimously supported the development of a poverty reduction plan.

Poverty reports, publications
and links to poverty organizations

What you can do
Poverty in Alberta can be reduced and ultimately eliminated. However, it will take the collective efforts of all of us to do so: in government, in business, in the non-profit sector and those most affected, the people living in poverty. The following tabs provide information and tools to persons in government, both elected and members of administration. Additionally there is information for organizations and anyone else interested in helping reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty in Canada.

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Poverty Reduction in Alberta
NOTE: this link takes you to the Alberta section of the
Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page of this site:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Since May 2010, ALL links to content concerning poverty reduction strategies and campaigns have been moved to the above page from the individual provincial/territorial pages, including government and NGO links.

Alberta Welfare Reform and
Employment Outcomes of Welfare Recipients (PDF - 231K, 38 pages)
By Rosita Yi Ki Kwan
Prepared for Progressive Economic Forum Graduate Student Essay Contest
April 30, 2011

[ Analysis of the 1993 welfare reform in Alberta using panel data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics ]

Abstract:
It is well-established in the literature that financial work incentives and employability programs have positive labour supply effect. Though it is found that after a series of welfare reforms based on the work-first approach in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., former welfare recipients and vulnerable groups, such as single mothers, tended to work in part-time or temporary jobs and witnessed limited wage growth; little is known about other job characteristics, such as union membership and pension plan coverage, of these groups. This study fills this gap by studying the 1993 welfare reform in Alberta using two years of panel data from Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. I find that both welfare recipients and single mothers who started working after the reform were more likely to be covered by collective agreement and work full-time. However, welfare recipients tended to work regular evening schedules rather than daytime schedules; while single mothers received lower composite wage rates. Hence, there is mixed evidence as to whether the Alberta welfare reform improved employment outcomes for these two groups. More research in this area is certainly needed.

Source:
Progressive Economics Forum

Calgary & Region Social Outlook, 2010 – 2015 (PDF - 4.1MB, 148 pages)
Released February 4, 2011
This report provides an annual review of key trends and issues and a short term outlook for the socio-economic environment. As a companion to the City of Calgary economic forecast, the report covers issues related to income security, food security, housing, the voluntary sector, diversity, arts and culture, recreation and sport, safety and community sustainability.
Source:
Social Outlooks
[ Part of Community & Neighbourhood Services ]
[ Part of City of Calgary website ]

Three new legal info portals launched with LawNet
Posted on: January 12, 2011
The Legal Resource Centre is pleased to announce the launch of LawNet (formerly ACJNet), three web portals that will help you find the legal-related information you need: LawNet Alberta, LawNet Canada, and LawNet Français. LawNet connects you to resources that will help you understand the legal system so that you know what to expect when dealing with a legal problem.

LawNet Alberta is a portal or collection of links to law-related information and educational resources on justice and legal issues of interest to Albertans. Our purpose is to create an educated public who understands their rights and responsibilities under the law, and who knows where to go for legal help and referral.
LawNet Alberta is a program of the Legal Resource Centre of Alberta Ltd, a non-profit and registered charity working in association with the Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta. It is supported by funding from the Alberta Law Foundation.

LawNet Canada is the website formerly known as the Access to Justice Network (ACJNet).
* Statutes and Regulations - includes links to all federal, provincial and territorial statues and regulations

LawNet Français est un portail ou une collection de liens vers des renseignements en matière juridique ainsi que des ressources éducatives concernant la justice et les enjeux juridiques d’intérêt pour les Canadiens. Notre but consiste à créer un public éduqué qui comprend ses droits et ses responsabilités dans le cadre de la loi, et qui sait où s’adresser pour trouver de l’aide juridique et des références.
[ Liens vers: Droit Canadien | Services | Centre de Ressources | Vulgarisation de l'Information Juridique | Recherche Juridique ]

NOTE: I found the reference to the launch of these law portals
in a recent news item from PovNet, which is well worth a visit in its own right.

threeSOURCE - A research & resource hub for Alberta's third sector
One of the major issues confronted by nonprofits, policy advocates and social service providers in Alberta is information sharing. Whether applying for funding, planning programs, or developing policy recommendations, this sector needs the latest information about what's going on locally. We're aiming to bring all this information together in a one stop shop with threeSOURCE. In addition to the website, we’ve also got an RSS feed of everything that gets added to the database - http://feeds.feedburner.com/threesource. Anyone can also subscribe, through the handy form in the left-hand column, to the monthly Research Update newsletter with lists of new acquisitions, important news, and reviews of key publications.

Time For Action: Working Together To End Poverty In Alberta (PDF - 1.6MB, 16 pages)
(...)Work on developing an Alberta poverty strategy has continued throughout 2010. Public Interest Alberta formed a task force to coordinate activities province-wide.
Using the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness as a model, Alberta should develop its own comprehensive initiative to reduce, eliminate, and prevent poverty.

53,000 Alberta Children Live Below Poverty Line
Report Calls on Governments and Others to Work Together to End Poverty
News Release
November 24, 2010
The Edmonton Social Planning Council and Public Interest Alberta released a new report that shows 53,000 Alberta children lived below Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off (after-tax) in 2008, and that number is probably higher today due to the effects of the recession on our economy

Source:
Edmonton Social Planning Council
The ESPC is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization. Our focus is social research – particularly in the areas of low income and poverty. The ESPC provides leadership within the community by addressing and researching social issues, informing public discussion and influencing social policy.

Public Interest Alberta
Public Interest Alberta is a non-profit, non-partisan, province-wide organization focused on education and advocacy on public interest issues. PIA exists to foster an understanding of the importance of public spaces, services and institutions in Albertans' lives, and to build a network of people and organizations committed to advancing the public interest.

Related link:

Alberta child poverty a 'hidden' crisis: report
53,000 kids affected, perhaps more
By Jana G. Pruden and Amy Minsky
November 25, 2010
Despite a government pledge to end child poverty 20 years ago, a new report says there are 53,000 children living below the poverty line in Alberta -- and possibly more, given downturns in the economy in the past two years, (...)The Alberta report says more than half of the children who live in poverty are from a household in which at least one person works full time year-round.
Source:
Edmonton Journal

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Vital Signs reports released in 15 Canadian cities
October 5, 2010
Vital Signs is part of a growing nation-wide initiative by Canadian community foundations to measure quality of life and take action to improve it.
On October 5, fifteen local Vital Signs report cards were released by community foundations across Canada.

Local Reports
Click the link above to access
reports for each participating city and area:
* Saint John (NB) * Lunenburg County (NS) * Montreal * Ottawa * Toronto * Hamilton * Kingston * Kitchener & Waterloo, Cambridge & North Dumfries * London * Calgary * Medicine Hat * Southeastern Alberta * Red Deer & District * Victoria * Vancouver

* The Calgary Foundation : Vital Signs 2010

* Community Foundation of Medicine Hat and Southeastern Alberta : Vital Signs 2010

* Red Deer & District Community Foundation : Vital Signs 2010

National Report:
Canada's Vital Signs 2010 (October 2010)

Source:
Vital Signs
Vital Signs is an annual check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada that measures the vitality of our communities, identifies trends, and shares opportunities for action in at least ten areas critical to quality of life. Since Toronto's first Vital Signs publication, the Report has been adopted by 16 communities across Canada and is now conducted nationally by Community Foundations of Canada.

Related link:

Community Foundations of Canada
We are the Canadian movement for community vitality, representing 174 Community Foundations across the country. Together, we help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work and play.

Alberta Provincial Election Resources
No set date for the next provincial election
Source:
Election Almanac
- complete coverage of federal, provincial and territorial elections in Canada including election results, public opinion polls, ridings and candidates, election news, electoral history, links, and more

- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm

The Cost of Eating in Alberta in 2008 (PDF - 1.8MB, 28 pages)
February 2009 (PDF file date)
The Alberta Community / Public Health Nutritionists Food Security Subcommittee has done a remarkable job in producing a document that shows you exactly why low -income individuals and families in Alberta cannot meet the requirements of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide.
Source:
Growing Food Security in Alberta
Our Vision : All children and families in Alberta have healthy food.
Our Mission : Engaging Albertans – groups, organizations, business, governments and individuals - in strategies to ensure secure access to adequate amounts of safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate food for everyone, produced in an environmentally sustainable way and provided in a manner that promotes human dignity.

Alberta cuts education support for low-income students
March 26, 2010
CALGARY — The Alberta government is cutting $12.5 million from Alberta Works, a welfare program that helps adults with lower incomes upgrade their education. Under the current program, a qualifying apprentice with no children is eligible for $869 a month in addition to EI to help cover job-related expenses, as well as childcare and rent costs. That will decrease to $834. Similarly, a couple with two children who once collected $2,302 a month in provincial welfare benefits will receive only $1,847. According to provincial Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, the changes are meant to equalize benefits for all students collecting income support under what's known as the "learner" category. Currently, two students with the same family size can conceivably receive different levels of funding, he said.

Tory cuts sting poor:
Welfare rates rolled back for adult education
March 27, 2010
Premier Ed Stelmach acknowledged Friday that provincial budget cuts will erode services for Alberta's most vulnerable, but stressed his government will minimize fallout on welfare recipients, foster parents and the disabled. After a week of being criticized by social agencies and political opponents for cuts to foster care and adults with developmental disabilities, the Stelmach government announced Friday rollbacks of welfare rates for Albertans looking to upgrade their education.

Source:
Calgary Herald

Related links:

Alberta Budget 2010, Striking the Right Balance
February 9, 2010

Budget summary by ministry
"The 2010-11 budget includes:
...
* $582 million for income supports and related health benefits, a $47-million reduction from 2009-10. Savings will be realized by redirecting potential expected-to-work income-support clients to employment services, training or work opportunities. As well, benefits to new learners will be reduced. Funding commitments to existing learners will be honoured at current benefit rates. Fewer income-support clients will also result in savings in the health benefit programs.
* $177 million for employment and training programs, a $15-million reduction from 2009-10.
..." (p.4)
Source:
Budget summary by ministry

Disparity Gap Growing Says New Report
Social Workers Propose New Social Policy Framework for Alberta
News Release
March 19, 2010
Edmonton – Growing disparity in Alberta is resulting in low and middle income families losing ground in both quality of life and standard of living, says a new report commissioned by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). The ACSW’s Social Policy Framework, prepared by the Parkland Institute, catalogues Alberta’s disparity gap and reveals that the province’s social infrastructure needs significant repair. (...)

Complete report:

CASW Social Policy Framework 2010:
Visioning a More Equitable and Just Alberta (PDF - 3.4MB, 60 pages)
March 2010
The report shows:
* Wages for Albertans have not kept pace with inflation, and in some years real wages actually dropped. Disposable income per capita in Alberta has stagnated.
* Middle class Albertans increased their incomes only by working more hours per year than anyone else in Canada.
* Alberta’s flat tax, introduced in 2001, has resulted in over $5 billion in lost revenue annually.

Source:
ACSW Disparity Campaign
[ Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)]

A made-in-Alberta child-tax benefit would reduce cost of poverty
Investment in poor would pay dividends to society, economy
By John Kolkman*
March 16, 2010
Alberta has experienced a modest drop in child and family poverty in recent years due to a strong economy and some reinvestment in social programs. Yet the 2006 federal census, taken at the height of the economic boom, found that 77,595 Alberta children (over one in 10) continued to live in poverty. Moreover, even these modest gains will be put at risk if the Alberta government makes the wrong choices in its upcoming budget. The government of Alberta should consider investing in a refundable child-tax benefit for low and modest income Alberta families. Alberta would thereby join several other provinces that have their own child-tax benefits to supplement federal child tax benefits.
Source:
Edmonton Journal

[ * John Kolkman is research and policy analysis
co-ordinator at the Edmonton Social Planning Council]

Related links:

Child and Family Benefits
- includes links to info about the following programs:
* Canada Child Tax Benefit
* Universal Child Care Benefit
* Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax Credit
* Working Income Tax Benefit
* National Child Benefit Supplement
* Child Disability Benefit
* Provincial and territorial programs
* MORE...
Source:
Canada Revenue Agency

Women Together Ending poverty (WTEP)
We are a Calgary-based diverse group of women working together to educate ourselves and other women about the root causes of poverty and to empower ourselves and other women to take action against poverty.
- incl. links to:
* Welcome * Our Principles * Our Platform * Our Regular Activities * Our Current Focus * Past Events * Future Events * Videos * Poverty Talks * Our Contact Info * Links

From Vibrant Communities Calgary:

* Cost of Living Factsheet - August 2009 (PDF - 1.2MB, 4 pages)
* Poverty Fact Sheet - August 2009 (PDF - 653K, 2 pages)
* Living Wage Fact Sheet - August 2009 (PDF - 1.8MB, 4 pages)
Source:
Vibrant Communities Calgary
Vibrant is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively, with various stakeholders and partners, seeking to engage Calgarians and to advocate for long-term strategies that address the root causes of poverty in Calgary.
[ Vibrant Resources ]

---

Vibrant Communities - Calgary
(from the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement)
- incl. * Calgary's Approach * Update * Contact Info * Key Documents

Vibrant Communities
Vibrant Communities is a community-driven effort to reduce poverty in Canada by creating partnerships that make use of our most valuable assets – people, organizations, businesses and governments. It’s a unique approach to poverty reduction that allows communities to learn from — and help — each other. Vibrant Communities links communities across Canada, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, in a collective effort to test the most effective ways to reduce poverty at the grassroots level.
[ Learn more about Vibrant Communities ]
[ Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement:
Tamarack exists to build vibrant and engaged communities in Canada. Our work will result in more collaborative approaches and less poverty. ]

Poverty Reduction Coalition
In 2004, United Way of Calgary and Area formed the Sustained Poverty Reduction Initiative to leverage people, resources and influence to reduce the causes and effects of poverty. The initiative was later renamed Poverty Reduction Coalition [ 2007 Backgrounder (PDF - 52K, 2 pages), and it is a community collaborative supported by United Way of Calgary and Area.
NOTE: this site hasn't been updated since late 2008, but it contains some interesting Calgary-focused reports going back a few years that are worth checking out...

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Community & Neighbourhood Services --- [City of Calgary]
"Community Strategies supports fledgling community issues and initiatives, works with The City of Calgary's not-for-profit partners and provides research, planning and marketing for community vitality and protection-related services at The City."
[ Publications, Guides & Directories ]

---

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poverty Reduction Coalition
- a volunteer-driven community collaborative, dedicated to reducing the incidence of poverty in Calgary, one of the city’s most complex and far-reaching issues.

Child and Family Poverty Too High in Wealthy Alberta
November 26, 2007
Related link:
Wages and Child and Family Poverty in Alberta: Fact Sheet
Source:
Public Interest Alberta

Alberta ready to defy boom bust cycles of the past: TD Economics (PDF file - 100K, 4 pages)
Press Release
September 27, 2007
CALGARY - Are Alberta’s boom-times setting the economy up for a classic bust? TD Economics says no in a report released today at the Calgary Economic Development’s Economic Outlook luncheon. There are a number of “flashing warning signs” such as the decline in natural gas prices and drilling output levels, as well as slower growth in home and consumer goods sales, but TD economists Don Drummond and Derek Burleton consider the “odds of a hard landing to be one in four.”
Source:
TD Economics

Executive Summary (PDF file - 434K, 3 pages)

Complete report:

The Tiger that Roared Across Alberta (PDF file - 1.1MB, 34 pages)

Related link:

Welfare clawback policies stymie labour recruitment, TD report says
September 28, 2007
EDMONTON - Alberta's economic growth could be hurt by excessive clawbacks of benefits received by low-income earners, suggests a report released, Thursday, by TD Bank. The Alberta government has suggested recruiting marginalized workers to offset a widespread labour shortage. But welfare recipients face a major disincentive in taking work because of "the extremely high personal marginal income tax rates as social assistance benefits are taxed back," the TD report stated.
Source:
The Edmonton Journal

The Family Benefit Packages in Alberta and BC Do Not Measure Up (PDF file - 60K, 2 pages)
News Release
March 7, 2007
Author Paul Kershaw (University of British Columbia) examines overall family benefits packages in Alberta and BC for different types of families and then compares them with those of other industrialized countries. His findings show that Alberta and BC rank low by international standards in terms of their combined investment in family benefits. The study serves as a reminder that promoting gender equity, raising healthy children and supporting parents in the quest to balance work and family requires more than rhetoric, it requires real investment.

Summary (PDF file - 48K, 1 page)
Policy Brief (PDF file - 112 K, 2 pages)
Complete study (PDF file - 625K, 44 pages)

Source:
Institute for Research on Public Policy

Parkland Op-Ed:
Manningcare failed before, it will fail again.
Private health insurance too costly.
by Diana Gibson
November 6, 2006
Preston Manning identifies real problems with Canada's health-care system, but his prescriptions do not hit the mark. Most notably, he, like his father Ernest Manning, favours private health insurance. Ernest Manning already tried private health insurance when he was the premier and it was a dismal failure.

Source:
Parkland Institute
The Parkland Institute is an Alberta research network situated within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. It operates within the established and distinctive tradition of Canadian political economy and is non-partisan.

The above column was written in response to the following article
written last week by Preston Manning and Mark Milke:

Will our next premier lead the health-care revolution?
Preston Manning and Mark Milke, Freelance
October 30, 2006
If contenders for Alberta's Progressive Conservative leadership wish to lead the necessary health-care revolution in Canada, they and every Albertan will gain much by considering what an excellent health-care system should look like.
Source:
Edmonton Journal

Earlier Parkland op-eds on the subject of health care:

On Health Care, Stephen Harper Doesn't Walk the Talk
by Diana Gibson
December 18, 2005

Parkland Op-Ed:
Fraud in private health insurance should surprise no one
by Diana Gibson
November 9, 2005

More from the Parkland Institute:

The Spoils of the Boom: Incomes, profits and poverty in Alberta
by Diana Gibson
June 13, 2007

Media Release
June 13, 2007
New Report Says Most Albertans Not Seeing the Benefits of the Boom
EDMONTON – Middle class Albertans are no better off as a result of the current boom, and Alberta’s poor are actually worse off than before says a new report from the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta.

Executive Summary (PDF file - 70K, 2 pages)

Complete report (PDF file - 1.6MB, 32 pages)

City hall could shelter homeless at night: mayor [Calgary]
November 1, 2006
Calgary's mayor says city hall could be used as temporary lodging for homeless people left in the cold, snowy streets at night because overwhelmed shelters are full.
Source:
CBC News Calgary

Edmonton print shop to house city's homeless
October 31, 2006
A former City of Edmonton print shop will become an emergency shelter this winter as part of the city's plan for dealing with a growing homelessness population. City council approved the $1.4 million plan Tuesday afternoon, saying emergency shelters are expecting a 50 per cent increase in people seeking help this winter.
Source:
CBC News Edmonton

Service Canada Regional Information:
Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
This page provides information on region-specific services for Individuals, Business and Organizations.
Services include: Jobs * Financial Benefits * Employment Insurance * Taxes * Training and Careers * Identification Cards * Travel and Passports * Health * Consumer Information * Canada and the World * Environment and Resources * Economy * Public Safety * Culture and Recreation * Science and Technology.
Source:
Service Canada
Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Alberta Food Bank Network Association
- incl. links to : Home - Mission - Projects - People - Members - Newsletter - Bulletin - Resources - Contact
Resources - several dozen links and to organizations and online resources

EmployAbilities
"EmployAbilities is a charitable non-profit organization, located in Edmonton, Alberta dedicated to promoting and enhancing employment and learning opportunities for persons with disabilities. We have served the Edmonton community for over 25 years and will continue to offer superior services through Community Partnerships and a committed staff." 
- incl. links to : Agency Profile - Assistive Technology - Community Partnerships - Job Postings - Fundraising - New Initiatives - Partners Call Centre - Resources - Success Stories - Training Programs - WORKink Alberta

WORKink Alberta - "The Virtual Employment Resource Centre"
Career and Employment Resources for Persons with Disabilities 
- Links to a wide range of information for people with disabilities and those who support them. 
Source:
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work

Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission
The Commission, an agency of the Government of Alberta in Canada, serves Albertans by offering human rights education services and by helping Albertans resolve human rights complaints. The Commission’s goals are to foster equality and reduce discrimination. 
Large site - use the site map to find your way around...

Albertans Against Poverty Organization (homelessness / minimum wage)
[ version française ]
"The Albertans Against Poverty Organization is a democratic organization of poor and working people dedicated to the eradication poverty and homelessness in Alberta & across Canada through consultation, advocacy, lobbying and direct action and by working in solidarity with like-minded individuals and organizations to challenge oppression in our society."
- see AAPO's campaigns to raise the minimum wage in Alberta and to eradicate homelessness in Canada; also includes a collection of links to national social policy organizations and union and links to social services in Edmonton
Daniel Dufresne - founder of AAPO

More of the Same?
The Position of the Four Largest Canadian Provinces in the World of Welfare Regimes
November 5, 2004
by Paul Bernard, Sébastien Saint-Arnaud
"In More of the Same? The Position of the Four Largest Canadian Provinces in the World of Welfare Regimes, Paul Bernard and Sébastien Saint-Arnaud locate the welfare regimes of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia among those of a group of advanced countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD]. They compare them in terms of a wide set of indicators representing public policy, social situations and level of public participation."

NOTE: This article is based partly on Gøsta Esping-Andersen's 1990 typology of welfare regimes in advanced capitalist societies and more recent related work. It's not a detailed comparison of welfare programs in certain Canadian jurisdictions, but rather an academic analysis of how the welfare systems in four Canadian provinces fit within the international typology. It should be emphasized that the analysis of welfare regimes in the four Canadian jurisdictions focuses on the mid-1990s, which was a tumultuous period in the evolution of the Canadian welfare system. Programs (and governments, except for Emperor Klein...) have changed since then, but ten years later, it's still true that "Alberta somewhat resembles the 'ultra-liberal' United States, while Quebec leans in the direction of Europe, and to some extent, of social-democracy." [Excerpt from the Abstract].

Complete report:

More of the Same? The Position of the Four Largest Canadian Provinces
in the World of Welfare Regimes (PDF file - 1.5MB, 32 pages)
November 2004
[translation of an article initially published in French in the
Canadian Journal of Sociology, Spring 2004]

Source:
Family Network
[ Canadian Policy Research Networks ]

Canada West Foundation (CWF)
Our mandate is to explore public policy issues of particular interest to western Canadians, to test national policies against regional aspirations and to ensure an effective regional voice in national policy discussions and the national political process.

A Profile of Poverty in Mid-Sized Alberta Cities
January 2000 
Canadian Council on Social Development

Another Look at Welfare Reform Autumn 1997 - an in-depth analysis by the National Council of Welfare of changes in Canadian welfare programs in the 1990s. The report focuses on the provincial and territorial reforms that preceded the repeal of the Canada Assistance Plan and those that followed the implementation of the Canada Health and Social Transfer.  Complete report online (PDF - 6.75MB, 134 pages) - large file, but well worth the wait for detailed information on welfare reforms in the 1990s in each Canadian jurisdiction, as well as a national overview of the broad issues of welfare reform and the setting for welfare reform in Canada Source : National Council of Welfare --- Version française: Un autre regard sur la réforme du bien-être social Source: Conseil national du bien-être social

Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
 

The Parkland Institute - [ University of Alberta ]
The Parkland Institute is a broad-based, provincial research organization, drawing support and representation from throughout the province and from various segments of Alberta society, including academics, private businesses, unions, professional, community and religious organizations. The Parkland Institute is situated within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. 

A few sample reports:

Some much better ways to use Klein's $1.4B giveaway
We could banish poverty, and give children top quality daycare. Now that's a legacy
October 10, 2005
by Gordon Laxer
"Giving out $400 prosperity cheques to each resident is a foolish squandering of Alberta's heritage.(...) The proponents of the so called "Alberta Advantage" argue that to attract investment and make Alberta more competitive, we need low taxes, oil royalty holidays, a low minimum wage, low public expenditures and low welfare payments. They assume a trade-off between economic efficiency and generous, universal public services. If you have extensive public services and anti-poverty policies, you can't have a vigorous economy, they say. But are they right?" (...)

New Parkland Institute Report Highlights Strengths of Public Health Care
More Private Financing Will Increase Costs and Hurt Accessibility
Press Release - November 2, 2004
Executive Summary (PDF file - 29K, 5 pages)

Public Remedies, Not Private Payments:
Quality Health Care in Alberta (2.2MB, 158 pages)
November 2004

Also from the Parkland Institute :

The Globalism Project

Pembina Institute
The Pembina Institute is an independent, not-for-profit environmental policy research and education organization. Founded in Drayton Valley, Alberta, the Pembina Institute has a multidisciplinary staff of more than thirty, with offices in Drayton Valley, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Ottawa. The Pembina Institute’s major policy research and education programs are in the areas of sustainable energy, climate change, environmental governance, ecological fiscal reform, sustainability indicators, and the environmental impacts of the energy industry.

Wild Rose Foundation - The Wild Rose Foundation is a lottery funded agency created by the Government of Alberta in November of 1984. The Foundation is governed by a seven-person Board of Directors. The Honourable Stan Woloshyn, Minister of Community Development in Alberta is also the Minister responsible for the Wild Rose Foundation. 
The Foundation's activities: 
1.Provide funding to volunteer, non-profit organizations that provide valuable services to Albertans; 
2.Foster or promote the use of volunteers, or to assist those who volunteer or use the services of volunteers in Alberta; and 
3.Foster or promote charitable, philanthropic, humanitarian, or public spirited acts or to assist those who perform them. 

Welfare reform in Alberta (1997) Back to Work: Learning from the Alberta Welfare Experiment April 9, 1997 By Kenneth J. Boessenkool Now here's a moldie goldie oldie - I lost track of this report some time ago and just recently stumbled across it again. I'm flagging this as an important report, not because I think the author "got it right" in his assessment of the relative success of Alberta's welfare reforms starting in 1993, but rather because I consider it a kind of manifesto of social conservatives with respect to welfare and welfare reform in Canada. Author Ken Boessenkool hails "the change [in 1993] in the administrative culture of Alberta Family and Social Services, as a result of which welfare applicants are now routinely turned away unless they have exhausted all other sources of support. In the second stage [of Alberta welfare reforms], the province brought benefit levels in line with wages earned by Albertans with low incomes. Together, these reforms appear to have contributed to a nearly 50 percent decline in the number of Albertans on welfare, Boessenkool says." [bolding added] On page 6 of his report, the author states, "Alberta did not cut its benefits [in IOctober of 1993] uniformly for all recipients. Rather, it focused its most severe reductions on single, employable individuals. They faced a 19 percent decline in benefits, which brought the amount just below the minimum wage." Wow. The welfare income of a single person with no disability in 1993 was "just below minimum wage" AFTER a 19% decrease in that person's maximum benefit level?? No way. Not true. I did interprovincial welfare rate comparisons for over 25 years as part of my job with the federal government. Never in that period - not once - did a single employable person on welfare receive even close to the prevailing minimum wage, in Alberta or in any other Canadian province. According to the National Council of Welfare's Welfare Incomes report, a single person on welfare in Alberta received about $5,600 for all of 1993. The provincial minimum wage for that year was $5.00 (or about $9,700 for the 52 weeks). Alberta welfare reforms a model for other provinces, says C.D. Howe Institute study (PDF file - 668K, 38 pages) April 1997 [NOTE: this PDF file includes a communiqué in English and one in French as well as the 29-page report itself] By Kenneth J. Boessenkool "The welfare reform program that Alberta embarked on in 1993 has reduced the province’s welfare caseload, as a percentage of its population, to levels not seen since before the early 1980s’ recession, a success that has important lessons for other provinces, concludes a C.D. Howe Institute Commentary released today. The study, Back to Work: Learning from the Alberta Welfare Experiment, was written by Kenneth J. Boessenkool, a Policy Analyst at the C.D. Howe Institute." [Excerpt from the Communiqué] Source: C.D Howe Institute Related Link: March 14, 2006: Tory strategists return to jobs as lobbyists Watchdog says move by Harper aides violates spirit of proposed ethics law By Glen McGregor and Tim Naumetz The Ottawa Citizen "Two former top aides to Prime Minister Stephen Harper registered to lobby the new Conservative government on key issues such as gas exploration, fuel taxes and airport policy just weeks after they helped Mr. Harper campaign on a promise to stop the revolving door between the lobbying world and government. Former Harper advisers Ken Boessenkool [bolding added] and Yaroslav Baran returned to the lobbying business, separately listing clients that include an association backing ethanol fuel tax breaks and Canada’s busiest airport, after taking a two-month break to work on the Conservative election campaign. An ethics watchdog says the lobby registrations violate the spirit of Mr. Harper’s proposed federal accountability bill, which promises to stop government officials from becoming lobbyists for five years after they leave their jobs. The registrations also may contravene standards already set by the existing federal code of ethics for lobbyists, says Democracy Watch director Duff Conacher."

New Democratic Party of Alberta

Community & Neighbourhood Services --- [City of Calgary]
"Community Strategies supports fledgling community issues and initiatives, works with The City of Calgary's not-for-profit partners and provides research, planning and marketing for community vitality and protection-related services at The City."

2006 Count of Homeless Persons in Calgary
July 2006
"The City of Calgary has conducted a census of absolutely homeless persons every two years since 1992. The Biennial Count of Homeless Persons provides a periodic snapshot of the size and characteristics of the “visible” homeless population in Calgary. The 2006 Count of Homeless Persons was conducted on 2006 May 10. A total of 3,436 homeless persons were enumerated."
* Full Report (PDF file - 711K, 93 pages)
* Executive Summary (PDF file - 43K, pages)
* FAQ (PDF file - 39K, pages)
* Earlier reports - back to 1994
Source:
Research on Affordable Housing and Homelessness
[Community & Neighbourhood Services]
[City of Calgary]
"Community Strategies supports fledgling community issues and initiatives, works with The City of Calgary's not-for-profit partners and provides research, planning and marketing for community vitality and protection-related services at The City."

Also from the City of Calgary Community and Neighbourhood Services:

Facts About Poverty in Calgary (PDF file - 70K, 6 pages)
November 2003

Calgary Food Bank
In 1999, the Calgary Food Bank required over $2 million in donated cash and over $8 million in donated food. More than 44,000 hampers were distributed to approximately 121,000 Calgarians who came to us for help. In addition 62,000 people were fed every month through the Food Link program

Calgary Homeless Foundation
"[T]he Foundation provides capital funding for housing projects and has committed itself to providing the vehicle for community consultation on homelessness issues and community
collaboration on solutions."

(dis)Abilities - The (dis)Abilities Special Interest Group
Calgary Community-Net 
- links to about two dozen disability-related sites in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and elsewhere 

Calgary Community Network Association ("Calgary Community-Net")

Watering Down the Milk: Women Coping on Alberta’s Minimum Wage
- A report by Calgary Status of Women Action Committee, February 1999

City of Edmonton Housing Services
- incl. links to Ten-Year Low-Income and Special Needs Housing Strategy - A Count of Homeless Persons in Edmonton (3 reports - latest is September, 2000) - Edmonton Community Plan on Homelessness

Edmonton Housing Trust Fund
"The Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF) was established in October of 1999 by the Edmonton Coalition on Homelessness Society to address the growing concern over the availability of affordable housing sufficient to meet the needs of the city of Edmonton’s lower-income and special needs citizens."
October 2002 homeless count (PDF file - 296K, 12 pages)

Edmonton Social Planning Council
The Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC) is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization. A voluntary Board of Directors representing all community sectors governs the Council. The ESPC builds community through research, advocacy and public education. We identify trends and emerging social issues, then create opportunities to debate those trends and issues.

Inclusive Cities Canada Project Reports provide wake-up call on future of Canada’s cities Media Release March 23, 2005 "‘Social inclusion’ reports were released today in five cities -- Saint John, Toronto, Burlington, Edmonton and Vancouver. They are the work of Inclusive Cities Canada, a unique, participatory research initiative that uses a social inclusion framework to build people-friendly cities, promote good urban governance and develop strategies for supporting urban diversity. The federally-funded initiative set up Civic Panels made of community and municipal leaders to conduct social inclusion ‘audits’. Over 1,000 participants contributed to the findings. The research examined important dimensions of social inclusion, such as how cities respond to diversity, levels of civic engagement, living conditions, opportunities for human development and community services." Download the report for Edmonton (PDF file - 655K, 45 pages) Related Link: The Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC) is a non-profit, independent social research and advocacy organization. The ESPC provides leadership to the community and its organizations in addressing social issues and effecting changes to social policy. Our work includes the definition of the scope and nature of social issues (social research), facilitation of community based solutions to social problems (social planning), the promotion of strategies which will reduce the long term costs and problems caused by unresolved social issues (advocacy), information and referral regarding human service and health programs, and the demonstration of new models of service delivery (innovation). Source: Inclusive Cities Canada "Inclusive Cities Canada: A Cross-Canada Civic Initiative is a unique partnership of community leaders and elected municipal politicians working collaboratively to enhance social inclusion across Canada. The goals of Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC) are to strengthen the capacity of cities to create and sustain inclusive communities for the mutual benefit of all people, and to ensure that community voices of diversity are recognized as core Canadian ones." Federation of Canadian Municipalities [Inclusive Cities Canada works in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities] The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is a national organization of 1000 plus cities in Canada. Comprised of locally elected politicians, FCM endeavours to support local governments through conferences, research and information and acts as a lobby for the interests of cities with the Federal Government. Over the past 15 years besides issues of local infrastructure, FCM has advocated for a better quality of life in our local communities. To achieve our goals, FCM liaises and works with numerous other Canadian groups and organizations. - Go to the Municipalities Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/municipal.htm

Search the Web Search Canadian Social Research Links Only

TIP: How to Search for a Word or Expression on a Single Web Page  Open any web page in your browser, then hold down the Control ("Ctrl") key on your keyboard and type the letter F to open a "Find" window. Type or paste in a key word or expression and hit Enter - your browser will go directly to the first occurrence of that word (or those exact words, as the case may be). To continue searching using the same keyword(s) throughout the rest of the page, keep clicking on the FIND NEXT button. Try it. It's a great time-saver!