Non-Governmental and
Municipal Government Sites in Ontario
D-W

Updated March 7, 2010

version française

[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

Major Milestones in Poverty Reduction in Ontario
December 2008
By John Stapleton
Brief overview of 10 significant poverty reduction initiatives in Ontario, from the First Upper Canada Statute in 1792 to the 2008 Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Source:
Open Policy (John Stapleton's website)

See also:
- Canadian Social Research Links Ontario Non-Governmental and Municipal Govt.Sites (A-C) page
- Canadian Social Research Links Antipoverty Strategies and Campaigns page
- Canadian Social Research Links Guide to Welfare in Ontario
- Canadian Social Research Links Ontario - Government Links page
- Canadian Social Research Links Ontario - Spouse-in-the-House page ("The Falkiner Case")
- Canadian Social Research Links Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page (Kimberly Rogers. Louise Gosselin, etc.)
- Canadian Social Research Links Provincial-Territorial Political Parties and Elections in Canada - incl. Ontario election links
- Rendez-vous à la page de Liens aux sites de recherche sociale en Ontario

Down but Not Out: Reforming Social Assistance Rules
that Punish the Poor for Saving (PDF - 173K, 6 pages)
By John Stapleton
Toronto, March 2 – Reform is required for social program rules that prevent the poor from saving in Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs), according to a study released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Down but Not Out: Reforming Social Assistance Rules that Punish the Poor for Saving,” author John Stapleton says that encouraging asset accumulation, even in small amounts, is crucial in helping to lift people out of poverty. Yet most Canadian welfare, disability and social service programs deny or cancel benefits if applicants or recipients place a modest level of savings in an RRSP or TFSA. Barring a province-led effort at reform, says Stapleton, the federal government should take the lead by calling on provinces and territories to exempt meaningful RRSP and TFSA amounts from their welfare asset rules, leaving individual jurisdictions to decide the appropriate levels

NOTE: this paper includes a table entitled
"Treatment of Registered Instruments in Provincial Social Assistance Programs in Canada, 2010"
Recommended reading!!
March 2010
For each Canadian province and territory, you'll find information about how the welfare system treats income from Registered Instruments (including Registered Retirement Savings Plans, Registered Education Savings Plans, Registered Disability Savings Plans and Tax Free Savings Accounts). The table also includes current liquid asset exemption levels for selected family types and sizes in each jurisdiction.
Source:
C.D. Howe Institute

More links to John Stapleton's recent published work
- this link takes you further down on the page you're now reading

The Ontario 2009-10 Budget was tabled on March 26, 2009.
The Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review 2009 was tabled on October 22, 2009

For links to the Budget papers and to analysis and reviews from a number of sources,
go to the 2009 Canadian Government Budgets Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets_2009.htm

Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy

On December 4, 2008, the Government of Ontario committed itself to reducing the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over the next 5 years.
For a large (200+) and current collection of links to up-to-date online resources about the Ontario strategy from the Ontario government and from NGOs,
go to the Canadian Social Research Links Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm
(click on "Ontario" in the list of provinces at the top of the page.)

OR...

Go directly to the websites of:

(1) the Ontario Government poverty reduction strategy:

Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy
(Government of Ontario)
- incl. links to :
* Why It Matters * What's Happening Now * Where We Want to Be * Research * Meet the Team * Chair's Update (Deb Matthews) * Ontario Child Benefit * Ontario Disability Support Program * Ontario Works Program, and

(2) the NGO partners who are monitoring the government's implementation of its strategy:

Poverty Watch Ontario - "To monitor and inform on cross-Ontario activity on the poverty reduction agenda"
Poverty Watch Ontario is keeping an eye on the provincial poverty reduction consultations and poverty reduction events in Ontario.
Poverty Watch Ontario is a joint venture of the Social Planning Network of Ontario, Ontario Campaign 2000, and the Income Security Advocacy Centre.
[ Poverty Watch Resources - links to websites and reports ]

Daily Bread Food Bank (Toronto)
"The Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit, non-denominational charitable organization working to eliminate hunger in the Greater Toronto Area. It is Canada's largest food bank, serving 170 food programs. In addition, we work together to try to end the root causes of hunger through public education and research."

Publications

Sample reports:

Picturing poverty: Ontario's new Material Deprivation Index
By Chandra Pasma
July 9, 2009
"(...) Canada has no official definition of poverty. There are a number of definitions and measures that are commonly but unofficially used for social policy discussions, but no formal agreement as to what we are seeking to eliminate in Canada. For this reason, provincial poverty reduction strategies have had to choose their own definition and measurement of poverty. Measuring is essential to tracking movement and providing accountability.

Ontario chose to develop a new measure, the Ontario Material Deprivation Index. Ontario’s strategy will use this measure in conjunction with two other measures: 40% of median income as a measurement of the depth of poverty, and 50% of median income to measure low income. (Although both of these are relative measures, Ontario chose to fix its target of 25% reduction of poverty in 5 years according to the 50% low income measure fixed at its 2008 level and adjusted by inflation only). The Deprivation Index fits in the context of these other two measures as a way of understanding standard of living. It is not considered to be a complete description of poverty, but a way of recognizing common symptoms of poverty. It includes multiple elements of poverty, including deprivation that leads to social isolation, issues of economic security, and the ability to make changes in your life.
[ more... ]

The Ontario Material Deprivation Index
was developed by the Daily Bread Food Bank
in conjunction with people living in poverty.
Source:
Chandra's Blog
[ Citizens for Public Justice ]

Fighting Hunger : Who’s Hungry
2009 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area
June 18
Complete report:
Fighting Hunger : Who’s Hungry
2009 Profile of Hunger in the GTA (PDF - 798K, 28 pages)
June 2009

Report illustrates food bank use spike to over 1 million visits
Food bank clients going into debt and selling assets to pay for food and rent
June 18, 2009
TORONTO - Government programs are failing to support people ravaged by the recession, according to Daily Bread Food Bank's latest Who's Hungry: Profile of Hunger in the GTA. Client visits to GTA food banks over the past year exceeded 1 million for the first time ever. Total client visits were 1,030,568, a rise of 8% over last year. More disturbingly, the increase in client visits in the first three months of 2009 averaged 17%. The spike in food bank use is directly related to the current recession. Over half of new clients surveyed accessed a food bank for economic reasons due to job loss (35%), reduced hours at work (6%), or had no current source of income and were living on savings (11%).
Source:
Canada Newswire

Key findings (PDF - 51K, 1 page)
[there's more info on each finding below in the PDF file.]
* Food bank use in the GTA has rapidly increased in the past year due to the recession.
* The largest portion of new clients is people who have lost their jobs or have had their hours cut. A substantial number are not accessing welfare because of their savings.
* The majority of people using food banks do so for a relatively short period of time.
* Over one third of food bank clients are children. However, single adults remain the largest household type using a food bank.
* The majority of respondents are Canadian citizens, and many are immigrants who have been in Canada for 10 years or more.
* A significant percentage of respondents are highly educated, and include newcomers who cannot get work in their field.
* The cost of housing is the largest expense for most people.
* Hunger in the GTA is the result of lack of money, not lack of food.
* Being employed is not always a ticket out of poverty.
* People living in poverty have a high level of vulnerability to costly forms of debt in order to pay for their basic needs

---

Coalition releases innovative plan to address housing poverty
[missing link]
News Release
November 17, 2008
TORONTO – A coalition of private, public and non-profit housing associations, community organizations, academics, and foundations released a proposal today for a new housing benefit for low-income Ontarians. The proposal, outlined in A Housing Benefit for Ontario: One Housing Solution for a Poverty Reduction Strategy, recommends a new income benefit that will help low-income, working age renters with high shelter costs in communities across Ontario. The proposal would add a necessary affordable housing component to Ontario’s highly anticipated Poverty Reduction Strategy, expected in December.

A Housing Benefit for Ontario
One Housing Solution for a Poverty Reduction Strategy (PDF - 255K, 30 pages)
November 2008
"(...)The proposed benefit pays an average of $103 per month to an estimated 66,000 families and 129,000 individual and couple households. The amount of the benefit is based on a formula that pays 75% of shelter costs between a floor and a ceiling that varies by community size. The housing benefit is reduced as income rises."

Housing Benefit Summary (PDF - 57K, 2 pages)

Housing Benefit Q & A (PDF - 44K, 5 pages)

Source:
Proposal submitted to the Province of Ontario by a coalition of industry and community organizations:
Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association
Greater Toronto Apartments Association (no website found)
Metcalf Charitable Foundation
Atkinson Charitable Foundation
Daily Bread Food Bank

---

Research shows food bank clients spend 77% of income on rent
TORONTO, June 24, 2008
People accessing food banks in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are unable to get ahead because of the high cost of housing, according to a report released today by Daily Bread Food Bank. Who's Hungry: 2008 Profile of Hunger in the GTA found that food bank clients pays an average of 77% of their income on housing alone, which crowds out money available for other basic necessities such as food.

Complete report:

Who’s Hungry:
2008 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area (PDF - 672K, 32 pages)
June 2008

Hungry City> Make Your Mark!
Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank Blog
Launched in June 2007
"(...) It is time to take the next steps in the fight against hunger and that is where Hungry City> Make Your Mark comes in. It is also where you come in. We are armed with information and we have realistic policy solutions outlined in A New Deal to Fight Hunger. Now, we need to come together for real political change. You are invited to post your concerns about hunger and poverty in your community on this blog. Keep visiting hungrycity.ca to see where people stand on this important issue. Daily Bread Food Bank is committed to ending the need for food banks and we are excited to work with our community and start mobilizing to have our voices heard. No one should go hungry in our great city, province or country. I’ve made my mark…have you?" [Excerpt from the Hungry City Blog Welcome Message, June 5/07)

Who's Hungry: 2007 Profile of Hunger in the GTA (PDF file - 1.8MB, 32 pages)
June 5, 2007
Read a detailed report about the current hunger crisis in the GTA. It features Daily Bread's A New Deal to Fight Hunger, a significant next step toward solving the hunger crisis.

Who's Hungry 2007 : Key Statistics (PDF file - 63K, 1 page)
June 5, 2007
Check out the key statistics drawn from the survey over 1,800 food bank clients from across the GTA.

A New Deal to Fight Hunger (PDF file - 60K, 2 pages)
June 1, 2007
Daily Bread's call for a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy

Related link:

Hungry City - A Daily Bread Food Bank Initiative
There is no excuse for hunger and poverty in a country as wealthy as Canada, the Hungry City initiative is your chance to take action. Join with thousands of others to make your voice heard for real political change, to elect a provincial government committed to ending hunger and poverty on October 10th, 2007. Hungry City is about you. Find out how you can participate, make your mark here...

Daily Bread’s Who’s Hungry report illustrates depth of hunger crisis
Survey examines hunger in the GTA and Daily Bread advances solutions
(PDF file - 96K, 1 page)
News Release
June 6, 2006
TORONTO, ON ? Food bank use across the GTA has risen a dramatic 79% since 1995, according to the report Who’s Hungry: 2006 Profile of Hunger in the GTA released today at BCE Place. The results of Daily Bread’s annual survey paint a picture that cannot be ignored of the struggles and financial plight of the diverse population relying on food banks. The 894,017 people who accessed emergency food services last year through GTA food banks, 38% of whom were children, would not go hungry if the issue of poverty were addressed. So, in conjunction with the report, Daily Bread advances the Blueprint to Fight Hunger.

Complete report:

Who's Hungry:
2006 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area
(PDF file - 1.9MB, 13 pages)

Blueprint to Fight Hunger (PDF file - 214K, 1 page)
June 2006

Working people go hungry
Low pay, no health benefits drive families to welfare, says Sue Cox
Jun. 28, 2005
"Food banks are on a treadmill; we have to run faster just to stay in the same place. After 16 years of working at the Daily Bread Food Bank, I have never seen the food bank network as strained as it is now. We can't keep running more and more food drives to keep up to demand. So the time is right for fair and sensible welfare policies that make work pay and eliminate hunger. As Bob Geldof said this week, 'charity is always worth it, but it can never deal with the structure of poverty. That's politics.'"
[Sue Cox is the former executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto.]
Source:
The Toronto Star

Who's Hungry: 2005 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area (PDF file - 393K, 28 pages)
June 07, 2005
"Daily Bread Food Bank insists that charitable food relief programs are only a temporary solution to hunger. Food banks have consistently advocated that government programs ensure a decent standard of living for everyone. Despite this work, food banks are still entrenched as a necessary social service for low-income people, compensating for the government cutbacks of the 1990s and the increasingly tenuous labour market."

Survey results indicate drastic overhaul of social assistance required (PDF file - 60K, 2 pages)
Report looks at who’s hungry in Toronto in 2005 and how to help them
News Release
June 7, 2005
"TORONTO, ON – Thirty-four per cent of people on Ontario Works are discouraged from working because of the deduction of employment income from their social assistance, according to the results of Daily Bread’s 2005 survey of people relying upon food banks. As a result, just thirteen per cent of this group reports work income (virtually identical to the 14% who do so across the province). The loss of dental and drug benefits is another major barrier to getting back to work as shown by the experience of people relying upon food banks who are working full-time—46 per cent of them have no dental coverage and only 43 per cent have an employer drug plan."

Rebuilding Lives:
Taking children off welfare and encouraging their parents to work (PDF file - 390K, 18 pages)
March 15, 2005
"Daily Bread's detailed proposal on the best way for the provincial government to keep its promise to end the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from social assistance cheques. To do so, it recommends changing how social assistance benefits are calculated so that adults have a greater incentive to work their way off welfare and their children receive the NCBS whether their parents are on or off welfare."

Governments Failing Newcomers:
Highly Skilled Immigrants Being Forced to Use Food Banks (PDF file - 26K, 4 pages)
March 26, 2005
"Preliminary results from the 2005 Annual Survey on skilled immigrants being forced to rely upon foodbanks to survive in Toronto. This report builds a strong and compelling case for greater financial support from the federal government to help the province of Ontario aid immigrant settlement to quicken the pace of their integration into the Canadian economy--benefitting both the immigrants and the long-term health of the Canadian economy."

Housing Report Update: Rising Food Bank Use Linked to Tenant Protection Act (PDF file - 142K, 3 pages)
November 02, 2004
"Daily Bread has taken a closer look at our research statistics to determine the correlation between rent increases and food bank use. The results are included in the attached an update to our August report on housing. The data shows that there is a strong link between rising food bank use and the Tenant Protection Act. "

How much difference would the NCBS make for food bank families? (PDF file - 138K, 2 pages)
A review of the impact of the "clawback" of the National Child Benefit Supplement is affecting children whose families are on social assistance
Research Bulletin #4
August 31, 2004
"...it is possible to extrapolate that approximately 13,500 children in the Greater Toronto Area alone would no longer need to use a food bank if their families received the National Child Benefit Supplement."

Somewhere to Live or Something to Eat: Housing Issues of Food Bank Clients in the GTA
August 2, 2004
- based on housing statistics from the Daily Bread Food Bank's Annual Survey of Food Bank Clients.
"This 22-page paper looks at the key housing issues affecting food bank clients. Set against the context of the Welfare Rates cut in 1995 and the Tenant Protection Act in 1998, the paper focuses on rent and income problems many food bank clients are facing now. (...) It is particularly timely given that the Ontario government has just completed its consultation process for new landlord-tenant legislation and is currently engaged in writing a new act in which new rent control guidelines will be established. This paper should be viewed as a contribution to that process."

Complete Report (PDF file - 766K, 22 pages)
Summary of Housing Report (PDF file - 24K, 2 pages)

Who's Who? (PDF file - 56K, 1 page)
July 20, 2004
"This profile of food bank clients looks specifically at family groups, sources of income, immigration and gender by age. This information is collected from our 2004 Annual Survey."

Who’s Hungry? (PDF file - 39K, 1 page)
June 21, 2004
"This updated fact sheet answers the question Who’s hungry? by examining data provided by Daily Bread’s annual survey of food recipients. The report provides statistics on the issues impacting low-income people in the GTA."

Ontario Works? (PDF file - 84K, 8 pages)
June 16, 2004
A submission on the work-for-welfare programs in Ontario to the Provincial Government.

DAWN DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario
"DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN) Ontario is a cross-disability, feminist organization working towards access, equity, and full participation of Women with disAbilities through public education, coalition-building, self-advocacy, resource development, and information & communication technology."
- incl. links to : Text version - What's New - Resources - Publications - Justice Issues - Health Issues - Inclusion Award - Access Checklist - Online Community - Research Posts - Who We Are - What We Do - Our Vision - Herstory - Fact Sheet - Action Alert - Membership - Join E-List - Guestbook - Feedback - Contact Us - Credits
Links - Links to hundreds of websites about women and disability - excellent resource!

Selected site content:

Outcry against Bill 107 grows: more than 50 organizations call on Premier for change
June 15, 2006
Former Human Rights Commissioner and member of 1992 Cornish Task Force Advisory Committee Tom Warner joined community leaders at a press conference this morning to release an open letter to Premier McGuinty. The letter was signed by more than 50 organizations representing racialized communities, seniors, gays and lesbians and people with disabilities. It sets out growing concerns over Bill 107, the government's human rights reform legislation, and condemns the Premier's plan to hold public hearings on the legislation in the summer when people are less able to attend and boards are unable to meet to approve submissions. The groups are calling on the Premier to hold the hearings in the fall and be prepared to make the necessary changes.

Background info on Bill 107

Source:
DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN) Ontario

Related Links:

Ontario Human Rights Reform - A Call to Action
FIX THE FLAWED BILL 107 ACTION KIT
May 18, 2006
"(...) summarizes what Bill 107 does, explains what’s wrong with Bill 107, and explains the three changes to Bill 107 we seek."
Source:
Ontario Human Rights Reform - A Call to Action ===> incl. 18 related links
[ Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance (AODA)]

Related Links:

Strengthening Ontario's Human Rights System - from the Ontario Human Rights Commission
- includes links to the August 2005 System Review Discussion Paper, the October 2005 Consultation Report and news release, the Ministry of the Attorney General's February 2006 news release, the Commission's preliminary comments on proposed reforms to Ontario’s human rights system and the letter from Chief Commissioner to the Attorney General, March 7th, 2006

More info on the history of human rights legislation
and proposed changes in Ontario
- links to a dozen presentations given at a January 2005 Faculty of Law (University of Toronto) workshop on administrative design and the human rights process in Ontario

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance (AODA)
(successor of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee since August 2005)

Legislature Gives Controversial Bill 107 Approval on Second Reading
& Refers the Bill to the Standing Committee for Public Hearings
June 24, 2006
[Bill 107 is the Ontario government's human rights reform legislation.]
Put in your Request Now to Make a Presentation to the Standing Committee Hearings
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update
- incl. What's New? - What's Next? - An Important Partial Victory - What Should You Do? - Sample Request to Make a Presentation at the Standing Committee

R.E.A.L. Women of Canada's lobby efforts to disband
Status of Women and the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO)
June 24
REAL Women of Canada has obtained an additional Access to Information request on feminist groups for 2004 - 2005 through Status of Women Canada. In their latest newsletter (May-June 2006), they've posted budgets to organizations such as LEAF, NAWL and NAC on their website as a part of their Letter Writing Campaign to MPs.

Version française:
Bulletin : Le lobby R.E.A.L. Women of Canada tente de faire démanteler Condition
féminine Canada et le Comité permanent de la condition féminine (CPCF)

Senate Committee on Autism
Funding for the Treatment of Autism referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology for Study and Report
"After all this hard work by so many, it appears that we finally got funding for autism treatment on the agenda! It is on the radar screen..."

National Child Benefit / National Child Benefit Supplement
Rate Increase July 2006
"The provincial government stopped taking the 2% NCBS increases, as part of the Clawback, a couple of years ago. Thus, as of July, you get to keep 6% of the increases, which are included in the amounts above. If you receive income assistance in Ontario, the provincial government reduces your assistance cheque by 84% of the NCBS you receive, regardless of whether you are working..."

Related Link:

Legal Challenge to the NCBS Clawback
from Families on social assistance
- includes a link to a detailed NCBS Backgrounder
Source:
Income Security Advocacy Centre

Ontario Budget Reaction 2006 - The People Have Their Say
March 24, 2006
Thanks to Barbara Anello of DisAbled Women's Network-Ontario for compiling (probably into the wee hours, if I know my friend Barbara...) and posting this selection of almost two dozen reactions to the 2006 Ontario budget by non-governmental organizations and individuals.
All on one page (with links at the top), you'll find:
The People have Spoken Loud and Clear - Dalton McGuinty's Budget is another Liberal Letdown:
* Health Care
* Education
* Energy
* New Deal for Cities
* Jobs
* Help for the Vulnerable
* Media Release: Dalton's leaky budget - missed opportunities for people
* Media Release: Dalton McGuinty's Pay More Get Less Budget - Tory says McGuinty should have focused on balanced budget, not reckless spending
* Social assistance payments rise again, but it's not enough, advocate says
Source:
DAWN Ontario (Disabled Women's Network - Ontario)

NOTE: for more info on the 2006 Ontario Budget, go to the Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) Alliance Update
Major Tide of Opposition Rises in Opposition to McGuinty Government's Plans to Weaken the Ontario Human Rights Commission -- but McGuinty Government Has Not Answered Our Important Questions, and Signals it is Not Listening to Us
March 24, 2006

Related Links:

DAWN Ontario's Open Letter to Premier McGuinty
Re: Proposed Reforms to the Ontario Human Rights Code
March 19, 2006
"We, DAWN Ontario: the Disabled Women's Network Ontario, are writing to voice our strong opposition to your Government's plans to weaken the Ontario Human Rights Code, announced on February 20, 2006." [see the link below to the Feb. 20 govt. announcement].

Human Rights Reform Action Kit (DAWN-Ontario)
Help Prevent the Gov't from Weakening
Enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code
"On Feb. 20, 2006, the Ontario Gov't said it will introduce a law (likely late March or April) to change enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code. That system needs reform. It's too slow, frustrating, and hard for many to use. Yet, the Government's proposal will make things worse, not better. It will create new barriers that make it harder for people to get their human rights respected."

-----
From the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General:

Ontario Government to Modernize Human Rights System:
Better Serving The Public The Aim Of Proposed Changes
February 20, 2006
News Release
"A stronger, faster, more effective human rights system that better serves the public is the aim of changes being proposed by the McGuinty government, Attorney General Michael Bryant announced today."
-----

Changes to the Ontario Disability Supports Program (ODSP) Earnings and Employment Supports
"On February 8th [2006], the Province of Ontario announced changes to the earnings and employment support rules for recipients under the Ontario Disability Supports Program. "
- includes the two links below PLUS links to the government press release, backgrounders and the actual text of the regulatory amendments that changed the rules

Preliminary summary of changes (analysis by the Income Security Advocacy Centre)

Chart - Comparison of the treatment of income from work before and after the ODSP changes.

Source:
Income Security Advocacy Centre
[found on the website of
DisAbled Women's Network Ontario]

Government fails Kimberly Rogers again:
Three years after her death while under house arrest, Queen's Park is still ignoring the bulk of the jury recommendations
August 3, 2004
Article by Jane Smith (a juror in the Kimberly Rogers inquest) and Jacquie Chic (Director of Advocacy and Legal Services at the Income Security Advocacy Centre, which represented two groups at the inquest).
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related Link:

Justice with Dignity : Remember Kimberly Rogers
A coroner's inquest was held, starting in October 2002 in Sudbury into the death of Kimberly Rogers on August 11 (2001), after being convicted of welfare fraud in the spring of that year for not declaring student loans she received while collecting social assistance. The Justice with Dignity website is where you'll find the most complete and current collection of information about this inquiry.
Source:
DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario

See Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests (a Canadian Social Research Links page where you'll find links to information about the inquest into the death of Kimberly Rogers and more.)

United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin*
April 30, 2004

Consultation Launched on Rental Housing
" Ontario's Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has begun consultations aimed at reforming the Province's laws and regulations governing the relationship between landlords and tenants. A consultation paper has been published to help guide the process and frame some of the key issues.(...) Input to the consultation will be accepted until June 15th."

Legislation to Curb Sixty-Hour Work Week
"In late April, the provincial government introduced amendments to the Employment Standards Act to reduce the legal workweek from 60 hours to 48 hours. If passed, the legislation will require employers to apply to the Ministry of Labour and obtain the employee's written consent to work more than 48 hours per week. To make the process as simple as possible, employers will be able to apply without fee and on-line."

New Provincial Rent Bank and Energy Emergency Fund
"The Province has announced one-time funding of $10 million to establish rent banks that will provide low-income tenants with short-term assistance to deal with rent arrears. In recent years, rent banks have been created in a number of Ontario communities, and have proven successful in reducing evictions."

Legislation to Allow Family Medical Leave
"The McGuinty government has introduced legislation that will allow workers unpaid leave to care for ill or dying family members.Under the proposed legislation, employees would be entitled to up to eight weeks leave, provided a qualified health care professional has issued a certificate stating that an immediate family member has a serious medical condition and there is significant risk of death within the next 6 months. "

Report Finds Domestic Homicides Predictable and Preventable
"In its first annual report, the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) found common risk factors were often present that could have led professionals experienced in domestic violence to predict a domestic homicide. (...) The Committee examined 11 of the 25 cases of domestic violence fatalities occurring in 2002. In many cases family, friends, healthcare professionals, counselors or the police were aware of problems, but failed to identify or appreciate the significance of obvious warning signs."

Additional Funding for Autism
" In late March the Province announced it will double the funding for autism initiatives in the 2004-2005 fiscal year. But the funds will continue to be focused primarily on meeting the needs of children under six years of age."

Minimum Wage Workers and Low-paid Worker Mobility
"Recent data released by Statistics Canada sheds new light on people who work for minimum wages. More that half a million Canadians, or 4% of the workforce, earn a minimum wage. Almost all work in the service or retail sectors, two-thirds are women, and most are under 25, a large number of whom are students. But 10% were heads of their households, with half of those being single parents, and the other half being people with spouses who were not working."

*United Ways of Ontario doesn't appear to have its own website...
- the above links point to the website of DisAbled Women's Network-Ontario
--- thanks to Barbara Anello of DAWN-Ontario for coding and posting this info on her site!

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Federal Election 2004:
DAWN Ontario's Voter Education & Awareness Campaign for Women's Equality Rights in Canada
- incl links to : Political Parties in Canada - Federal Ridings & Candidates - Tools & Resources
Equality Issues
--- Aboriginal Women --- Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Racism --- Childcare --- Democracy --- DisAbility --- Employment Insurance / Maternity & Parental Leave --- 2004 Federal Budget --- Housing and Homelessness --- Human Rights --- Immigration --- Income Security --- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Transexual Rights --- Poverty --- Student Debt --- Violence against Women --- Women's Equality Rights --- Women & ICTs --- Women & Politics --- Women in Prison

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Canadians for Equal Marriage to respond to opponents' big bucks campaign
April 28, 2004
"Canadians for Equal Marriage today launched its "Vote Equality 04" campaign at press conferences in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver. 'Canadians for Equal Marriage will urge Canadians to vote for equality and against discrimination when they cast their ballots in the upcoming federal election,' said Alison Kemper, spokesperson for Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM). 'Our Vote Equality 04 campaign is designed to draw supportive voters to our website, which will make it easy for people to get involved in the campaign of supportive candidates.'"
Source:
Election 2004 Issues
[ DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario ]

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Report calls on Ontario to reform welfare system to better protect abused women
Media Release
"TORONTO, April 5, 2004 -- A report released today calls on the Ontario government to make substantial changes to Ontario’s welfare system to better protect abused women. The report, Walking on Eggshells: Abused Women’s Experiences of Ontario’s Welfare System, outlines 34 recommendations. The report stems from the Woman and Abuse Welfare Research Project launched in 2000. It was written by York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Janet Mosher (Principal Investigator) and researchers from Carleton and Queen’s Universities in conjunction with the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses and the Ontario Social Safety Network. Funding was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)."
- incl. brief summary and key recommendations

Complete report:

Walking on Eggshells: Abused Women's Experiences of Ontario's Welfare System
Final Report of Research Findings from the Woman and Abuse Welfare Research Project (PDF file - 806K, 129 pages)
Report calls on Ontario to reform welfare system to better protect abused women
April 5, 2004
Source:
York University (Toronto)

Related Links (from DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario ):
HTML version of the complete report
Key Findings and Recommendations from Walking on Eggshells
Earlier report:
Women and children more at risk in province
November 2003 (by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses)
- HTML file (22 pages if printed)
(Posted on the DAWN-Ontario website)

Welfare rates must rise: Study
Abused women at risk, study finds
April 5, 2004
Source:
Toronto Star

Welfare maze needs fixing
City Editorial
April 6, 2004
"Finding realistic ways to solve major social problems is far more useful than merely identifying them, but too few social scientists seem to realize that. The latest example is a report from three professors, including one at Carleton University, on how poorly Ontario's welfare system treats women fleeing abusive relationships.
Source:
The Ottawa Citizen

The Ottawa Citizen editorial supports the study authors' recommendations concerning increasing welfare benefits, improving earnings exemptions and not penalizing recipients for 'unproven fraud'. But, the editorial goes on, "there's little in the report to prove that some of their recommendations are based on anything other than ideology." Dismissed as "overreaching" are recommendations concerning welfare rates that are adequate enough to allow for 'equitable participation in society', elimination of the mandatory work requirement, and an increase in subsidized housing units.
The editorial's bottom line?
"These are multibillion-dollar ideas, sung out from an ideological hymnal with no direct evidence that they'd work, or even that they'd be needed if unjust rules were fixed."
------------
[Gee, I wonder how many abused women sit on the Ottawa Citizen's editorial board?]

Google Web Search Results: "Ontario welfare, abused women"
Google News Search Results: "Ontario welfare, abused women"

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The Ontario government wants input?
Let's give it to them!
"The general public is invited to share views on various legislation items, including the Ontarians With Disabilities Act. The meetings are scheduled to run, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
(...) You'll find all of the information that you need, plus updates, at: http://www.gov.on.ca/citizenship/accessibility
The Web site also offers a long list of links to "information about accessibility legislation, and issues, guides, and other tools, for accessibility planning, and connections, to other groups, and organizations, committed to greater accessibility for all people".
NOTE: the public consultation ended March 31, 2004.
Source:
DisAbled Women's Network Ontario

Related Link:

McGuinty Government is Consulting on Accessibility Legislation
Delivering Positive Change Where It Is Needed Most
News Release
February 10, 2004
"OTTAWA – The McGuinty government is delivering on its agenda for positive change by hosting public consultations* to ensure Ontarians with disabilities have an equal opportunity to build a stronger province. 'We want to listen to the people who will benefit from strengthened accessibility legislation,'said Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario and MPP for Ottawa South. 'This fall, we expect to be in a position to introduce more meaningful legislation for people with disabilities.'”
*Consultation dates: Windsor (Feb. 4) - Ottawa (Feb. 12) - Hamilton (Feb. 19) - Peterborough (Feb. 26) - Sudbury (Mar. 17) - Toronto (Mar. 25)
Source:
Accessibility Ontario website - includes background info + consultation dates* and locations
[ Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration ]

Coalition Work in Ontario:
Organizations doing work on the Income Support front
December 15, 2003
List (19 groups) compiled by Loreen Barbour of Daily Bread Food Bank with amendments by Barbara Anello of DAWN Ontario.

Organizing Information & Resources for Ontario Social Justice Activists
Extensive collection of tools and resources for individuals and groups working in the field of social justice, including:
- Ontario MPP Contact Info - Links to info about the Ontario Disability Support Program (employment & income supports for Ontarians with disabilities) - Ontario Works (Ontario government's welfare-to-work program providing financial and employment assistance to single people, couples with and without children, and sole-support parents - Ministry of Community, Family & Children's Services [now called the Ministry of Community and Social Services] - DAWN Media Kit (Letters to Editor - Op-Eds - Airwaves - How to work the media - Ontario Media Directory - Access to ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program - Action Coalition) - Poverty (Feed the Kids AND Pay the Rent Campaign, Pay the Rent Lobby Blitz Action to raise social assistance's shelter allowance to average rent levels, Pay the Rent (Toronto) Campaign, Implement Rogers Inquest Jury Recommendations, Ban the Welfare Bans,Ontario Needs a Raise Campaign, Leaving Welfare for Work? Questions & Answers, Child Benefits in Ontario, Minimum Wage - Questions & Answers, Housing & Homelessness,Housing Ontario Means Everyone Campaign, Housing & Homelessness Network in Ontario - Fair Wage for Workers - Stats Comparing Social Assistance Rates Across Canada - more....

Ontario Media Directory
"In preparation for the upcoming Ontario election, we have worked hard to develop the following resources with updated contact information of Media in Ontario. Use your voice - write letters to the editor!"
- incl. e-mail addresses for letters to the editor and detailed contact information for all major media outlets in Ontario

Statement of Principles: New Landlord/Tenant and Rent Control Legislation
Released by the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) and the Legal Clinics' Housing
June 5, 2003
"Issues Committee (composed of representatives from legal clinics in each region of Ontario) have jointly released this paper. Topics include: fair eviction application process, security of tenure against forfeiture, what a new tribunal would look like ... This platform will be distributed to the government and both opposition parties, and LCHIC/ACTO will request a meeting with all three parties."

Justice with Dignity : Remember Kimberly Rogers
A coroner's inquest started on October 15 (2002) in Sudbury into the death of Kimberly Rogers on August 11 (2001), after being convicted of welfare fraud in the spring of that year for not declaring student loans she received while collecting social assistance. The Justice with Dignity website is where you'll find the most complete and current collection of information about this inquiry.

A Critical Analysis of the Ontario Disability Support Program Act and Social Citizenship Rights in Ontario
By Tanya Hyland, B.A. Hons.
A research paper submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts
(Reprinted on the DAWN Ontario website)
Read the abstract (9 pages) at the above link, or...
Complete report (PDF file - 217K, 97 pages)
[Also available as a Word file]

Related Link:

Ontario Association of Children's Rehabilitation Services (OACRS)
"The Ontario Association of Children's Rehabilitation Services (OACRS) promotes a province-wide, co-ordinated, community-based service system for children and youth with special needs and their families, and supports its member centres to achieve responsive, family-centred care.
OACRS, the Ontario Association of Children's Rehabilitation Services, is a non-profit independent organization representing, with a collective voice, the 19 children's treatment centres in Ontario.

Family Service Association of Toronto - "Building a Better Toronto"
- incl. links to : Our Programs & Services - Help Us Make A Difference - What’s New - Employment & Volunteer Opportunities - Media Centre - Policy & Research - Resources - Email Newsletter

Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
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.

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 Toronto:
* Complete report (PDF file - 287K, 64 pages)
* Executive Summary (74K, 11 pages)
The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto (CSPC-T) is a not-for-profit community organization. The CSPC aims to promote equitable, effective and inclusive policies for improving the quality of life in Toronto. Collectively, the predecessor organizations have over 100 years of experience in social planning, community development, policy analysis and research, advocacy, and service coordination. The work of CSPC-T is fuelled by the efforts and commitment of highly qualified staff and dedicated volunteers from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto also serves as project sponsor (as an incorporated charitable organization) and provides administrative support for the ICC initiative.

Download the report for Burlington:
* Full Report (1.1MB, 138 pages)
* Executive Summary (138K, 16 pages)
Community Development Halton (CDH) is an intermediary organization that through social research, needs identification, volunteerism and education serves the voluntary sector, municipal and regional government and local grass roots organization. Our purpose is to build the capacity of our community to improve the quality of life for all residents of Halton.

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."
- Inclusive Cities Canada works in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

- Go to the Municipalities Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/municipal.htm

The Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations
The Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations (FMTA) is a non-profit Organization which advocates for better rights for Tenants. Founded in 1974, we are the oldest and largest Tenant Federation in Canada. The FMTA is comprised of affiliated Tenant Associations and of individual Members. We have over 3,000 members and continue to grow.
- incl. links to : * Tenant Hotline * Tenant Hotline * Outreach & Organizing * Tenant Activism * Get Involved * Literature & Links * Recent News & Events * Contact Us

Foster Care Council of Canada
The Foster Care Council of Canada is a non-profit organization made up of people who have lived in foster care and their supporters. (...) The Council's mission is to involve current and former child-welfare service clients and their supporters in the process of improving the quality and accountability of child-welfare services through a strong and united voice.
- includes links to :
* NEWS * About Us * Campaigns * Enforcement * Message Board * Resources * Contact Us

Foster Care News (blog)
The Foster Care Council of Canada, keeping you informed of child-welfare related matters in Canada including enforcement issues, legislative updates, public campaigns and more.

Message Board - discussion forum on a variety of issues related to child welfare

Related link:

Canada Court Watch Program - Family Justice Review Committee
A program of the National Association for Public and Private Accountability
"Protecting the public's interest in the administration of Justice"
Canada's only independent media source dedicated exclusively to news and information related to the Canadian Justice System and Canada's system of child protection

Fraser Institute

New Study Warns Against Expansive Welfare Policies in Ontario
News Release
December 7, 2004
"Toronto, ON - A new study, Welfare Reform in Ontario: A Report Card released today by The Fraser Institute, gives Ontario praise for its previous welfare reforms but warns that these policies may be under threat. 'Ontario has been a leader in Canadian welfare reform by focusing on employment and diverting potential welfare recipients to alternatives,'said Sylvia LeRoy, policy analyst at the Institute and co-author of the study. 'However, last week, the Ontario Government received a report by Liberal MPP Deb Matthews [see below] which recommended abandoning many of those reforms and returning to policies that were in place pre-1995. Such policies had disastrous effects, including the doubling of welfare use between 1985 and 1995, increasing from 5.2 percent of the population in 1985 to 12.4 percent in 1995 and a substantial increase in welfare spending', she continued."

Complete Fraser Institute report:

Welfare Reform in Ontario: A Report Card (PDF file - 524K, 53 pages)
December 2004
- examination of welfare policies in Ontario since 1985, "evaluating the welfare reforms initiated under the newly elected provincial government in June 1995. These will be compared with reforms of welfare policies in the United States, which have proven abundantly successful in reducing dependency, increasing employment and earnings of welfare leavers, and lowering poverty rates, as well as with reforms of welfare policies undertaken by other Canadian jurisdictions.
- the evaluation of Ontario's welfare reforms is based upon "six principles that research has found to play a prominent role in effective welfare reform" - these principles are: Ending the entitlement to welfare - Diversion - Immediate work requirements and sanctions - Employment focus - “Making work pay” - Competition for the administration of welfare and for program delivery.

Related Link:

Review of Employment Assistance Programs in Ontario Works &
Ontario Disability Support Program (PDF file - 167K, 48 pages)
December 2004
Deb Matthews
Source:
Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services

----------------------
Counterpoint:
----------------------

It's important to expose oneself to opposing views on issues as delicate as welfare reform and social justice --- it makes for healthy debate and broader perspectives. That's why, from time to time, I link to reports from organizations that have a different interpretation than mine of society's ills and how to cure them. The Fraser Institute, a Vancouver conservative think tank / lobby group, is one such organization whose site I visit occasionally.
Sometimes, though, the left-leaner in me finds it difficult to post links on my site to reports such as this one (the Ontario welfare reform report card) as if it were the Gospel Truth, without including a rebuttal or a counterpoint.

Welfare Reform in Ontario: A Report Card rates Ontario's reforms against the Fraser Institute's five "principles of effective welfare reform", all of which are focused on ending or severely curtailing welfare entitlement, on ensuring that work is always more attractive than welfare, and on putting both the administration and delivery of welfare up for competitive bidding from the non-profit and private sectors. All of these principles are consistent with the Fraser Institute's view that American welfare reforms are a model for Canada. Not surprisingly, there is not one principle that refers to adequacy of income and employment supports, nor to health or social indicators.

Two observations and a few recommended readings for folks who read the Fraser report (and perhaps even for those who wrote it):

1. Canadian and American welfare systems are different from one another, a fact that Fraser wilfully and consistently ignores in its reports. Unlike the Canadian welfare system, the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program excludes both single people and childless couples, who must apply to the national Food Stamp program and to residual programs where they live (if there are any such programs, which is not always the case), as well as people with disabilities (who must apply under the separate American Social Security program. In Canada, singles and childless couples make up close to 60% of the total welfare caseload and households headed people with disabilities account for about a third of the total caseload. These are just a few of the more significant reasons why Canadian welfare shouldn't be compared with American programs under TANF.

A Short Review of the Fraser Institute Report Card: Welfare Reform in Ontario
December 2004
By John Stapleton

2. Welfare time limits are successful? - one of the Fraser Institute's principles of effective welfare reform is "Ending the entitlement to welfare". The Fraser report speaks of the success of the American welfare time limits and, to a lesser extent, the BC welfare time limits. In the case of the American time limit policy, it's still too early to determine the long-term impact of the time limits on welfare recidivism and labour market attachment (see the link to the Welfare information Network studies below), and in the case of British Columbia, perhaps someone should tell the Fraser Institute that the two-years-out-of-five welfare entitlement policy was effectively disabled back in February of 2004. On second thought, perhaps the authors should check this editorial from the Fraser Institute:

BC’s U-Turn on Welfare Reform Spells Disaster
Editorial (Vancouver Sun, February 16, 2004)
By Jason Clemens, Sylvia LeRoy and Niels Veldhuis
"In a disastrous U-turn on welfare reform, the BC Government de-legitimized what was one of Canada’s most important social welfare reforms to date; a limit that capped the amount of time employable adults could collect welfare to 2 out of every 5 years. Late on Friday afternoon, February 6th, the BC Liberals announced a series of new exemptions to the time limits, including one that exempts anyone abiding by their work plan. The policy change effectively nullifies the time limit rule and speaks more to the government’s immediate political concerns than any genuine concern for those still struggling to make the transition from a life of welfare dependence to one of self-sufficiency."
Source:
The Fraser Institute

Welfare Time Limits in British Columbia - a Canadian Social Research Links page
80+ links to welfare time limit info from BC and the U.S

Welfare Time Limits
- 60+ links from the Welfare Information Network (U.S.)

Globe and Mail

How to make recovery quicker and less painful for those hurting most
By Roy Romanow (in the Globe and Mail)
August 3, 2009
The Bank of Canada recently declared an end to the recession. There’s a world of difference, however, between an end to economic decline as measured by GDP and a real recovery as felt by Canadians. And when we look behind the numbers, we can’t avoid the fact that the costs of the recession are profoundly unequally shared, as those who suffer most will be those who can bear it least – unemployed and poor Canadians. History has a lot to tell us about the difference between the technical end of a recession and real economic recovery, and about the economic consequences for lower-and middle-income Canadians.

Community Development Halton
(formerly the Halton Social Planning Council & Volunteer Centre)
- Use the site map to see everything on this large site...
Some sample content:

The Quality of Life in Halton - Snapshot of a Decade
Summer 2003
Full Report (PDF file - 1.9MB, 33 pages)

Memo : National Children's Agenda
Joey Edwardh, PhD
October 12, 2000
The National Children's agenda is an opportunity to develop a policy framework and plan of action to implement a set of services to children, youth and their families across Canada. The purpose of this memo is to outline the developments associated with the National Children's Agenda, and to identify a role for Halton in supporting an agenda that meets the needs of children and their families.

The Social Assistance Reform Act: An Information Package- December 1998
Updated to February 2000
- incl. : New Rules - Ontario Works as Workfare - Appeals Process - The Consequences and Effects of Welfare Reform - Ontario Works and Families - Ontario Works and Persons 60-64 Years of Age - Ontario Disability Support Program Act - References

The Cost of Living in Halton 2000 - The cost of living increases and concern for families meeting their "basic needs" also increases
September 18, 2000 -- The cost of living in Halton has risen, according to the latest figures from the Cost of Living in Halton 2000 published by the Halton Social Planning Council and Volunteer Centre. Despite appearances of an upturned economy, the Council worries that more families and individuals cannot afford to live in Halton and purchase the basic necessities of life.
Press Release
Cost of Living 2000 Report (PDF file, 2 pages, 230K)

Related Link:

Volunteer Halton - incl. an online database of volunteer opportunities in Halton

Hamilton Community Foundation
Gift by gift and donor by donor, Hamilton Community Foundation has been quietly and effectively building a permanent legacy for the people of Hamilton for more than 50 years. Hamilton Community Foundation was the first of its kind in Ontario when it was established in 1954. There are now 148 community foundations in Canada. The Foundation's total assets have grown to more than $100 million, thanks to the many hundreds of donors from all walks of life who have made contributions - large and small - during their lifetimes or through their estate plans, to ensure that this community has a brighter future.

Tackling Poverty in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario, is a vibrant community with a proud history of achievement. It’s a city located in an outstanding natural environment, and one that is rich in arts and culture. Hamilton has business, health and educational organizations that are famous world-over. But poverty is Hamilton’s biggest challenge, with 20 per cent of its citizens living at or below the poverty line. As a community, Hamilton is saying this is unacceptable. In spring 2005, a multi-sector Roundtable for Poverty Reduction was formed and the Tackling Poverty in Hamilton initiative began. This web site provides information about Tackling Poverty in Hamilton.February 10, 2006
- incl. links to : Who's Involved - News - Poverty Facts - Process Plan - Links - Contact Us

Community Update (PDF file - 38K, 2 pages)
February 10, 2006
- first issue of a newsletter by the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction to report on the progress of Tackling Poverty in Hamilton, and to rally support for it.

Project Update (PDF file - 99K, 2 pages)
February 2006

Anti-Poverty Initiative to Focus on Prevention in Children and Youth (PDF file - 96K, 1 page)
February 10, 2006

The Hamilton Spectator

Time to transform social assistance
As this recession wanes, let's ensure we give Ontario's poor a better life
December 18, 2009
By Jennefer Laidley and Deirdre Pike
Whether he meant to or not, the auditor general's analysis of social assistance lets a dysfunctional welfare system off the hook and erroneously lays blame with the people who have nowhere else to turn for basic support. It's not the people who are the problem. The real problem is the patchwork of more than 800 rules that trap people in poverty, limit their options, and compromise their health with punishingly low levels of income support. While some have seized on the report to renew a round of poor-bashing reminiscent of the mid-1990s, what Ontario really needs is swift movement on its promised social assistance review.
[Jennefer Laidley, of the Income Security Advocacy Centre,
and Deirdre Pike, of the Social Planning and Research Council
of Hamilton, are members of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction.]

Related link:

Governments must work to lift people out of poverty
December 15, 2009
By John Stapleton and Greg deGroot-Maggetti
Following the sharpest and deepest recession since the 1930s, Ontario now faces a major debate over how governments should respond.
Source:
The Record (Kitchener)

Homes First Society - Supportive Housing Solutions (Toronto)
"The Mission of Homes First Society is to provide affordable, permanent housing and transitional supports for people who are homeless and/or have the fewest options in society.
To achieve its Mission, Homes First Society uses its financial and human resources within an anti-oppression and anti-racist framework to work with the strengths of tenants and community partners..."
- incl. links to : Home | Mission Statement | Donate Now | Contact Us | History & Awards | Board of Directors | Management Staff | The Foundation | Housing Sites | Facts | Faces | Tenant Support | Events | Useful Links

honeybadgerpress.ca
The Honeybadgerpress challenges the tired thinking common in the mainstream corporate media concerning politics, economics and war.

The Treatment of Welfare Fraud
by the Ontario Government: 1995-2003 (11 pages)
2004
By Morgan Duchesney
Everything you wanted to know about Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution, and more.
[The author is a Canadian writer and martial arts instructor with an interest in social justice and international affairs.]

Housing Again - "...a site dedicated to putting affordable housing back on the public agenda"
Putting Housing Back on the Public Agenda is a community group which brings together senior housing government officials, (past and present, elected and nonelected, from all levels of government), community housing proponents, housing developers, and others interested in affordable housing.

Sample reports:

HOUSING AGAIN • Bulletin Number 108 February 2008
"...a monthly electronic bulletin highlighting what people are doing to put housing back on the public agenda in Ontario, across Canada and around the world."
The Housing Again Bulletin is sponsored by Raising the Roof as a partner in Housing Again.

Selected content from Issue Number 108:

* Building Momentum: Affordable Housing Agenda Gets Boost
Ken Dryden's 16-city anti-poverty tour across Canada - the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recommendations for a National Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - Community Spotlight on Operation Go Home - What's New on Raising the Roof’s Shared Learnings on Homelessness Web site, etc.

* Nurturing the Next Wave of Housing Professionals
The theme of this year’s Tri-Country Conference, to be held in Toronto , October 14-17, is Creating a Modern Housing Policy: A Legacy for Tomorrow’s Leaders, which includes a sub-theme of tomorrow’s leadership and youth.

* Toque Tuesday (February 5)
Toque Tuesday is Raising the Roof’s national public awareness day. Buy your classic black or cheerful red toque at any participating Home Depot store in Canada or order online now. Toques are $10 each with proceeds supporting grass-roots homelessness agencies across Canada and Raising the Roof’s national Youthworks initiative, aimed at breaking the cycle of youth homelessness. The National Toque Campaign continues until the end of February 2008.
[ Order your toque online ]

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE:
The Housing Again e-bulletin is distributed by e-mail free of charge monthly.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, log onto the main page at http://www.housingagain.web.net/
You'll see the Bulletin's subscribe/unsubscribe box at the bottom right hand of the page.

Our web sites are:

Housing Again
http://www.housingagain.web.net

Shared Learnings on Homelessness
http://www.sharedlearnings.org

Raising the Roof
http://www.raisingtheroof.org/

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Where's Home? Update Released
Study shows Ontario losing much more rental housing than is being built; 21 Municipalities Studied: London, Ottawa, Peel and Hamilton lose the most
"A housing study released today provides the first Ontario estimate of the loss of private rental housing units over the last decade (1991-2001). 24,298 existing private rental housing units were lost, at a rate almost 50% greater than the number of new rental housing units built, leaving Ontario tenants with less available housing in 2001 than existed in 1991."
Where's Home? Update 2002 (PDF file - 138K, 13 pages)
Earlier versions of Where's Home?
Source: Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA)
Housing Again - "a site dedicated to putting affordable housing back on the public agenda"

Federal-Ontario housing update - September 2002
Housing and Homelessness Network in Ontario
Source : DAWN DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario

The Where's Home? Reports - A housing awareness project of Housing Again
Where's Home? A picture of housing needs in eight Ontario municipalities.
Where's Home? Part 2 - Housing data on 13 additional Ontario municipalities.
Annual updated data for the 21 Where's Home?cities and regions
1999 Update (PDF file - 166K, 4 pages)
--- Next update: Spring 2002

A New Canadian Pastime? Counting Homeless People
J.David Hulchanski
December 2000
Addressing and preventing ‘homelessness’ is a political problem, not a statistical or definitional problem.

Categorizing Houselessness for Research and Policy Purposes: Absolute, Concealed and At Risk
J.David Hulchanski
University of Toronto
December 2000
Homelessness or Houselessness?

Social Issues Now Dominate Polls about the Concerns of Canadians:
"House the Homeless" say 85% in Annual Maclean's Poll
Press Release
December 25, 2000

Where's Home? Part 2 (November 1999) is an extension of the housing data collection and analysis project that began with "Where's Home? A Picture of Housing Needs in Ontario" (May 1999). With Part 2, there are now detailed profiles of housing needs over the last 10 years for 21 Ontario municipalities (cities, municipal districts and regions).

The 13 communities in Where's Home? Part 2 are Cornwall, Durham, Guelph, Kingston, London, Muskoka, Owen Sound, Sarnia, St. Catharines-Niagara, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins and Windsor. The cities in the first part were Barrie, Hamilton-Wentworth, Kitchener-Waterloo, North Bay, Ottawa-Carleton, Peel, Peterborough and Toronto.
Among the findings:
- one in four tenant households are at risk of homelessness.
- in most parts of Ontario, tenant incomes are falling even as rents rise faster than inflation.
- about 16,000 new rental units are needed annually according to CMHC, but almost no new affordable rental housing is being built.
*Check out Housing Again's Online Housing Resources - Canadian and International. Awesome

Human Rights Legal Support Centre
The Human Rights Legal Support Centre offers human rights legal services to individuals throughout Ontario who believe they have experienced discrimination. The Centre’s services range from legal assistance in filing an application at the Tribunal to legal representation on human rights applications.
- incl. links to : * About Us * Getting Legal Help From the Centre * Calling the Centre * Ontario Human Rights System * Resources * Ontario’s new human rights system * A guide to human rights applications * Housing and Human Rights * Temporary and Casual Workers * Pregnancy * Policies (Accommodation Policy - Complaints Policy - Draft Eligibility Criteria)

Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
"The Income Security Advocacy Centre works with and on behalf of low income communities in Ontario to address issues of income security and poverty. The Centre initiates and conducts test case and Charter litigation, law reform and community development related to federal and provincial income security programs such as Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan."
- incl. links to ISAC campaigns (Access to Disability Benefits [Ontario Disability Support Program], Pay the Rent AND Feed the Kids, Challenging the Lifetime Ban for Welfare Fraud [info about Kimberly Rogers] ) and legal challenges [see "Inquest into the Death of Kimberly Rogers"], a list of online publications (newsletters, legal documents, policy papers, fact sheets and toolkits) and almost 50 links to sites of interest.

Selected site content:

Ontario Auditor General’s Report
Underlines Need for Social Assistance Reform
December 11, 2009
Whether he meant to or not, the auditor general’s December 7th analysis of OW/ODSP let a dysfunctional social assistance system off the hook, instead laying blame with the people who have nowhere else to turn for basic support. The ensuing debate risks losing sight of the simple fact that when it comes to social assistance, it’s not the people who are the problem. Instead it’s the 800+ rules that trap people in poverty and powerlessness, fail to provide social and community supports and education and training tools to enable opportunity, and leave people so short of income that living a healthy, dignified life is impossible. As Premier McGuinty recently stated, social assistance “stomps people into the ground” and something must be done to make the system work the way it should. That something cannot come soon enough, as evidenced by the confusing picture painted by the auditor general’s report.

NOTE: the above link includes a detailed backgrounder covering the following points:
* Overpayments and Program Costs: Comparing Apples to Oranges
* What Is An Overpayment?
* The System Routinely Generates Overpayments
* Overpayments are Generated Monthly – Increasing Misperceptions
* Overpayments and Breaking the Rules
* Program Complexity and 800 Rules
* “Temporary” Assistance?
* Special Diet
* Conclusion
* What Can You Do? TAKE ACTION

Source:
Income Security Advocacy Centre
[ 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction ]

Also from ISAC:

FACT SHEET: Social Assistance Rates Effective November / December 2009 (PDF - 26K, 1 page)
- incl. current and new monthly Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefit rate amounts. The changes will appear on ODSP cheques received in November and OW cheques received in December, 2009. Basic Needs and Maximum Shelter rates have been increased by 2%.

---

Ontario Election 2007
Join ISAC in pressuring candidates in the upcoming Ontario election on October 10th, 2007. Use ISAC's election kit to lobby candidates in your community to reduce poverty and improve the lives of low-income people in Ontario.
ISAC Election Demands [ version française ]
ISAC Election Materials [version française ]

Referendum on Electoral Reform
Ontario is holding a referendum on electoral reform on election day on October 10th, 2007. Voters will be asked to vote "for" or "against" a new way of holding elections that has been recommended by a citizen's assembly.

--- The Hands Off! Campaign has ended [ version française ]
ISAC's Hands off! Campaign against the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) from families on social assistance has ended, although the struggle will continue in other ways. ISAC will focus on getting increases to social assistance rates for everyone on OW and ODSP and getting improvements to the new Ontario Child Benefit.
ISAC evaluation of the Hands off! Campaign and our current focus - May 2007 - PDF file - 82K, 10 pages
[version française ]
"(...) The Hands off! Campaign made a difference. The provincial government was pressured to: 1) allow all new increases to the NCBS to flow through to families on social assistance; 2) let families keep the new Universal Child Care Benefit that was announced by the federal government in July 2006; and 3) ensure families on OW and ODSP will benefit from the new Ontario Child Benefit that will be implemented in July 2008.
- More information about the Hands Off Campaign

...but ISAC's NCBS Clawback legal challenge continues
The implementation of the Ontario Child Benefit, and the resulting restructuring of social assistance that will happen in July, 2008, reduces the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) but doesn't end it. So ISAC's NCBS clawback legal challenge against the provincial and federal governments continues. For more information:

--- Ontario Child Benefit [ version française ]
The Ontario Child Benefit was announced in March 2007 and will go to all low-income families with children between the ages of 0 - 18, whether they are working or receiving Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). In July 2007, all eligible families will receive a one-time only cheque of up to $250 per child. Families will begin receiving monthly cheques in July 2008. The amount will grow gradually from $50 to $92/month/child by 2011.

Ontario Child Benefit Q & A (PDF file - 47K, 6 pages) [ version française ]
Ontario Child Benefit Election Backgrounder (PDF file - 22K, 1 page) [ version française ]

--- 2% increase to social assistance rates (PDF file - 39K, 1 page)
The 2% increase to OW and ODSP rates will appear on November 2007 cheques. The new rates have been released by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Read ISAC's new social assistance rates sheet to compare the current rates to the new rates for several categories.

Put poverty on political agenda
Asking why reveals we can do better, says Sarah Blackstock
October 3, 2006
"Ask why 4.8 million people in Canada are poor — and insist on better. We should all be outraged and ashamed reading the Star's campaign on the working poor, but we shouldn't be surprised. We have chosen to allow poverty to flourish by permitting wages to stagnate, setting welfare rates at dangerously low levels, failing to regulate the growing temporary work industry, failing to provide adequate training for those who do not have marketable skills and refusing to recognize foreign credentials. It doesn't have to be this way..."
Source:
Toronto Star

NOTE: This is one in a series of commentaries in the Toronto Star following a series on working poor families that started with the story of Maheswary Puvaneswaran, "one of 650,000 Canadians struggling to make ends meet." If you click the link near the beginning of this paragraph, you'll see that the next page includes both the article and links to six related articles. In my website and newsletter, I rarely provide links to articles in most mainstream media (e.g., The Star, The Globe and Mail) because, for the most part, the links expire after a predetermined period and the article is moved to a pay-per-hit archive. However, I encourage you to explore the media websites and to use their on-site search tools - you'll be able to retrieve and read all articles that are still in the "public" domain.
For example, I did the following sample searches in the Toronto Star's 7-day free search feature:
"working poor" ===> 10 results (+ a link to "Search our paid archives")
But...
"working poor" ===> 20 results using "Search our paid archives" - and all results are free in this case...
And...
"Maheswary Puvaneswaran" ===> 6 results
<go figure.>

Hands Off! Stop Taking Our Baby Bonus!
A campaign to stop the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS)
"The Hands off! Campaign asks the Provincial and the Federal government to do 2 things:
* End the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance, now!
* Fund the reinvestment programs that work for low-income families out of other provincial and federal revenues.
- includes links to : Take Action | Send an e-Card | Lobby MPP / MP | Endorse Campaign | Links | Income Security Advocacy Centre | Contact Us

Related Link:

McGuinty defends bonus clawback
Families on social assistance take baby bonus demands to Queen's Park
April 6, 2005
"Families on social assistance seeking baby bonus relief left the provincial legislature empty-handed today after the Ontario government defended its clawback of the federal child benefit. Premier Dalton McGuinty held firm on denying those parents the National Child Benefit Supplement while a handful of them looked on from the public galleries. (...) Under the federal plan, families with incomes less than $22,600 receive approximately $125 per child each month. In Ontario, families living on social assistance or disability benefits see that money taken back by the province. (...) Although the federal government allows the baby bonus clawback, New Brunswick and Manitoba no longer withhold the supplementary benefits."
Source:
The Toronto Star

NCBS Clawback Court Challenge
In December 2004, a legal challenge to the clawback was filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice by the Income Security Advocacy Centre, the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)and the Charter Committee on Poverty Issues.
NOTE: for more info on the NCBS Clawback challenge, go to the Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/caselaw.htm

Social Assistance Fact Sheet (Word document - 35K, 2 pages)
- updated Feb.23 , 2005 to reflect the 3% increase to social assistance rates that comes into effect in March

Minimum Wage Fact Sheet (Word document - 32K, 2 pages)
- updated Feb. 23, 2005 to reflect the recent 30 cent increase to the minimum wage

No child deserves to be poor
By CAROL GOAR
March 11, 2005
Life was supposed to get better for Canada's poorest children when the federal government introduced its national child benefit supplement seven years ago.
For approximately half the 1 million kids living below the poverty line, it did. The other half got nothing.
The difference: their parents' source of income.
(...)
This week, a coalition of child welfare organizations, faith groups, women's shelters, legal aid clinics, unions and municipalities launched a public appeal to the Ontario government to treat all low-income children equally. The campaign is called Hands Off! It is designed to convince Dalton McGuinty that it is wrong to snatch money out of the pockets of parents who can't afford groceries, decent housing or school supplies."
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related Links:

Challenge to the Clawback of the
National Child Benefit Supplement
December 10, 2004
"Today the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC), the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) and the Charter Committee on Poverty Issues (CCPI), have formally launched a legal challenge to the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance. The Applicants are three single parents who have been struggling on OW or ODSP to make ends meet, without the benefit of the NCBS. They live in Timmins, Port Colborne and Toronto. Counsel for this application are Kate Stephenson from WeirFoulds and Cynthia Wilkey from ISAC. Both the Federal Government and the Province of Ontario will be served today with an Application under Rule 14 claiming that the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Agreement to claw back the NCBS and the Regulations that implement the clawback in Ontario violate both s.7 and s.15 of the Charter."

Press Release (Word doc., size 88 kb)
Backgrounder (Word doc., size 31 kb)

Source:
Ontario Project for Inter-Clinic Community Organizing (OPICCO)

Activists fighting welfare cheque clawback
Call on McGuinty to end deduction of benefit
Threaten Ontario with constitutional challenge
November 18, 2004
"When the rent is $775 and total income is $1,334, an extra $226 would make a huge difference.That's the extra benefit the federal government pays each month to Toronto's Dave Lance, 24 and the father of 2 1/2-year-old twin boys. And that's the amount the Ontario government deducts each month from his welfare payment. The clawback has been controversial since the national child benefit program was introduced by the federal government in 1997 with the stated objective of preventing and reducing child poverty. While all Ontario families with an income of less than $22,615 receive the national child benefit supplement of $126 a month for the first child and decreasing amounts for subsequent children, only working families are allowed to keep it. Parents on social assistance or a disability pension are out of luck Municipalities across Ontario have called for an end to the clawback and Premier Dalton McGuinty, while in opposition, promised he'd get rid of it. Now, a year after McGuinty was elected, anti-poverty advocates say it's time he kept his word.And if he doesn't, they warn, they'll take legal action.
Source:
The Toronto Star

McGuinty Government Falls Short in Overhauling Social Assistance (Word document - 88K, 1 page)
ISAC News Release
Dec. 15 2004
On December 15, 2004 the government introduced changes to the Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program regulations. The changes took effect immediately, and will have an important effect on people applying for assistance after December 15, 2004 and on those already on assistance.

Fact Sheet - Changes to OW/ODSP Rules (Word document, 39K, 2 pages)
December 2004
"The new changes include getting rid of a rule that forced people to cash in their children’s RESPs before they could get on social assistance and a rule that punished sponsored immigrants who were forced on to social assistance when their sponsorship broke down. ISAC had taken the government to court over both rules."

Kimberly Rogers Inquest: a year later - Ontario
Press Release
December 16, 2003
"Tis the season of food drives, toy drives and charity dinners. Every year at this time thousands of people make donations to assist those in their community who are too poor to be able eat properly or purchase a small gift for their child. 'While such donations are welcome, what’s really needed are hard questions about why more than 1.6 million people in Ontario are living in poverty and why our governments are not doing anything about this harsh reality,' says Jacquie Chic, Director of Advocacy and Legal Services at the Income Security Advocacy Centre."

Call for ACTION
To Implement ALL the Recommendations from the Rogers Inquest Jury
December 18, 2003

Pupatello vows to act on welfare : Says she'll abolish Tory lifetime ban after fraud
Action demanded on Rogers inquest recommendations
December 17, 2003
Source:
The Toronto Star

Social Assistance exchange between MPP Shelley Martel, NDP Nickel Belt, and Minister of Community and Social Services, Sandra Pupatello
Hansard - Legislative Assembly - Oral Questions
December 17, 2003

Welfare activists baffled by Grits' inaction
December 15, 2003

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

Plain Talk - Summer 2003 Issue
Newsletter of the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
Contents:
1. Looking for justice in all the wrong places (ref. to the Kelly Lesiuk case)
2. Low Income People Hit Hardest By Blackout
3. ISAC Persuades Premier To Declare ODSP Offices An Essential Service
4. Ontario Needs a Raise!
5. An Ontario Child Benefit?
6. Regional Updates
7. The "Lifetime Ban" Goes to Court
8. ISAC AGM Notice

Denial by Design ... The Ontario Disability Support Program
John Fraser, Cynthia Wilkey, and JoAnne Frenschkowksi
Released January 28, 2003
35 pages
HTML version - on the DAWN Ontario website
Related DAWN Ontario link:
Email campaign re: ODSP Reform

-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Selected media links to recent social policy news:

Walkom: Expect provincial spending cuts to make matters worse Image
http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/715615--walkom-expect-provincial-spending-cuts-to-make-matters-worse

Adam Radwanski says McGuinty’s government will die the death of a thousand cuts:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mcguinty-faces-death-by-a-thousand-cuts/article1334802/

A comparison of provinces’ deficits:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/how-the-provinces-compare/article1334276/

In Manitoba , the poor sell their meds to get by:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/10/21/man-prescriptions-cbc-investigation.html

Rising dollar could garner action:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/crash-and-recovery/bank-of-canada-talks-tough-on-rising-dollar/article1334608/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/bank-of-canada-sees-96-cent-dollar/article1333735/

Jack Layton pushes for pension insurance:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/10/22/layton-pensions.html

Canada’s sub-prime mortgage bomb:
http://rabble.ca/news/2009/10/canadas-sub-prime-mortgage-time-bomb

Tax fairness, not the HST:
http://rabble.ca/news/2009/10/canada-needs-tax-fairness-not-hst

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the federal deficit is ballooning:
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/10/23/federal-deficit.html

From Finance – the Fiscal Update and Economic Outlook:
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/fallstatement/2009/

Note the information about the pre-budget consultations:
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/consultations/prebud/

Coverage:

Deficit is huge – difficult choices ahead:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/714276--ontario-deficit-billions-more-than-expected

Nearly two thousand dollars for each person:
http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/714791--deficit-slaps-1-891-for-each-ontarian

Ontario falls deep into the red:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ontario-falls-deep-into-the-red/article1334227/

No exit plan:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-deficit-hits-24-billion-but-no-exit-plan/article1335097/

Fiscal report:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/10/22/toronto-fiscal-report-091022.html

Eliminate the weak program and properly fund the strong program, and don’t sell assets:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/714677--deficit-numbers-in-perspective

Consultation OK, says OPSEU, but not at expense of people and programs:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/October2009/22/c9771.html

In the meantime, Second Career gets capped because of too much demand:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/10/22/ottawa-ontario-second-career.html

Don’t relax stimulus spending, say professors:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/October2009/22/c9741.html

Criminal lawyers boost legal aid boycott:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/10/21/ont-legalaid-boycott.html

Restraint looms in Ontario:
http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/714053--as-ontario-s-deficit-soars-restraint-looms

And big deficit news expected in Ontario:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/10/21/ont-economic-update.html

But Thomas Walkom says the deficit is a non-issue:
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/710956--how-to-spend-your-way-out-of-a-deficit

The Conference Board of Canada says we’re moving into recovery:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/October2009/22/c9486.html

And Stephen Harper is looking at signs of recovery:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/crash-and-recovery/stephen-harper-sees-budding-recovery/article1332815/

Self employed have no pension safety net:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/retirement/no-pension-safety-net-for-self-employed/article1322009/

Tim Hudak and the PCs on the debt and deficit:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/October2009/21/c9189.html

An astonishing 1/3 of all people who are homeless in Toronto are immigrants:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/712762--one-third-of-homeless-in-city-are-immigrants

Self-employed EI benefits a “tricky task”:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/bringing-ei-to-self-employed-tricky-task/article1321305/

TD report on looming huge deficits:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ottawa-provinces-set-for-huge-deficits-td/article1330747/

Ignatieff releases the Pink Book – includes commitment to a federal Poverty Reduction Strategy:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/changing-his-tune/article1332711/
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/713660--ignatieff-commits-to-women-s-issues

-------

Thanks to Jennefer Laidley of the
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) in Toronto for these link suggestions.

---

Also from Jennefer Laidley:

* Nate Laurie’s fantastic piece August 19 on Ontario's broken social assistance system:
http://www.thestar.com/article/682686

*Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario
says full-day learning is not full-day kindergarten:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/August2009/20/c6470.html

* Don Drummond (Chief Economist, TD Economics) reminds us that the recession is not over:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/08/17/ottawa-association-of-municipalities-of-ontario-conference-watson-drummond.html

* Canadian Medical Association report linking recession to health problems:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/08/17/cma-health017.html

* CIBC says unemployment duration only 15 weeks – means no jobless recovery if they’re right:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/08/19/unemployment-cibc.html

* Toronto’s economy in a deep slump:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/08/20/toronto-economy-in-deep-slump-city-report-shows-really-scary.aspx

* Kingston Whig-Standard reports on one of the presentations given at the Queen's International Institute on Social Policy this week:
http://www.kingstonwhigstandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1705704

* Hidden homelessness in the Sault:
http://saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1706169

* Backpack program in Kingston :
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1707489

* Backpacks and other efforts to help kids in need in St. Catherines:
http://www.scstandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1706225

* Backpacks also being sought in Edmonton :
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090819/national/school_food_banks_1

* From Nelson, BC, a piece on the HST and its impact on seniors:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/nelsonstar/news/53734077.html

* A very short piece on harmonizing GST and PST – from Manitoba , but discusses other provinces:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/~ASSETS/DOCUMENT/Manitoba_Pubs/2009/FF_HST_081309.pdf

* The problem of deepening deflation:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2009/08/19/deflation-deepens/

* Feds say stimulus cash is to flow this week:
http://www.thestar.com/article/682426

* Info on Feds’ new northern development strategy:
http://portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1706813

* Inequality in US growing, and worse than in the Great Depression:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/media-consortium-blog/2009/08/weekly-audit-depression-era-inequality

* And, a new research report says that, should a zombie attack occur, civilization will likely collapse:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/08/18/zombie-attack-infection-model-research.html

***

Thanks to Jennefer Laidley of the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) for sharing these media links. Visit the ISAC website for a large collection of Ontario resources.
The Income Security Advocacy Centre works with and on behalf of low income communities in Ontario to address issues of income security and poverty.

---

Social Assistance Rate Restructuring and the Ontario Child Benefit (MS Word file - 118K, 4 pages)
Fact sheet
June 2009
If you are a parent with dependent children under 18 and are on Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), there are changes to your benefits coming soon. Starting in July 2009, the Ontario Child Benefit will increase to $92 per month per child. However, social assistance rates for families with dependent children are being further restructured.
- includes a description of the changes coming into effect on July 1 along and maximum monthly
Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program rates before and after July 2009 for different family sizes.

---

ISAC UPDATE - June 2009 issue (PDF - 264K, 4 pages)
- Newsletter
Table of contents:
* ISAC’s upcoming Forum: “Time For a Bold Review of Social Assistance”;
* Final arguments in the lead Special Diet Allowance case at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario;
* LIEN’s work on the new Low-Income Energy Affordability Program from the Ontario Energy Board;
* Advocacy around the start of another round of ODSP disability reviews;
* Unanimous support in the Legislature for poverty reduction legislation; and,
* The Ontario Child Benefit goes up to $92, but OW and ODSP take another hit.

ISAC UPDATE - April 2009 (PDF - 295K, 4 pages)
Income Security Advocacy Centre
(Volume 1, Issue 1)
This edition of ISAC UPDATE includes information on: the lead Special Diet Allowance case at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario; our community-based Ending Poverty Project; Bill 152, the new Poverty Reduction legislation; the Poverty Reduction Results Committee; the upcoming Social Assistance Review; new case-selection criteria recently confirmed by ISAC’s Board of Directors; and, ISAC’s analysis of decision-making at the Ministry’s Disability Adjudication Unit.

Transition Child Benefit Fact Sheet (Word file - 95K, 4 pages)
June 2008
The Transition Child Benefit was created to ensure that no family would receive less under the new Ontario Child Benefit starting in July 2008.
For eligible families, the Transitional Child Benefit will make up the difference between current social assistance rates and the new rates that start in July 2008.

Ontario Child Benefit
In July 2008, the provincial government will launch the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB). This will be a monthly payment to eligible low-income families who have dependent children under 18. Parents who get social assistance (Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program) as well as those who are employed are eligible for the OCB.

New social assistance rates
for families effective July 2008 (PDF - 48K, 4 pages)

Ending Poverty in Ontario:
Building Capacity and Organizing for Change
A Workshop for Engaging Low Income People (PDF - 980K, 116 pages)
Spring 2008
This manual has been developed to assist facilitators to hold community-based workshops with low income people and other community members active in ending poverty. The workshop is designed to encourage discussion about what is needed to end poverty in Ontario, and to identify actions that can be taken within your community. (...) Campaign 2000 and ISAC will be working with community partners to deliver these workshops in Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Owen Sound, Windsor, and Toronto, and will be producing a “Call to Action” report at the end of 2008 for government and the community.
NOTE : On the ISAC Resources page, you'll find links to the Word version of individual sections of the manual, along with over three dozen more Public Education Materials, Policy Papers and Legal Documents
Source:
A joint project of the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) and
Campaign 2000 (a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000.)

Make your voice heard on Social Assistance (PDF - 36K, 2 pages)
- May 2008

Action Alert: Poverty Reduction Consultations (Word file - 60K, 3 pages)
- May 2008

Action Alert:
Back-to-school and Winter Clothing allowances end in 2008 (Word file - 49K, 2 pages)
- May 2008

OW and ODSP Recipients Should File 2007 Tax Returns (PDF - 32K, 1 page)
- April 2008

Related links:

25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction
25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction is a multi-sectoral network comprised of more than 100 provincial and Toronto-based organizations and individuals working on eliminating poverty. We have organized ourselves around the call for a Poverty Reduction Plan with a goal to reduce poverty in Ontario by 25% in 5 years and 50% in 10 years.
Source:
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto

Related links:
- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Institute of Intergovernmental Relations[Queen's University School of Policy Studies]

Recent changes in provincial-municipal relations in Ontario : a new era or missed opportunity? (PDF file - 50K, 22 pages)
April 2003
By David Siegel, Department of Political Science - Brock University
- analysis of the change in provincial-municipal relations and responsibilities in Ontario since the Mike Harris Common Sense Revolution
Source :
Municipal-Federal-Provincial Relations : New Structures / New Connections - Conference
May 9 - 10, 2003
Kingston, Ontario
Institute of Intergovernmental Relations
School of Policy Studies
Queen's University

Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity
The Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity is an independent, not-for-profit organization that deepens public understanding of macro and microeconomic factors behind Ontario’s economic progress. We are funded by the Government of Ontario and are mandated to share our research findings directly with the public. The Institute serves as the research arm of the Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress. The mandate of the Task Force, announced in the April 2001 Speech from the Throne, is to measure and monitor Ontario’s competitiveness, productivity, and economic progress compared to other provinces and US states and to report to the public on a regular basis.

Institute for Social Research - York University (Toronto)

Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC)
"ISARC brings together diverse faith communities - mainly Christian, but also Jewish, Unitarian, Muslim and Buddhist - to advocate for fairness and justice for marginalized peoples. It also distributes resources that educate members of faith communities on current issues of social justice in Ontario, especially those affecting low-income people. (...) ISARC was born back in 1986 when Ontario's former Liberal government launched a review of social assistance, and sought the views of religious groups. That led Christian-based faith groups to work together on a response. Out of that grew a realization that problems of poverty were so severe that an ongoing effort was needed to push for action."
- Click on "Current Issues" for links to a brief overview and a [PDF] report on each of the following issues : Ontario Disability Support Program - Child Poverty - Housing - Drug Testing - Ontario Works - Adequacy

Ontario-Wide Community Social Audit
"An exciting new project to assess social conditions in Ontario"

Petition to the Ontario Government to Stop the Clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement

Housing Reform in the 80's and 90s, the Feds and the Ontario government:
"What those men did. . .
Federal:
..1984 to 1993 –almost $2 billion cut from spending
..1993 –all new housing spending cancelled
..1996 –transfer housing to provinces / territories

Ontario:
..1995 –all new housing spending cancelled
..1995 –welfare rate cuts
..1998 –housing downloaded to municipalities."
[p. 17 from the report below]
Source:
Gimme shelter:
Finding a home in Ontario (PDF file - 1MB, 32 pages)
By Michael Shapcott
April 7, 2005
For:
Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition

Isthatlegal.ca (Ontario)
Legal Guides to Ontario and Canadian Law
The purpose of the Isthatlegal.ca website is to provide, in one convenient and generally accessible on-line location, detailed and thorough legal guides to areas of Ontario and Canadian law of general importance to the economically
vulnerable in our society, and to their advocates. All users should ensure that they meet the Terms of Use of the site.
[ Terms of Use ]

Isthatlegal.ca
Click the above link to access the following guides:
* Constitutional, Human Rights and Related (Human Rights Law in Ontario - Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Immigration Law - Canadian Law of International Crimes [War Crimes])
* Animal Law (Animals and the Criminal Law in Canada - Dog and Cat Control Law in Ontario)
* Employment Law (Employment Law in Ontario - Employment Insurance [Canada] - Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board - Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Law
* Property Law (Ontario Residential Landlord and Tenant - Line Fences in Ontario)
* Civil and Administrative Litigation (Small Claims Court in Ontario - BC Tort Law - BC Contract Law - Limitation Periods in Ontario - Charts and Explanations - Ontario Family Law and Family Court Procedures - Administrative Tribunal Procedures - Criminal Injuries Compensation in Ontario)
* Freedom of Information and Privacy Law (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Law in Ontario and Municipal FIPPA - Access to Information Law Annotated [Canada] - Privacy Act Guide [Canada] - PIPEDA [Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada)] Guide
* Income Maintenance and Related (Welfare [Ontario Works] - Ontario Disability Support Program [ODSP] - Auto Insurance in Ontario
* Legislative Process (Ontario Legislative Process - Canadian Federal Legislative Process)
* Miscellaneous Law (Canadian Maritime Law - Charity and Not-for-Profit Law - Church Law)

Related Link:

Legal aid $10 million over budget - Ontario
By Helen Burnett & Gail J. Cohen
23 October 2006
Legal Aid Ontario has announced that its certificate program is $10 million over its targeted expenditures, after a mid-year review of its financial situation. (...) LAO says the problem is partially due to "the additional costs associated with megatrials and large criminal prosecutions and to the very quick account payment timelines that have evolved through the Legal Aid Online billing system." (...) William Trudell, chairman of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers, says he knows lawyers who are working on megatrials who are being forced to shut down their practices because they are not being paid for all the work they do. As a result, he says, many lawyers won't take legal aid cases anymore. (...) The Association of Legal Aid Plans of Canada, of which Legal Aid Ontario is a member, (...) is calling on the federal government to commit long-term funding to legal aid "in order to avoid stripping away the legal rights of the poor," specifically through long-term funding for the Federal Investment Fund and by providing funding for civil legal aid, particularly for services that are federally mandated or legislated. It is also looking for an increase in funding to cover the additional demand for legal aid services and costs resulting from the federal government's proposed criminal justice system changes and from increases in federal prosecutions and policing resources.
But so far the Harper government is not coming forward with any cash.
"The problem is there's no commitment from the government to fund the system," says Trudell. "It's the erosion of a wonderful system because politicians won't embrace it."
Source:
Law Times (Canada)

LIFE*SPIN (Low-Income Family Empowerment * Sole-Support Parents Information Network)
"...a London grass-roots, non-profit, charitable organization started by sole-support mothers surviving on Family Benefits to share information and help low income people become self sufficient"

Lifetime Networks Ottawa
LNO uses a unique future planning process(developed by PLAN,our Parent organization) for people with disabilities. It is a seven step process that families can follow to create a safe and secure future for their loved one. Each future plan is tailor- made to meet your family’s needs

New resource for Ontario parents
of children with physical or developmental disabilities

Ontario parents who are getting on in years and who are caring at home for a child with a developmental or physical disability have a new resource, just released by Reena, a Thornhill, Ontario social services agency established by parents of children with developmental disabilities, as a practical alternative to institutions. The new 34-page brochure, entitled What you can do to enhance the quality of life for a family member with a disability - Consider a Henson Trust, will help those parents who have some savings in setting up a trust fund to cover their child's special or emergency needs without affecting his/her eligibility for government financial assistance.

What you can do to enhance the quality of life
for a family member with a disability - Consider a Henson Trust*(PDF - 972K, 34 pages)
By Harry Beatty, Mary Louise Dickson and John Stapleton
"Caring for a family member with a disability, and planning for their support for a whole lifetime, is a big responsibility. It poses special problems and challenges. A trust can be an ideal solution if you want to provide some money for a relative. With a trust, your loved one can continue to receive Ontario Disability Support (ODSP) benefits [Ontario's needs-tested social assistance program for people with disabilities]. The trust money can help with extra expenses such as items and services they need, and holidays. (...) This booklet is written specifically for families who want to help support a relative who receives ODSP benefits. It explains how you can help your family member without affecting their ODSP benefits."

[* A "Henson Trust" is a trust which gives the trustee or trustees absolute discretion to make decisions on behalf of the beneficiary, following the precedent established by the Henson case decided by the Ontario Courts in the 1980s [from the report's glossary]. Aging parents who are no longer able to care for their disabled child at home may apply on behalf of the child for benefits in his/her own right under the Ontario Disability Support Program. If those parents have some savings that they wish to pass along to cover some of the needs their disabled child, they have to be careful to avoid disqualifying their child from ODSP by exceeding the asset limit exemption levels.]

This brochure will also interest (1) organizations for groups of parents in similar situations in other Canadian jurisdictions, and (2) anyone who wants to learn more about needs-tested social assistance for people with disabilities in Ontario
- incl. links to related resources online

Source:
Reena
"...a non-profit social service agency dedicated to integrating individuals who have a developmental disability into the mainstream of society. Reena was established in 1973 by parents of children with developmental disabilities, as a practical alternative to institutions."

Related links:

Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN)
PLAN is a BC-based non-profit organization, established in 1989 by and for families committed to future planning and securing a good life for their relative with a disability.

PLAN's BC Resources
- includes In Trust: How to Set Up Your Own Trust & Still Be Eligible for Disability Benefits in BC, 1999 (PDF - 541K, 44 pages)

Linda McQuaig

The poor haven't changed — we have
Linda McQuaig
January 2, 2005
"In recent years, the word "underprivileged" has fallen out of use. Too bad; the word was helpful. It captured the fact that what separated the poor from the rest of society was mostly just privilege — the advantage of being born into the right family. In other words, luck had a lot to do with where one ended up in life."
Source:
The Toronto Star

Low Income Energy Network:

Share the Warmth (STW)
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto (CSPC-T)
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA)

Higher electricity costs hit poor the hardest
Advocates call for energy discounts Ontario to set new pricing formula
September 11, 2004
"Higher electricity prices in Ontario will hammer the poor and leave the wealthy relatively unscathed, a coalition of social activist groups have told an Ontario Energy Board hearing. The lowest income families are far more likely than their wealthier neighbours to use electricity to heat their homes and hot water, Mary Todorow of the Low Income Energy Network told the board yesterday. Because they're far likelier to be tenants, they probably can't curb power use by buying more efficient appliances, heating systems or insulation."
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related Links:

Your Utility Costs: Ontario Hydro electricity prices, water and natural gas rates
- written for tenants but provides a comprehensive collection of information for anyone interested in utility costs in Ontario
- over 300 links to information (mainly newspaper articles) about Ontario Hydro privatization, deregulation of electricity in Ontario, electricity rates, and hydro electricity contracts

More Ontario Hydro electricity privatization and deregulation links
- over 700 links on this page (mainly newspaper articles)

Low Income Families Together (LIFT)
"Low Income Families Together began in response to Ontario's review of social assistance during 1986, when a group of single mothers came together to make suggestions for reform of the system. This group later expanded its membership and the scope of its activities to become a voice and an active group for low income families in the province."
- incl. links to : Home - History - Donations - Org Structure - Community Partners - LIFT Forums - Publications - Programs - Photographs - Intl. Solidarity UN Report
- Free and Low Cost Meals in Downtown Toronto

LIFT Newsletter (PDF file - 449K, 7 pages)
January 2003
Surviving and Thriving in T.O.
Living Initiatives for Tomorrow

Macleans Magazine

Fact Check:
Does anybody really know how many Torontonians rely on food banks?
October 17, 2007
The plight of the urban poor is one of the Toronto Star's most cherished issues—so much so, apparently, that of late they've taken to cloning them.

Maytree Foundation
Principal funder of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, the Maytree Foundation is a Canadian charitable foundation established in 1982. Maytree believes that there are three fundamental sets of issues which threaten political and social stability: wealth disparities between and within nations; mass migration of people because of war, oppression and environmental disasters; and the degradation of the environment.

Metcalf Foundation
The Metcalf Foundation helps Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy, and creative society by supporting dynamic leaders who are strengthening their communities, nurturing innovative approaches to persistent problems, and
encouraging dialogue and learning to inform action.

Selected site content:

Report: Why don't we want the poor to own anything?
Metcalf Innovation Fellow John Stapleton launched a new report on October 21, 2009
News Release
October 21, 2009
Overly strict welfare eligibility rules are forcing Ontario’s newly unemployed to divest themselves of all their assets, crippling their chances for an economic recovery. Why Don’t We Want the Poor to Own Anything?, by John Stapleton, Metcalf Foundation Fellow and a leading social policy expert, reveals weaknesses in Ontario’s asset limits for those seeking social assistance, disability support, subsidized housing and legal aid.
Source:
Metcalf Foundation

Complete report:
Why don't we want the poor to own anything?
Our relentless social policy journey toward destitution for the 900,000 poorest people in Ontario (PDF - 983K, 30 pages)
By John Stapleton
(...) 475,000 families receive social assistance in Ontario. They have stripped themselves of their liquid assets. They must wait until they no longer require legal aid, and leave public housing, before they can resume saving for anything, let alone save for retirement. In a society that promotes saving and cherishes self-reliance, there is no good rationale for public policy that almost guarantees people will grow old in poverty.

Related links:

Open Policy - John Stapleton's website

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The welfare asset trap
October 21 2009
It is well known that when the Conservatives came to power in 1995 Mike Harris gutted welfare rates – leaving needy Ontarians living far below the poverty line. Less well known is that changes were also made to force Ontarians to divest themselves of almost every cent of savings, including cashable RRSPs, before they could qualify for a welfare cheque. In a report to be released Oct. 21, Metcalf Foundation fellow John Stapleton presents a compelling case for allowing welfare recipients to keep some savings. (...) Asset-stripping is just one of the failings of our outdated and mean-spirited social assistance system. The government's promised social assistance review – still waiting to be launched – will find many other hurdles in the path of those in need of a helping hand.
Source:
The Toronto Star

- Go to the Asset-Based Social Policies Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/assets.htm

---

Public Policy 201: A Primer for Non-Profit Organizations
The Role of Legislation in Reducing Poverty in Ontario (workshop)
March 23, 2009 (Toronto)
"(...) This workshop is designed to strengthen the understanding of people working in the non-profit sector of public policy, and how non-profits can work with government to influence change. It is part of an ongoing series for those in organizations who want to understand the policy process and would benefit from a forum for candid exchange of ideas. This session will use as a case study the poverty reduction bill that was introduced into Ontario’s legislature on February 25, 2009."

The Poverty Reduction Act (PDF - 140K, 6 pages)
By Adam Dodek, currently teaching Public Law at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law; former Chief of Staff for Ontario’s Attorney General; has published a number of articles in his areas of research -- constitutional law, comparative constitutional law and legal ethics.

Public Policy 101
A Primer for Not-For-Profit Groups (Workshop presentation, PDF - 1.3MB, 17 pages)
March 2009
By John Stapleton: Public policy expert and Metcalf Fellow with over 28 years of experience in the Ontario Government
* What is Policy? * Where is Policy Announced? * How is Policy Implemented? * Public Policy: Who’s Who in Government --- A Short User’s Guide for Advocates to Understanding Civil Servants * The Civil Servant has Two Masters * The Deputy Minister and the Civil Service * The Minister and Political Staff * Where Two Worlds Converge… * The Legislature vs. the Civil Service * Some Observations about Advocates/Activists * Handle with Care
NOTE: I recommend this presentation for non-profits everywhere, not just Ontario.

Towards a Quebec without Poverty: A ten year retrospective (PDF - 7.9MB, 18 pages)
March 2009
By Dr. Vivian Labrie, Centre for Studies on Poverty and Exclusion in Quebec, key researcher and community leader in the development of Quebec’s 2002 Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion

Co-sponsors of the workshop:
Income Security Advocacy Centre
Mennonite Central Committee Ontario

Funder:
Metcalf Foundation
The goal of the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation is to enhance the effectiveness of people and organizations working together to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy and creative society.

Income Security for Working-Age Adults in Canada:
Let’s consider the model under our nose (PDF - 220K, 18 pages)
John Stapleton
November 2008
- incl.: * A Short History of Income Security Programs in Canada * The Evolution of Income Security for Seniors * The Evolution of Child Benefits * What Do Seniors' and Children's Programs Have in Common * Do We Have Similar Programs for Working-Age Adults? * A Note About CPP and EI * A New Model for Income Security for Working-Age Adults * Building a Strategy to Reduce Poverty Among Working-Age Adults * How Would the Account-Based Model Work? * Making the New System Transparent for Canadians * What If We Took Poor Working-Age Adults Off Welfare?

"The paper builds upon the recommendations outlined in John’s 2007 Metcalf report, Why is it so tough to get ahead? How our tangled social programs pathologize the transition to self-reliance [PDF file - 1MB, 62 pages]. It also expands upon a framework for income security reform put forward to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology Subcommittee on Cities investigating urban poverty (see June 2008 Senate report entitled Poverty, Housing and Homelessness: Issues and Options [PDF - 696K, 96 pages])."

Obama puts poor back on agenda
Social policy expert John Stapleton believes new federal tax programs for working-age adults may one day be as important as today's pensions and child tax benefits.
New U.S. leader has vowed to cut poverty. Now it's time to see what Canada can do.
November 8, 2008
Laurie Monsebraaten
As part of his compelling "Yes We Can" campaign to make meaningful change in the lives of average Americans, President-elect Barack Obama promised to cut poverty in half within a decade. Canada has no plan to fight poverty. And Stephen Harper's Conservatives didn't offer one during our recent federal election. But with Obama's historic win this week, many anti-poverty activists here believe new pressure is on Ottawa to address social and economic inequality. However, social policy expert John Stapleton argues in a new report that the foundation of a Canadian plan is already in place.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Metro Network for Social Justice - non-profit network of 230 organizations committed to promoting social and economic justice for everyone in the City of Toronto (formerly Metro Toronto)

Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA")
- this link will take you further down on the page you're now reading to "TASK FORCE on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults"

Monday Magazine (BC)

Money for Nothing
By Andrew MacLeod
June 22 2005
"When Ontario announced in April it was entering a contract with WCG International for a JobWave-modelled program called JobsNow, that province's social services minister, Sandra Pupatello, told the Windsor Star that the company has succesfully run a similar program in British Columbia." According to a report in the Victoria Business Examiner, the former B.C. human resources minister, Stan Hagen, had vouched for the program. (The Ontario program makes a key change from the B.C. program, by the way. Participants are only referred to the program after they've spent a year on welfare, unlike in B.C. where references are made before a person has even seen a welfare cheque. This likely means people referred to the program in Ontario may be more in need of the extra help, unlike here, where the majority would likely find work on their own.) The company has also pitched its program to the Alberta government, and it now has a website for JobWave America, though there's no indication that it has yet succeeded in selling its program anywhere other than Ontario and B.C..." (Excerpt from the full article)

British Columbia's JobWave program is a model for the McGuinty Government's welfare-to-work initiative, and WCG International Consultants is the BC-based company that won the contract. According to this article, BC JobWave pays WCGI a cash incentive of four to five thousand dollars per case for taking people off welfare and putting them into jobs --- even where the participant gives up on the program and finds a job himself, as in the situation profiled in the article. The Americans perfected the welfare exit strategy known as the "Jobs First" approach, where getting people off welfare is the primary goal, as opposed to offering them meaningful employment opportunities or training and supports to allow them to find and keep a decent job. Followup evaluations of the U.S. Jobs First approach have shown that a few years after they leave the program, many people were still jobless or employed in jobs that paid relatively little and offered few benefits, and there was little change in participants’ total income.

Related Links:

McGuinty Government Launches Innovative Pilot To Help People Leave Welfare For Work:
JobsNow Part Of Province's Plan To Restore Integrity To Social Assistance Programs
News Release
April 20, 2005
"TORONTO – The McGuinty government is launching an innovative pilot project that will help people move from working for welfare to working for a living, Minister of Community and Social Services Sandra Pupatello announced today. JobsNow will provide ongoing, individualized employment counselling, job placement and retention support to help people find jobs so that they can leave welfare for good. 'Social assistance recipients are not statistics – they are real people who want to work. It's time our welfare programs worked, too,' said Pupatello. 'Our plan will get thousands of people into the workforce, and that's good for our clients, our economy and our taxpayers.'"

Backgrounder

JobsNow Ontario
"JobsNow begins in April 2005 and continues to May 31, 2007, with a target of 12,000 participants referred to the JobsNow service."

Source:
Ministry of Community and Social Services

WCG International HR Solutions
WCG International will run the JobsNow pilot in six pilot communities in cooperation with municipal Ontario Works offices.

JobWave (WCG International)
"JobWave™ is the most successful employment program in the history of British Columbia, continually bringing innovation to the field of job placement."

Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation
The Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation is an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank. We were established in 2009 with seed money from the Ontario government. We undertake applied public policy research and engage in public dialogue on federal issues important to the prosperity and quality of life of Ontario and Canada. The Mowat Centre has a mandate to propose innovative, research-driven public policy recommendations that work on behalf of Canadians in all regions of the country, including Ontario

The Mowat Centre has seven research streams:

* Employment Insurance and income support
* Immigration
* Economic transformation
* Cities
* Federal fiscal transfers
* Democratic Institutions and Processes
* The Environment
Our early research will focus on approaches to providing income and training support to the unemployed, options for improving federal-provincial cooperation on immigration policy, supporting innovation and economic transformation through effective economic development strategies, and improving representation in the Canadian Parliament.

National Council of Welfare

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 - large file (300K+) 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.
NOTE: there's a whole chapter focusing on each Canadian jurisdiction

National Post

Toronto welfare caseload stabilizing
December 14, 2009
By Rebecca Ryall
Toronto's welfare caseload is stabilizing as unemployment dips, but there are warnings the city's struggling economy isn't out of the woods yet.

National Union of Public and General Employees

Andersen Consulting Exposed (PDF file - 360K, 9 pages)
April 2000
"Andersen Consulting is a huge US-based job-slasher and consultant on privatization. Their revenues in 1999 were $16.3 billion, much of it earned at the expense of public employees and the poor around the world. Andersen Consulting has made its biggest bucks by providing governments with the 'professional services' to help them privatize and contract out as well as slash jobs and replace staff with automated phone systems. This publication exposes Andersen Consulting and provides insight into the following questions: What are Andersen Consulting's favourite ways to profit from welfare reform? What is at stake for Canadians? What's wrong with the sweetheart deal signed between the Ontario government and Andersen Consulting and why was that deal slammed by the Ontario Auditor General in a recent report? Finally, this publication reveals Andersen Consulting's Top 10 major screw-ups around the world."
Source :
Related Andersen/Accenture Links :
See the Canadian Social Research Links Ontario - Government Sites page

Nellie's
"Nellie's is a non-profit women's organization (in Toronto) helping women and children in crisis locate safe affordable housing, support services and a bridge to a better future. We operate a 36 bed emergency shelter for women and children who are homeless and women and children leaving violence. The Community Support Program provides aftercare and follow-up support and service to women and children who have left the shelter and are now living in the community."
- excellent collection of online resources --- incl. links to : Women's Shelters (Toronto and surrounding area | Ontario | Canada) - Issues (Poverty | Housing/Homelessness | Violence against women | Health | First Nations women | Consumer/Survivor) - Projects | Feminist | Children | Immigrant women | Lesbians | Women and the law |Transgendered women
Research (Reports | Statistics) - Action (Useful e-mail addresses | Marches and vigils)

New York Times

The View From Inside a Depression
By Joe Nocera
October 16, 2009
- review of a new book dealing with the 1930s Depression, and a cautionary note about assuming that the worst of the current financial crisis in the U.S. is over...

Nodice Elections: Ontario
- incl. links to : Ridings and Candidates - Provincial Election History - Premiers of Ontario - Party Leaders - Links

Source:
Nodice Elections

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

No Excuse - The poverty blog
"No Excuse is a blog managed and mostly written by Hamilton Spectator poverty beat reporter, Bill Dunphy, and is part of the paper's larger Poverty Project. Look here daily for news items, events, resources, and a chance to engage in discussions with the paper, Dunphy and each other."

Related link:

'Paycheque to paycheque,' five kids to feed
500,000 in Ontario facing poverty without budget help, report finds
March 12, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Toronto construction worker Mark Merner has been struggling to support his young family since his hours were slashed in half last fall. And he's worried it could get worse. "The construction industry is really slowing down and I've been told there might not be much work this summer," says the father of five children age 5 and younger, including a baby and a set of twins. The Merners are among about 500,000 Ontarians who will be driven into poverty by the recession unless this month's provincial budget boosts incomes and expands programs that support low-income families, says a report by the Ontario Association of Food Banks.
Source:
The Toronto Star

The Cost of Poverty: An Analysis of
the Economic Cost of Poverty in Ontario (PDF - 1.3MB, 36 pages)
November 2008
By Nathan Laurie
Key Facts:
* Poverty disproportionately affects certain populations, and has a complex mix of institutional and individual causes.
* Poverty has a price tag for all Ontarians.
* The cost of poverty is reflected in remedial, intergenerational, and opportunity costs.
* Reducing poverty with targeted policies and investments over the life course generates an economic return. This return is equal to a proportion of the assessed cost of poverty.

Related link:

Everyone pays the province's $38 billion cost
Toll of health care, crime, social assistance $2,900 per household, economic analysis finds
November 20, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Poverty costs Ontario a staggering $38 billion a year – and we all pay the price, says a new report that offers the first-ever analysis of the problem's economic impact on everyone. Although the province's 905,000 poorest households bear the brunt of the cost, everyone feels the pinch, says the report written by a group of leading economic and public policy experts to be released at Queen's Park today.
Source:
Toronto Star

Ontario's Food Banks present plan to cut poverty in half by 2020
News Release
August 19, 2008
The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) released a new report today, entitled Our Choice for a Better Ontario, in response to a call for submissions from the provincial government's Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction. The report sets a goal of cutting poverty in half by 2020 through a renewed investment by the federal and provincial governments.

Complete report:

Our Choice for a Better Ontario:
A Plan to Cut Poverty in Half by 2020 (PDF - 1.4MB, 64 pages)
August 2008 (PDF file date)
"(...) Our challenge is great. Hunger and poverty disproportionately affects certain populations and places in Ontario. Ontario’s economy is also in a period of significant transition. Hundreds of thousands of Ontarians lack the basics of life, including food, shelter, and education. We believe that our universal goal must be to cut poverty in half by 2020, with a focus on reducing the deepest poverty. In order to meet this goal, we have established twelve supportive goals focusing on key sectors, people, and places. "
- goals cover the following areas:
* Housing * Education * Financial Inclusion * Employment & Enterprise * Energy * Health * Neighbourhoods and communities * New Canadians * Single parents * First Nations * Ontarians with Disabilities * Children

Related link:

We must spend to fight poverty: report
Low-fee credit unions for the poor and a plan to help low-income households pay for heat and hydro are among a broad series of initiatives needed to fight poverty in Ontario, say the province's food banks in a report released recently. Cutting poverty in half by 2020 would lift more than half a million Ontarians out of poverty and should be the McGuinty government's "commitment of a generation," says the report by the Ontario Association of Food Banks.
Source:
Sudbury Star
September 2, 2008

Food banks warn of `growing storm'
Government must act as prices rise, report says
June 26, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Ontario's weakening economy coupled with the rising cost of food, fuel and energy should be a "wake-up call" to action on poverty reduction in both Ottawa and at Queen's Park, say the province's food banks. The federal government must increase employment insurance benefits and expand eligibility for Ontarians, where currently just 27 per cent of unemployed workers qualify, says the report to be released today by the Ontario Association of Food Banks.
Complete report:
A Gathering Storm: The Price of Food, Gasoline, and Energy,
and Changing Economic Conditions in Ontario, 2008 (PDF - 1.2MB, 24 pages)
Related OAFB links:
Ontario Hunger Report 2007 (1.2MB, 32 pages)
November 8, 2007
Discussion Paper : Towards a New Perspective on Hunger & Poverty (PDF - 736K, 40 pages)
September 13, 2007
Source:
Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB)
We unite over 100 communities across Ontario in a network of food banks from Windsor to Ottawa and Thunder Bay to Niagara Falls to relieve hunger.

Ontario Association for Community Living (OACL)- includes a plethora of position papers and briefs to the Ontario government; this is a must-see site.

OACL Presentation to Minister of Community, Family and Children's Services (March 1998)
In this all-encompassing brief to Hon. Janet Ecker, OACL addresses reinvestment needs in areas such as aging families, individualized funding, the Special Services at Home program, the Ministry's restructuring efforts ("Making Services Work for People"), Individual Service Agreements (ISAs), Levels of Support (LOS), social assistance reform, deinstitutionalization, education. OACL also identified several immediate service delivery cost issues, such as escalating rates for workers compensation, pay equity shortfalls, etc.

Response to Bill 142 (Social Assistance Reform Act) - Submission by the Ontario Association for Community Living to the Standing Committee on Social Development

Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres (OAYEC)
OAYEC is a non-profit, charitable organization providing supportive services to a network of 50+ youth employment counselling centres across Ontario.

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)
OCAP is a direct-action anti-poverty organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We mount campaigns against regressive government policies as they affect poor and working people.

Short History of OCAP - by John Clarke (Nov 9, 2001)

Raise the Rates: The Vital Struggle Against
Ontario's Sub-Poverty Welfare System
By John Clarke
August 22, 2008
A drastic reduction in the adequacy of income support payments is key to the neoliberal agenda. (...) The Toronto Relief Committee (TDRC), a working committee of union activists, social agency representatives and community organizers is planning for a September rally at the Ontario legislature. Demands will focus on social assistance rates, the minimum wage and housing.
Source:
The Socialist Project
John Clarke, author of the above article, is with OCAP.

Read about OCAP in ZNet:
- Reinventing Antipoverty: The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty employs fresh, winning tactics

Ontario: 'Poverty Reduction'? Reforming without Reforms in a Neoliberal World
by John Clarke
June 30, 2008
"(...)Clearly, the present round of Ontario Government consultations on poverty can't be wished away. It is dominating the political landscape in Ontario at the moment. In OCAP, we deplore this fact but have to recognize it. At present, we can only present our point of view and realize that we are not able to transfer community energy from talking with Liberals to mobilizing against them. However, there is one obvious limitation to the government's consultation strategy. At a certain point, the talking has to stop and the results of the process must be revealed. At that time, the striking lack of progress on poverty reduction is going to hit people in the face."
Source:
Centre for Global Research
The Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG) is an independent research and media group of writers, scholars, journalists and activists. Based in Montreal, the CRG is a registered non profit organization in the province of Quebec.

[ more Canadian content from CRG ]

- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Ontario Campaign 2000

[Ontario] Pre-budget submission, January 2008 (PDF file - 46K, 4 pages)
January 21, 2008
Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs Pre-Budget Hearings
Queen’s Park, Toronto
Presented by Jacquie Maund, Coordinator, Ontario Campaign 2000

Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care was founded in 1981 with a mandate to advocate for the development of high quality, non-profit child care services in the province of Ontario. The organization includes representatives from: education, health care, labour, child-welfare, injury prevention, rural, First Nation, Francophone, social policy, anti poverty, professional, student and women’s organizations. In addition, we serve community based child care programs and 15 local coalitions across the province.

Child Care Still a Patchwork of Underfunded Programs
5 July 07
The Ontario government today accounted for how it is spending $142.5 million in previously announced child care funds. The allocations mean that existing child care programs will have the funding to keep current spaces open for Ontario children and families, but does not expand the child care system.
Related link:
McGuinty Government Strengthens Ontario’s Child Care System:
$142.5 Million Funding Boost And New Regulatory College Means Better Care For Ontario's Children
July 5, 2007
The McGuinty government is strengthening Ontario’s child care system with $142.5 million in funding to sustain 7,000 new licensed spaces and create a first-of-its-kind in Canada regulatory College of Early Childhood Educators to maintain professional standards of practice among child care practitioners, Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services Mary Anne Chambers announced today.
Source:
Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Child care community welcomes new funding - first of its kind for years!
News release
January 8, 2004
"Yesterday Minister Bountrogianni announced that this year's federal Multi-lateral Framework money - 9.7 million dollars - will go to non-profit, regulated, child care centres for capital repairs and upgrades. This is the first announcement of new funding for child care in Ontario for some time and is welcomed by the child care community. It meets an important need and is an encouraging sign that the new Liberal government recognizes the value of not-for-profit and regulated care.

Related Link:

McGuinty Government Investing in Early Childhood Development
Premier Encourages Ontarians To Help Tackle The Deficit And Set Goals
News Release
January 19, 2004
"Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty today said that his government is committed to improving important services like early childhood development and that strengthening the province's fiscal foundation will make it possible to deliver real, positive change. 'After years of neglect, our government is repairing the foundation for child care because we believe the early years are crucial to a child's future success', said Premier McGuinty. (...) 'The government is making $9.7 million in federal funds available to child care centres throughout the province (...) There's so much more we want to do -- and that's why we're working hard to tackle the $5.6 billion deficit that we've inherited from the previous government. It's an obstacle to the change Ontarians want and need.'"
Source:
Office of the Premier

The Myth of Child Care Spending in Ontario (PDF file- 63K, 3 pages)
October 2002

See also the Canadian Social Research Links Early Childhood Development Links page

Ontario Coalition for Social Justice
"The Ontario Coalition for Social Justice is a coalition of provincial and national groups promoting social and economic justice in Ontario.
The OCSJ is committed to:
- expanding the quality, accessibility and universality of health care, education and social welfare programmes
- promoting anti-racism
- advocating economic policies that protect the rights of workers and lead to fair employment with compensation at a liveable wage
- protecting the programmes and services that ensure our quality of life in Ontario."

- incl. links to : Media Releases - Campaigns - Resources - Newsletter & E-bulletin - Our Network - Become a Member - About Us

Economists Support Welfare:
Over 75 economists endorse raising the minimum wage and social assistance rates
Media Release
Posted May 14, 2004
Endorsement by Ontario economists and labour policy experts of improvements to Ontario's minimum wages and income security programs.

ODSP Action Coalition
The ODSP [Ontario Disability Support Program] Action Coalition is made up of community clinic caseworkers, agency staff, and community activists. We undertake campaigns and activities designed to raise awareness of issues affecting persons in receipt of Ontario Disability Support Program benefits. The ODSP Action Coalition was formed in 2002 as a coalition of lawyers, community workers and consumers. The coalition is leading the campaign to document and publicize problems with ODSP and has engaged in lobbying and advocacy to encourage solutions to those problems.
- incl. links to: * About Us * Campaigns * Resources * Coalition Activities * Help for Recipients * Links * Contact Us

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"Stupid Rules" Create Dire Consequences
January 28, 2010
The Coalition had an opportunity to meet with members of the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council (SARAC) in late January, and to present them with a list of quick changes that could be made to some of the "stupid rules" in ODSP. This Council was recently appointed by the government to give advice on two things: some "quick fix" changes to counterproductive rules, and the mandate and scope of a more comprehensive social assistance review to be carried out later this year.

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Related link:

A Proposal for ODSP Rule Changes (Word file - 127K, 16 pages)
The ODSP Action Coalition is made up of community clinic caseworkers, agency staff, and community activists. We undertake campaigns and activities designed to raise awareness of issues affecting persons in receipt of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits.

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Endorse the Disability Declaration
October 6, 2009
The ODSP Action Coalition is requesting individuals and groups to endorse our Disability Declaration. The Declaration sets out some of the rights that people with disabilities have according to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and then states what changes the Ontario government needs to make to ODSP to fulfill those rights. Although Canada has not yet ratified the Convention, the Coalition believes it is important for people with disabilities and organizations that work with them to use it in articulating how and why their needs must be met.

Ontario Federation of Labour

A Blueprint for Economic Stimulus and Poverty Reduction in Ontario:
Blueprint could help cut child poverty by 19%
News Release
February 12, 2009
TORONTO – A report by the 25 in 5 Poverty Reduction Network shows how the Ontario government could get three-quarters of the way towards its goal to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent. A Blueprint for Economic Stimulus and Poverty Reduction in Ontario – the result of consultations in 30 Ontario communities – lays out a plan that could reduce the number of poor Ontarians by 197,420 (15 per cent) and reduce the number of poor children in Ontario by 62,000 (19 per cent) within the next three years.

Complete report:

A Blueprint for Economic Stimulus
and Poverty Reduction in Ontario (PDF - 157K, 28 pages)
February 2009

* 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction
* Ontario Federation of Labour (Sheila Block of the OFL wrote the report)

Related link:

Welfare 'stimulus' touted
February 12, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten
If Premier Dalton McGuinty wants to protect Ontario's faltering economy, he should give more money to people like René Adams so she can buy her daughters healthy food and pay for swimming lessons, poverty activists say. The Toronto single mother, who volunteers at a local food bank while she looks for full-time work, says every extra penny she receives goes back into the local economy. (...) In addition to cutting poverty, putting money into the hands of those who need it most is the best way to stimulate the economy at a time of global economic uncertainty, says a report by the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction. (...) The proposed economic stimulus and poverty reduction package calls on Ontario to spend $5 billion over the next two years to beef up welfare and other social supports and build new child-care spaces and social housing units.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Ontario Health Coalition - Campaign to Save Medicare

Ontario Health Coalition Report Paints Disturbing Picture of Ontario’s Privatized Long Term Care
Ontario Health Coalition
Media Release - May 27, 2002
Source : DAWN DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario

Ownership Matters: Lessons from Ontario's Long-Term Care Facilities
"On May 27, 2002 the Ontario Health Coalition released Ownership Matters: Lessons from Ontario's Long-Term Care Facilities. This is a report prepared for the Hospital Employees' Union of British Columbia by the OHC which examines the effect of the Ontario Tory government's privatization of Long Term Care on the quality of care and patients."
Complete report (25 printed pages)
Boomers beware* - this report contains some disturbing information for those of us who will be unfortunate enough to require care in a long term care facility in Ontario in our waning years. Here's a short list of the findings contained in the report :
"- Ontarians in long term care facilities receive extremely low levels of service compared to other jurisdictions.
- Ontarians in long term care facilities are among the oldest and the sickest but receive the least therapy, rehabilitation and nursing care.
- Basic accommodation costs in Ontario' s long term care facilities are among the highest in the country.
- Staff workloads, overtime and accident and injury rates are on the increase.
- Minimum standards and facility inspections have decreased in the last half decade.
- The "second tier" - percentage of beds held for residents who pay a surcharge - has increased while the percentage of beds held for those who can' t afford the premium rates has decreased.
- Connections between government and private owner/operators are unprecedented."
(*not just Ontario boomers either...)

[Gilles' comment:] My own mother had a stroke in the fall of 1995, leaving her paralysed on her left side and with some cognitive difficulties. I don't have any cognitive difficulties, however, and I've seen the steady erosion of the quality of care in the three long term care facilities where my mother has lived since then. Reduced levels of care, downsizing, lack of adequate training for new staff, morale problems, more residents suffering from depression, and, oh, yeah --- increasing demand. In April 1998, the Ontario government announced a $1 billion investment to create 20,000 new long-term care beds across the province. Read the report to find out why this turns out to be a building bonanza for the private sector.("The corporations that helped to bring the Conservatives to power were eager to capitalize on that desperation. It now seems they'll been given their chance - at the taxpayer's expense.")

Ontario Medical Association

Poverty makes Ontario sick
August 5, 2008
Economic inequality translates into limited access to health-care for province's poor
Source:
The Toronto Star

NOTE: The co-authors of this article, Dr. Michael Rachlis, Dr. Gary Bloch and Dr. Itamar Tamari,
were also involved in writing the following series of three articles in the May 2008 issue of the Ontario Medical Review:

Poverty and Health: article series
The Ontario Physicians Poverty Work Group has prepared a series of articles that provide physicians with an overview of the issues related to poverty and health, indicators and resources that can be used in practice, along with strategies to help mitigate the health effects of poverty in individual patients and communities.

* Part 1: Why poverty makes us sick (PDF - 157K, 6 pages)

* Part 2: Identifying poverty in your practice and community (PDF - 143K, 5 pages)

* Part 3: Strategies for physicians to mitigate the health effects of poverty (PDF - 2MB, 5 pages)

Source:
Ontario Medical Review • May 2008 issue
[ Ontario Medical Association ]

Related link:

Doctors Point to Poverty as Major Cause of Illness
New report shows how poverty impacts health and what doctors can do to
help address this growing health-care crisis
TORONTO, July 29 /CNW/ - A new report by a group of Ontario doctors highlights the ways in which poverty affects the health outcomes of adults and children and the role health-care professionals can play in reducing the impact of poverty on people's health. The report, "Why poverty makes us sick," authored by The Ontario Physicians Poverty Work Group, reveals that poverty substantially raises the rate of chronic illness, infant mortality and lowers life expectancy.
Source:
CNW Group (formerly Canada Newswire)

Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA)
OMSSA is a non-profit municipal social services association formed in 1950 to collect and share information on social services and to provide professional development and consulting services.

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

2007 Forum on Social Housing and Homelessness for
Service Managers, Shelter Providers and Front Line Staff (PDF file - 1.3MB, 25 pages)
September 18–20, 2007
Toronto, Ontario
"(...)The theme for this year’s forum, “It Starts with Us”, is reflected in the main message within the keynote addresses and workshops being offered over the two-and-a-half- day forum. Delegates who deliver municipal social housing and homelessness services as well as shelter and hostel representatives from across Ontario can expect to come away from this forum with tools, resources and concrete examples of partnerships, as well as a renewed sense of the importance of collaboration as they pursue the goal of healthy communities and a home for all Ontarians."

Ontario Non-profit Housing Association (ONPHA)
ONPHA is an association of non-profit housing organizations which provide high quality affordable housing for low and moderate income people in communities across Ontario. Our membership includes 694 private and municipal non-profit housing providers.
Great resource for non-profit housing associations! Membership (limited to non-profit housing groups) gives access to a large body of information, but there's lots here for non-members too. Here's just a sample of what you'll find on this site: ONPHA's Services - Management Tools - Publications - Non Profit Housing - Tenant Access Info - Public Affairs - Government Relations - Tenant Protection Act - Program Issues - Municipalities - Media Releases - Connections - Links (large collection of Canadian and international housing links)

Where's Home? - declining prospects in Ontario
March 3, 2009
By Michael Shapcott
As Ontario continues its slide into one of the deepest recessions in 50 years, the income gap between renters and home owners in the province continues to increase. This worrisome trend, combined with low vacancy rates in many areas and long waiting lists for social housing across the province, highlights the need for increased investment in affordable housing to protect families and create jobs, according to a report released on Monday. The eighth annual edition of Where’s Home? A Picture of Housing Needs in Ontario (2008) authored by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) Ontario Region, analyzes 22 separate housing markets across Ontario.
Comment found in:
Wellesley Institute Blog
[ Wellesley Institute ]

Complete report:

Where’s Home?
A Picture of Housing Needs in Ontario, 2008 (PDF - 1.8MB, 66 pages)
March 2009
"(...) Since 1999, the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) have collaborated on Where’s Home?, a periodic report on the state of rental housing markets and rental housing affordability in 22 selected housing markets and the Province as a whole. As we have been tracking information on the rental market for several years, our analysis provides not only a snapshot of today’s rental housing markets and housing affordability, but also a picture of trends over the longer term. This report focuses on vacancy rates, rental housing production, changes in rents, incomes and housing affordability."
Source:
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA)
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada)

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2008 Market Summaries (PDF - 487K, 111 pages)
Detailed information for each of 22 Census Areas (CAs) and Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in Ontario
- includes ten-year comparisons of a number of variables, including vacancy rates, changes in average rents compared to inflation, rent increases for a 2-bedroom apartment, proportion of income spent on housing, average household incomes of owners and tenants, ownership and rental housing completions, and more...
Source:
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada)

Ontario desperately seeking affordable apartments
Media Release
March 14, 2007
Toronto – There are not enough apartments to rent in Ontario and those that are available are unaffordable for the average worker. These are the findings of “Where’s Home? 2006: A Picture of Housing Need in Ontario.” The report is produced by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF).

Where's Home 2006:
A Picture of Housing Needs in Ontario (PDF file - 262K, 45 pages)
March 2007
This latest in a series of reports co-produced by ONPHA and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, Ontario Council finds that there aren't enough apartments available in Ontario, and those that are available are unaffordable for the average worker

Fact Sheet (PDF file - 17K, 1 page)
Undated (PDF file is dated March 14/07)

Earlier reports in this series - back to 1999

Sources:

Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada
The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) is the organized voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement. We exist to unite, represent and serve the community of housing co-operatives across Canada and member organizations that support their operation and development.

Ontario Non-profit Housing Association (ONPHA)
ONPHA is the voice of non-profit housing in Ontario. ONPHA unites 770 non-profit organizations providing housing in 220 communities across Ontario. Our members include municipal and private non-profits of all sizes, with all types of funding.

Related links:

The Wellesley Institute
The Wellesley Institute advances the social determinants of health through rigorous community-based research, reciprocal capacity building, and the informing of public policy.

The Wellesley Institute Blog

Issue Pages: Housing and Homelessness
- incl. links to key online resources, presentations and blog entries on this issue

Affordable Housing - from the Ontario Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs

For more info on the 2007 Ontario Budget, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Ontario - Government Links page

Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (OPC)

Ontario Project for Inter-Clinic Community Organizing - OPICCO
"The Ontario Project for Inter-Clinic Community Organizing - OPICCO - grew out of the Toronto community legal clinic training session in April 2002, the theme of which was 'Community Development for Changing Times'. A number of Toronto clinic workers indicated an interest in meeting on an ongoing basis to continue the exciting dialogue begun at the conference.
The purpose of the site is to provide community organizations & community legal clinics in Ontario with tools for organizing.
This website is an outcome of the collective desire to continue the networking online and thus expand collaboration and resource-sharing throughout the province of Ontario and beyond..."

Campaigns & Law Reform - incl. (Un) Employment Insurance Campaign - Pay the Rent AND Feed the Kids - Justice With Dignity Campaign - Review of Social Union Framework Agreement - Access to Disability Benefits - It's Time for a Fair Wage, Not a Poverty Wage! - Housing & Homelessness - Miscellaneous

Online Tools & Resources - incl. Advocacy & Activism - Forms and Applications - Media Resources & Contacts - Technology Toolkit - Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) - Ontario Government ODSP & OW Links - Ontario Legislative Links - Online Legal Workshops & Information - Publications available Online - Resources on Board Development & Meeting Management - Community ICT & Networking Resources - Proposal Development - PovNet U - Organizers Database

Activist Database - large collection of links to local social advocacy and activist resources in ~ 50 locales in Ontario (cities, towns, regions) - includes contact info and (if applicable) website URLs. Also includes similar info on 17 province-wide networks...

Publications - links to dozens of reports organized under the following themes : Advocacy - Communications & Media - Housing /Landlord & Tenant - Social Assistance - Work and Employment Insurance - Worker's Compensation - Income Security - Disability - Vulnerable Workers - Virtual Volunteering - Women and Poverty - Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) Brochures - Proposal Writing - Fact Sheets on the Growing Gap (CSJ)

Related Link:

Legal Aid Ontario

Ontario Social Development Council
The Ontario Social Development Council is a province-wide, charitable organization which proposes and responds to social and economic policies and programs to ensure the protection and enhancement of fundamental human rights, dignity and well-being.

Ontario Social Safety Network [from DisAbled Women's Network DAWN- Ontario]
"The OSSN is an Ontario-wide coalition of low income individuals, anti-povery groups, persons with disabilities, labour groups, legal clinics, social agencies and faith-based groups
committed to addressing poverty and inequity by working on issues of concern to low income communities and vulnerable groups."

March 2003 Social Safety NetWork (OSSN) Newsletter
- incl. the following content: How to raise funds locally for your group - A reflection on participation by the Ontario Social Safety Network in the Rogers Inquest - ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) Coalition on the move - It's time for an income security system that works! - Campaign update: Pay the Rent AND Feed the Kids - Regional report: Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty

"Social Safety News is produced by the Coordinating Committee of the Ontario Social Safety NetWork (OSSN), which is made up of anti-poverty groups, legal clinics, faith groups, labour organizations, community agencies and social activists who support the Mission Statement of the NetWork."

Ontario Social Safety NetWork [from Workfare Watch]
(includes OSSN content up to January 2001)

Social Safety News - Newsletter of the Ontario Social Safety Network (OSSN)
Issue 26 - January 2001
In this Issue:
Changes to Ontario Works/Ontario Disability Support Program - Changes - Calls for Raise in Welfare Rates - Mandatory Drug Testing - "A Politics of Hope : Renewing the Public Good" ISARC Forum - Government Appeal of Spouse-in-the-House Charter Case - Information about the most recent and the forthcoming OSSN meetings.
- Source: Workfare Watch website

FIVE YEARS LATER: Welfare Rate Cuts Anniversary Report
Ontario Social Safety NetWork
Nov. 29, 2000
Press Release
Complete report online
Toronto--Welfare recipients must get by on a welfare cheque that buys 30% less than when the Mike Harris government was elected in 1995, according to a report released today by the Ontario Social Safety NetWork. In real value, welfare benefits today are the lowest that they have been for 35 years.
- Includes the following sections : The real value of welfare benefits - Evictions - Ontario versus the other provinces - Poverty and Health - Rent costs - Poverty Index - Food - Harming Women - Food bank use - Welfare Cuts and Policy Changes
Click on the "Welfare Cuts" link to see the Workfare Watch list of changes to welfare in Ontario under the Harris Government from 1995 to date.

Social Safety News
Newsletter of the Ontario Social Safety Network
September 2000 Issue
In this Issue: Next OSSN Meeting - Violence Against Women Lobby - Women Win Charter Challenge - Community Update - THE "STAY" IS LIFTED; WHAT ABOUT OW/ODSP? New Income and Housing Clinics - Two Stage Application Process - OSSN Meeting Report
February 2000 Issue
In this issue: Next OSSN Meeting - Getting Money Owed by ODSP - Life Sentence for Welfare Fraud - People’s Inquiry into ODSP Planned for Ottawa - Welfare Rates Need to be Raised to a Livable Level - Human Rights Project Update - Beep..Beep...Beep...Your Benefits Have Just Been Terminated
September 1999 Issue
Table of Contents 1. Recent OSSN News 2. Next OSSN Meeting 3. October 2nd: National Actions to End Homelessness
4. November 24th: Blow the Whistle on Child Poverty 5. Newsflash: Step Program Cuts Stalled 6. Changes Promised to Disability Application 7. A Few Questions for Mike Harris on Workfare and Farm Labour 8. Liens on Houses of Welfare Recipients 9. Proposal for a Social Welfare Law Centre 10. New Tenant's Survival Manual 11. Quebec Welfare Case Headed for Supreme Court? 12. Workfare Watch Report Released 13. Membership Form
Welfare Cuts Hurt Kids: Critical Welfare Program Cut
Press Release
Ontario Social Safety NetWork
November 22, 1999
"When Minister Baird brags about reduced welfare rolls, he should also tell Ontarians how many fewer children receive benefits..."

Welfare Rule (Spouse-in-the-house) Violates Charter of Rights - Ontario Social Safety NetWork (August 14, 1998)

Ontario Tenants
Most Asked Questions And Answers

Ontario Women's Justice Network
The goal of the Ontario Women's Justice Network (OWJN) is to promote an understanding of the law with respect to the issue of violence against women and children. We provide accessible legal information to women and their supporters in a manner that reflects the experiences and realities of women. We review and analyse written law (legislation) and case law (court decisions).
Check the site map for links to the following information : Justice Issues - Legal Info - Online Resources - Archive
The Resources section includes links to sites in the following areas : Crisis Services (Shelters, Sexual Assault Centres and Transition Houses) - Woman Abuse Issues - Legal Resources - Research - International Links

OPIRG.ORG - Ontario Public Interest Research Groups
- includes links to PIRGs at the following Ontario universities : Brock - Carleton - Guelph - Kingston - McMaster - Ottawa - Peterborough - Toronto - Waterloo - Windsor - York

Open Policy
John Stapleton's personal website.
John is a Policy Fellow with the Metcalf Foundation and St. Christopher House in Toronto.

Sample content from Open Policy:

The Recession Continues
Economists measure economic recovery using statistics
that ignore the reality faced by the majority of the population.
February 24, 2010
By John Stapleton
"... for everyone who is not an economist (or a journalist who reports the findings of economists), a recessionary period is generally defined as “bad times,” meaning lower living standards, unemployment, lower spending, and lack of opportunity. And as the present recession proves, the economy can grow while the lives of the great majority of people who inhabit the economy do not improve at all."
Source:
The Mark
The Mark is founded on the idea that thousands of credible Canadians have important things to say but cannot reach a national audience. (...) The Mark will be their platform. At its core The Mark is a national movement to record Canadian ideas and propel the people behind them. It is a collection of thoughts and a tool for facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue and debate between outstanding Canadians.

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

File a tax return, raise your income
February 20, 2010
A single mother earning $15,000 a year could get about $8,000 extra income from tax, child and other benefits. She would then have about $23,100 to spend. Single mothers earning much more could also qualify to raise their income. (...) John Stapleton, a consultant who works with the Metcalf Foundation and a volunteer tax preparer, recalls a study conducted before he retired from the Ontario government. One hundred welfare recipients who were not collecting child benefits included 95 who had never applied for those benefits, or had not completed a tax return. Only five were not eligible for benefit. (...) There are many reasons for missing out on benefits: Lack of awareness, lack of reading or mathematical skills, bad experiences in other countries, fear of abusive spouses who demand the benefits. (...) Most Canadians are proud we have social benefits for low-income earners, young parents and the elderly. If you have good reading skills and know someone who could be missing out, you could do some homework.Consider visiting the websites of the Canada Revenue Agency, Service Canada, Ontario Ministry of Revenue and Service Ontario.
Source:
The Toronto Star

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Welfare historians and number-crunchers, Rejoice!

Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) Caseload Change
- April 2007 to July 2009 (PDF - 159K, 1 page)
This graph shows the steady increase in ODSP cases since the recession began
Source: Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services

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Ontario Works (OW) Caseload Change
- April 2007 to July 2009 (PDF - 159K, 1 page)
This graph shows the steady increase in OW cases since the recession began
Source: Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services

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OW & ODSP Combined Caseload Change
- June 2007 to July 2009 (Excel file - 52K)
This excel worksheet shows the steady increase in ODSP and OW cases since January 2008
Source: Open Policy (John Stapleton)

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Selected Welfare Rates, 1935 to date (PDF - 64K, 1 page)
This graph shows the monthly change in income of a single person and a single mother with one child on social assistance in Ontario from 1935 to 2009
Source: Open Policy (John Stapleton)

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Ontario Social Assistance rates
and Minimum Wage for a Single Person, 1967 to 2010 (Excel file - 26K)
This excel worksheet shows a comparison of incomes between a single person working at minimum wage and a single person on social assistance since 1967
Source: Open Policy (John Stapleton)
NOTE: If you're having a problem accessing this file, try this:
1. Go to the Recession Relief Coalition website's Indicators page
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page; this Excel file is the last link on the page (on Sept. 15/09)

The source of these files is the Recession Relief Coalition website.

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Time for a “Made in Ontario”
Working Income Tax Benefit
Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity and Open Policy Ontario
call for improvements to Working Income Tax Benefit design in Ontario to help low-income earners escape welfare.
September 2, 2009
Press Release
Toronto – The government of Ontario should accept the invitation from the federal government to modify the design of its Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB). WITB benefits should be re-oriented to support low-income earners when they work more, thereby easing their move from social assistance onto full-time employment when welfare benefits are lost.

Complete report:

Time for a “Made in Ontario”
Working Income Tax Benefit (PDF - 897K, 28 pages)
September 2009
Open Policy Ontario
John Stapleton, Principal
"Low-income Ontarians who are attempting to break out of poverty to achieve financial sustainability often find barriers in their way. In fact, many who try to break away from welfare and find employment face strong disincentives to work. They continue to struggle with insufficient work, low wages, and little-to-no wage progression. (...) This report is not about addressing the full range of welfare reform; rather, it seeks to merge the WITB and Ontario’s welfare system and thus provide greater incentives for low-income Ontarians to achieve full-time employment by reducing the barriers created by the welfare wall. (...)

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Designing new architecture for Ontario social assistance
Forget trying to reform the current system and build a new one that is both simpler and fairer
June 2, 2009
By John Stapleton
When Ontario's long-promised review of welfare begins this spring, the provincial government faces a stark choice. Does it spend years trying to unravel a set of 800 social assistance rules that make up the current outdated system? Or will this government take the bolder road and build an entirely new and improved income security system? (...) The social assistance system in Ontario was rebuilt during the 1990s with the introduction of the Ontario Works Act and the Ontario Disability Support Program Act. The purpose was to provide a basic welfare program in Ontario Works whose success was predicated on the principle that only the neediest of the needy would receive assistance. Success was defined in terms of leaving the program. Reliance on the program was considered dependency. That system does not work. It needs replacing.
Source:
The Toronto Star
John Stapleton is a Metcalf Innovations Fellow, and Community Undertaking Social Policy Fellow at St. Christopher House in Toronto.
This article is based on his report on Ontario's new income architecture, The 'Ball' or the 'Bridge': The stark choice for social assistance reform in Ontario (see below).
[ Open Policy - John Stapleton's personal website ]

Complete report:

The ‘Ball’ or the ‘Bridge’:
the stark choice for social assistance reform in Ontario (PDF - 243K, 5 pages)
May 2009
By John Stapleton
"(...) If Ontario chooses to keep the ‘ball’ (the 800 rules that guide welfare in Ontario) stuck together and loosen eligibility rules (as it has historically done during recessions), caseloads will climb and peak approximately three years following the end of the recession at tremendous cost to the province while thwarting human potential in a significant portion of Ontario’s adult population. The choice is stark for social assistance reform in Ontario. We either can risk more than doubling Ontario’s social assistance population as we did in the early 1990s or we can build the new bridge. The choice is ours to make."

Source:
Ontario Alternative Budget
[ Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives ]

Depression-era hardship could await Ontarians
Press Release
February 12, 2009
TORONTO – Without government action, the lack of adequate income security programs could plunge Ontarians suffering the worst of the current recession into dire straits, says a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).Silence of the Lines: Poverty Reduction Strategies and the Crash of 2008 shows how the economic downturn is already worse than the Great Depression but predicts different results for Ontarians who end up down on their luck.
Source:
Ontario Alternative Budget
[ Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives ]

Complete report:

The Silence of the Lines:
Poverty reduction strategies and the crash of 2008 (PDF - 135K, 5 pages)
February 2009
By John Stapleton
"(...) people who once could successfully apply for welfare during a rough patch (along with all the people turned away from EI) are going to be turned away at the welfare office. The reason for this is that since the last major recession, governments have brought in four significant sets of changes:
• Lower social assistance rates;
• Much lower assets limits;
• Earning exemptions policies that do not apply to new applicants; and
• ‘Workfare’ — now called ‘community participation’.
The confluence of these four sets of changes has not been tested in a recession but when the ‘new poor’ make a welfare application, they will be turned down to live off lower paid jobs or their dwindling savings. When they re-apply later on, they will be told that ‘any job is a good job’ and will be pointed in the direction of the relatively plentiful low paid jobs that will be available.

Dorothea Crittenden: Canada's first woman deputy minister
reformed welfare and social assistance
December 24, 2008
Obituary
By Gay Abbate
"(...) Dorothea Crittenden was a trailblazer who devoted her life to helping build Ontario's welfare system. She was also a key player in the creation of the Canada Assistance Plan, a federal-provincial cost-sharing plan that guarantees all Canadians equal access to social assistance."

As a rule, I don't include links to obituaries on my site or in my newsletter. In this case, however, I've made an exception based on the valuable historical insights that I've found in the obituary, and moreso in the paper below by John Stapleton, and that I wanted to share with Canadian social historians --- more pieces of the puzzle, as it were...
[...and no, I won't link to your Aunt Bertha's obituary. Don't even ask.]

The above obituary by Gay Abbate appeared in The Globe and Mail on December 23, and it's based in part on information provided by Dr. Crittenden in the course of interviews with John Stapleton in 1991.
The content of those interviews appears in the paper below, which provides valuable historical information about Canadian social policy from the Depression to the mid-1970's when she was Ontario's Deputy Minister of Community and Social Services. Of particular interest to Canadian social historians, I'm sure, will be sections like * What Ontario gave up for CAP * Project 500 in the 1970s * the cap on CAP (I should note that the cap on CAP was in the early 1990s and not the 1980s, as noted in the above obituary. John's paper has the correct info on that.)

Coming of Age in a Man’s World:
The Life, Times and Wisdom of Dorothea Crittenden,
Canada’s First Female Deputy Minister (PDF - 355K, 22 pages)
January 2007

Welfare won't be much help
December 24, 2008
John Stapleton
With the adoption of Breaking the Cycle, Ontario plans to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent in five years. It will be tough for the Ontario government to meet this commitment as poverty usually increases during recessions and welfare caseloads grow. Poverty and its attendant costs increase a lot in major recessions. Just like the Great Depression, we started the present recession with a liquidity crisis, a debt bubble and a crisis in confidence. By 1932, Ontario's relief expenditures had tripled while old age pension costs had doubled. Governments are now bracing for a new onslaught but we will not see these spectacular cost increases in the current recession.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related links:
- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

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

Spooked by the prospect of recession?
Toronto-based social policy analyst John Stapleton teaches us a valuable history lesson with his new piece The ‘Last Recession Spook’: A Very Curable Disease, released by the CCPA as part of its Ontario Alternative Budget technical paper series. This paper looks at the history of public investments during economic downturns and finds the ghost of the last recession (in the 1990s) still haunts Canadians, limiting our thinking of what’s possible to modest terms. Exhorting Canadians to start real change and improvement, he writes, “The last recession was unlike all others and rather than reducing government programs during recessions, we used to increase them.”

The ‘Last Recession Spook’: A Very Curable Disease (PDF File, 157K, 5 pages)
By John Stapleton
April 2008
Source:
CCPA Ontario Alternative Budget series

How our tax system discourages self-reliance
By John Stapleton
January 04, 2008
"...there are some straightforward solutions (to the problem of families caught in the cycle of poverty).
I offer four:
- Reduce Marginal Effective Tax Rates for adults with low incomes
- Stabilize households in transition to greater self-reliance
- Support children in their transition to adulthood through a "Time-out"
- Create a new government responsibility centre to promote accountable interactions: A new government responsibility centre created from existing government ministries should be tasked with resolving the multiple barriers that now result from pro-gram overlap and duplication."
Source:
The National Post

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

Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA)

Why is it so tough to get ahead? How our tangled
social programs pathologize the transition to self-reliance (PDF file - 1MB, 62 pages)
John Stapleton
November 2007
[ Powerpoint Presentation -(in PDF format - 7.2MB, 24 slides]
This report documents the disincentives to achieving greater self-reliance within Ontario’s welfare, housing and social support system. It aims to make understandable to policymakers and the public how removing subsidies from poor Ontarians in an uncoordinated way makes it impossible for recipients to achieve greater self-reliance. Research was undertaken with members of the Somali, Vietnamese-Chinese and St. Christopher House communities. The issues of disincentives are viewed through the lens of first generation poor immigrants receiving benefits from multiple sources, and youth who have grown up in public housing in households with social assistance as the main income source.(...) The report outlines a series of recommendations for policy solutions that can be taken right away to eliminate some of the barriers thrown up by multiple subsidies and program policies. The ultimate goal for this report is to call attention to the need for a new governance model – one that enables governments and their agencies to forge policies and procedures in a coordinated way so that the transition to self-reliance is a healthy, supported process for people.
Source:
The Metcalf Foundation
The goal of the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation is to enhance the effectiveness of people and organizations working together to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy and creative society.

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

Also from Reuel Amdur
in The Canadian Charger:

October 22, 2009
McGuinty abandons children
By Reuel S. Amdur
The voice is the voice of Dalton McGuinty, but the hands are the hands of Mike Harris.

June 29, 2009
Dalton McGuinty’s War on the Poor
By Reuel S. Amdur
Overview and critique of Ontario's two social assistance programs, Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

Source:
The Canadian Charger - "Canada's National E-Weekly"

Peterborough Social Planning Council"Through research, community development and public education the Peterborough Social Planning Council works to build a strong community."
- incl. links to : Annual Report - Membership and Donations - Volunteer Opportunities - Publications - Projects - Newsletter - Events - Funders - Boards and Committees - Staff Profiles - Links - Contact Information - Employment Opportunities

PollutionWatch

An Examination of Pollution and Poverty in the Great Lakes Basin
November 2008
This PollutionWatch study examines the links between reported industrial air releases and income throughout the Great Lakes basin.
- incl. short abstract of the study and links to the complete report and fact sheets (all of which appear below)

People Living in Low Income Communities Likely to Face Greater Pollution Releases
New study examines links between pollution and poverty in Great Lakes basin and Toronto
News Release
November 27, 2008
Toronto, ON – People living in poverty in the Great Lakes basin may be experiencing an increased burden of high air pollution from industrial facilities in their communities, says a new study released today by the Canadian Environmental Law Association and Environmental Defence through the groups’ PollutionWatch project. The study, An Examination of Pollution and Poverty in the Great Lakes Basin, found 37 communities, known as census subdivisions, in the Great Lakes basin have high poverty rates at or above the national average (11.8%) and high releases of toxic air pollutants (over 100,000 kg) from industrial facilities.

Complete report:

An Examination of Pollution and Poverty
in the Great Lakes Basin (PDF - 12.3MB[*see note below], 69 pages)
November 2008

Fact sheets:

PollutionWatch Fact Sheet:
An examination of pollution and poverty in the City of Toronto (PDF - 5.2MB, 19 pages)

PollutionWatch Fact Sheet:
An Examination of Pollution and Poverty
in the Great Lakes Basin (PDF - 2.1MB, 17 pages)
November 2008

Related link:

Poorest areas also most polluted, report shows
Study finds low-income families, already facing low levels of health, are placed at further risk
November 27, 2008
By Moira Welsh
Many of Toronto's poorest residents live near industries that spew the highest levels of toxic chemicals and pollutants into the air, a groundbreaking report has found. Low-income families, many already facing diminished health from stress, bad nutrition, diabetes and poor dental care, are placed at further risk because they breathe air contaminated with pollutants suspected of causing cancer and reproductive disorders, say the authors of the report.
Source:
The Toronto Star

*COMMENT re. filesizes:
According to the Download Speed Calculator, a 12.3MB file will take just over 30 minutes to download on a 56K dialup connection.
Sure, most of us who surf the Net using a broadband Internet connection will only wait three minutes or so (!?!) for this file to download, but it's possible to optimize PDF files for the Web so that they're smaller and easier to download for everyone, but especially for people with slower connections. Here's a 96-page report on health indicators (PDF - 96 pages) that's just over 2MB in size to prove that even complex pages can be converted into PDF without bloating the file size. My gratuitous advice to website administrators : if you see that your PDF file is larger than a few megs, try to strip down some of the fluff (colours, special fonts, etc.) to reduce the size of the final product.

Poor in Toronto
Community Information Weblog on LiveJournal
"This community is for those who are Torontonians, considering being Torontonians or are interested in Torontonians. The original focus was (is still) on: The Working Poor and The Hardly Working. The idea is to offer a playground of information regarding: assistance in getting by, information about advancing ones career and enjoying life more - with little to no money. However, people who do not consider themselves either of the above have shown interest in this community and I believe they can also contribute to the group. Social Workers, Activists, Recent Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, Discount Shoppers, Students, Penny Savers, Discount Shoppers, Penny Savers, and others are also more than welcome to join the group if they believe they can add to the community objectives."
NOTE: this is a weblog that you can browse or, if you register, post your thoughts to share with others.
Check it out, even if you aren't poor in Toronto...

Poverty Watch Resources - links to websites and reports

Partners:

25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction
25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction is a multi-sectoral network comprised of more than 100 provincial and Toronto-based organizations and individuals working on eliminating poverty. (...) We are asking our government for a plan to reduce Ontario poverty levels by 25% in 5 years and by 50% before 2018

Social Planning Network of Ontario
The Social Planning Network of Ontario (SPNO) is a coalition of social planning councils (SPC), community development councils (CDC), resource centres, and planning committees located in various communities throughout Ontario.

Ontario Campaign 2000
Ontario Campaign 2000 is a provincial partner in Campaign 2000, with 66 member organizations across the province.
[ Campaign 2000 ]

Income Security Advocacy Centre
The Income Security Advocacy Centre works with and on behalf of low income communities in Ontario to address issues of income security and poverty.

Source:
Poverty Watch Ontario
Poverty Watch Ontario is a joint initiative of the Social Planning Network of Ontario, Ontario Campaign 2000 and the Income Security Advocacy Centre. These organizations have partnered since early 2008 to promote a cross-Ontario community dialogue on a poverty reduction strategy for the province.

NOTE : To avoid repetition of links on multiple pages, I've moved most links concerning the
Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy to the Canadian Social Research Links Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Crisis Coming for Ontario Communities
Media Release
October 21, 2009
Hard Hit, a new research report from the Social Planning Network of Ontario (SPNO) documents the one-two punch affecting Ontario's nonprofit community services -- an increasing demand for services and lost revenue from funding cuts driven by the economic downturn. The survey of more than 400 Ontario agencies found that 60% had experienced mostly increases in service demand since September 2008. Three-quarters of these agencies attributed the increase in demand, at least in part, to the recession. Half of the organizations surveyed also experienced a cut in at least one funding source during 2009 and 65% anticipate they will have further funding cuts in 2010. This combination of increased demands and cuts in resources spells an impending crisis in communities across Ontario.
Complete report:
Hard Hit: Impact of the Economic Downturn
on Nonprofit Community Services in Ontario (PDF - 2.7MB, 35 pages)
October 2009
The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of the current global economic recession on nonprofit community social service agencies in Ontario, and ultimately, to assess the capacity of the sector to respond to current and emerging community needs. This survey is intended to be the first stage of an ongoing research and assessment process that will allow the SPNO to monitor the ongoing impact of the recession on agencies in Ontario.
Source:
Social Planning Network of Ontario

rabble.ca

Why the McGuinty Liberals will not reduce poverty
Will Premier McGuinty favour the interests of the poor and insecure in Ontario over those in the business sector who profit from poverty?
By Dennis Raphael
October 29, 2007
Despite Premier’s McGuinty’s promise to produce a poverty reduction plan, and the earnest hopes of editorial writers and anti-poverty activists, I am of the belief that the next four years will see little if any action on poverty reduction. I base this prediction on my analysis of poverty and its public policy antecedents in Canada and what we know about the forces that create poverty and maintain its presence.

Homeless Squeeze
May 21, 2002
"Secret video from a Toronto homeless shelter shows people packed into spaces tighter than United Nations standards for refugee camps."

Raising the Roof (RTR)
"Raising the Roof is the only national charity in Canada dedicated to finding long-term solutions to homelessness"
Here are but a few samples of the comprehensive up-to-date information on homelessness you'll find on this site :

Shared Learnings on Homelessness
"Practical tools, resources and information sharing for frontline staff, managers and volunteers working to address the problem of homelessness in their communities. Use this site to find out about initiatives in cities, towns and rural areas across Canada. Link to others working within the homelessness sector, share your experiences and learn from theirs."

Toque Tuesday Campaign

Recession Relief Coalition
(Formerly the Recession Relief Fund Coalition )
The Recession Relief Coalition is a broad-based group of organizations and individuals concerned about the impact of the recession on Canada’s most vulnerable and marginalized residents. Over 260 organizations and over 1,100 individuals across Canada have endorsed the coalition’s call on the federal government to create a recession relief fund to prevent cuts to public and private not-for-profit agencies serving vulnerable communities, and to increase funding to support vital social services including homelessness programs and settlement services.
- incl. links to:
* home * actions (no content yet) * indicators * contact * participate * video * gallery * news * archives * blog * submit your story

Endorse the
Recession Relief Fund Declaration
- read the declaration, then scroll down the page and add your name to the growing list of supporters.

Selected site content:

This Is What the Recession Looks Like: June 2009 (PDF - 161K, 8 pages)
Research Bulletin #1
- calling for immediate government action on: * Social Assistance Reform * Unemployment Income (EI Reform * Funding for Non-Profit Sector, including Housing and Homelessness Programs
- incl. Key Facts & Trends in this Recession
Source:
Indicators

Related link:

Recession Relief Coalition:
This is what the recession looks like for Canadians
Jun 11, 2009
By Michael Shapcott
As Canada's federal government is set to release its first major report on its economic initiatives (including the multi-billion dollar economic stimulus package that was part of the January federal budget), the Recession Relief Coalition has released its own report on "what the recession looks like" this morning. The coalition is a broad-based group of more than 260 organizations and 1,100 individuals across Canada.
Some key findings from the coalition's research report:
* the number of single people on Ontario Works (provincial welfare) reached an all-time record of 130,180 in April, 2009
* Ontario's real unemployment rate (the official unemployment rate, plus people who are "discouraged" and have dropped out of the labour market, plus involuntary part-time workers) is now well into the double digits at 13.6% and is a staggering 28% for youth aged 15 to 24.
* Credit Canada (which helps people deal with debt) has had a 42% increase in new clients in the past year.
* Non-profit and community-based programs and services are being over-whelmed with growing demand; foodbanks in Toronto report that a record one million people were forced to line up for food last year.
The Recession Relief Coalition sets out a policy agenda that includes increases to federal and provincial income assistance programs (including welfare and employment insurance); plus increased funding for the non-profit sector, including housing and homelessness programs.
Source:
Wellesley Institute Blog
[ Wellesley Institute ]

---

[NOTE: the content below is still located
on the original Recession Relief website.]

Combating Poverty, Homelessness and
Hunger: Create a Peace Dividend (PDF - 65K, 7 pages)
By Cathy Crowe (Street Nurse and Atkinson Economic Justice Fellow)
June 1, 2009
"(...) Canadians need and want a peace dividend that is an investment in people not destruction. In the meantime however, this recession further necessitates program spending that will provide emergency recession relief – monies to expand Employment Insurance benefits, bolster provincial social assistance rates, prevent evictions, and expand emergency life saving services such as food and shelter."

Employment Insurance Reform and Poverty (PDF - 83K, 3 pages)
Submission to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, Social Development
and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
By the Toronto City Summit Alliance
May 31, 2009 (in connection with appearance on June 2, 2009)

Brief submitted to the House of Commons
Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and
Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (PDF - 146K, 7 pages)
June 1, 2009
By John Stapleton
(on behalf of the Atkinson Charitable Foundation)
Topics:
* Federal Government Role in Canada's Social Safety net
* Disparity in responses to poverty and social policy at the Provincial and Territorial level
* Needlessly Prolonging the Recession

Testimony to the
Standing Committee on Human Resources,
Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (Word file - 24K, 3 pages)
by John Andras
Co Founder Recession Relief Coalition and Chair of SKETCH
"(...) The need for emergency funding to be made available to the agencies feeding, clothing, sheltering and counseling the victims of the recession is clear and pressing. Governments need to respond to the reality that demand is growing and non-government funding is falling. "

Ronzig

Down But Not Out
Reflexions and digital photo art by Ronzig depicting homeless people and their environment.
[Ronzig was homeless in Toronto for ten years ending in 2005.]
- incl. links to:
* What it means to be homeless * Poverty is the Primary Cause of Homelessness * The Political Scene * War * Death and Disease * Drugs Addiction * Society * Chat with Ronzig * Public Speaking * Videos * Contact-and-links * Our Best Hope * Events * Media

NOTE: The images that appear on the pages of the above site are, in the words of the artist, "...a multimedia merging of photography, computer manipulation and acrylic painting producing unique artwork". If you're impressed as I was with the originality and beauty of Ronzig's photographic art, the link below will take you to a whole collection of similar work by the same artist.

Ronzig's Photographic Art Portfolio - incl. links if you wish to order prints
["My Best Work" - samples of Ronzig's photos]
[ Ronzig's Facebook page ]

---

Videos by Ronzig about homelessness & related issues
- incl. links to a collection of YouTube videos created by Ronzig for the Recession Relief Coalition covering public forums rallies, protests and media release meetings. Recession Relief Coalition videos that are longer than the YouTube 10 minute limit are on the Vimeo multi player just below the YouTube player and below that is a second YouTube multi player with all of Ronzig's YouTube videos on it.

Rupert Coalition (Toronto) - (Rooming houses, boarding homes) "...to create new housing and ensure upgrades to existing housing for low income people"

St. Christopher House (Toronto) --- [ see my beautiful St. Chris T-shirt! ]
"Established in 1912, St. Christopher House is a non sectarian social services agency located in west central Toronto, with six facilities and a wide range of programs, including : programs for older adults, people with disabilities and their care givers; the Woman Abuse Program; the Settlement and Adult Education Program; the Programs for Children and Youth; the Music School; Employment Programs; a drop in for socially isolated adults; a supportive housing project; and Parkdale Focus Community Project."

About St. Chris - History - Our Locations

Children and Youth - incl. links to : Music Room - Alcohol & Drug Prevention Programs - Toronto Youth Job Corps - Graffitti Transformation Project - Parent Support to Newcomers

Programs for Adults - incl. links to : Learning - Employment Services - Newcomer Services - Financial Advocacy and Problem Solving - The Meeting Place - Violence Against Women and Children - Toronto Youth Job Corps - Alcohol & Drug Prevention Programs

Older Adults - incl. links to : Alzheimer and Frail Elderly Day Programs - Alcohol & Drug Prevention Programs - Caregiver Counselling/Groups - Caregiver Training - Client Intervention and Assistance (CIA) - Elderly Persons' Centre - Friendly Visiting - Group Effectiveness and Leadership (GEL) - Health Action Theatre - Home Help/Homemaking - Meals on Wheels - Personal Care - Respite Care - Supportive Housing - Telephone Reassurance - Transportation - FAQ - Intake

Get Involved - incl. links to : Volunteering - Community Development - Donations

Community Issues - Community Development - Income - Health - Immigration and Settlement - Contact Information

Community Undertaking Social Policy Project (CUSP)
- the St. Chris work of Richard Shillington and John Stapleton

Income Security Strategies for Working Age Adults
This St. Christopher House project is a three-stage process involving diverse stakeholders "to develop practical, responsive and 'modern' strategies for income security for working-age people in Ontario."
- incl. detailed info about the project and related papers, including the final report (see the link below under "selected reports")

Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults
- Research Agenda (October 2004, PDF file - 164K, 24 pages)
- (Draft) Profiles of Five Low Income Working Age Adults (October 2004, PDF file - 96K, 13 pages)

Assets - A community development framework
Asset Policy- Learn$ave

Selected St. Chris reports:

Alliance tackles welfare reform - Ontario/Canada
Oct. 25, 2004
By Carol Goar
Toronto City Summit Alliance teams up with St. Christopher House to help improve income support for working age adults
"They are launching — and paying for — a non-governmental review of the safety nets that are failing millions of low-income adults. They intend to build public support for a modern, sustainable income security system. (...) Using its contacts in the senior echelons of business, academe and public life, it hopes to mount a powerful campaign to fix what is wrong."
Source:
The Toronto Star

NOTE: scroll down the page you're now reading to the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults

Enabling Families to Succeed:
Community-Based Supports for Families
By Susan Pigott, C.E.O. and Lidia Monaco, Director of Children, Youth and Family Services
St. Christopher House, Toronto
Presented at Making Children Matter Conference
October 2004
"How can we improve children’s lives? Susan Pigott and Lidia Monaco from St. Christopher House in Toronto argue society must first recognize that children are a part of families. Therefore, to improve the lives of children, our policies and actions must consistently work to enable families to succeed. Pigott and Monaco report on the conditions which disable far too many families and outline four prerequisites for family success."
Complete Text:
HTML version
PDF version (39K, 5 pages)
Source:
Voices for Children
["Voices for Children promotes the well-being of children and youth in Ontario by disseminating information to influence policy, practice and awareness."]
Voices for Children Report Index - links to two dozen reports from 2002 to 2004

What Works When Work Doesn’t?”
Income Security Strategies For Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 204K, 30 pages)
Project Report
June 24, 2004
"Income Security Strategies for Working-Age Adults (...) explores options for developing practical, responsive and modern strategies for income security for working-age people in Ontario and Canada."
- incl. analysis of the treatment of assets under provincial-territorial welfare programs and, among the the proposed strategies for working-age adults, suggests that assets should be protected and allowed to grow beyond current levels within welfare programs.

From pleasure to terror:
Why unexpected money is a problem for the poor (PDF file - 107K, 5 pages)
January 2004
"The purpose of this commentary is to build support for assets based approaches to poverty reduction such as those proposed by Social Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI) in the context of Learn$ave and St. Christopher House in its Registered Development Savings Plan (RDSP) proposals. It was prepared by John Stapleton, Community Undertaking Social Policy (CUSP) Fellow at St. Christopher House and Massey College.

For more info on RDSPs, see the Asset-Based Social Policies Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/assets.htm

Presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance (PDF file - 150K, 1 page)
by Susan Pigott and John Stapleton
November 6, 2003

Registered Development Savings Plan (RDSP) : A Proposal for a Tax Prepaid Savings Plan
Exempt from Welfare Restrictions on Assets and Income (PDF file - 319K, 26 pages)
November 2003 (Revised Dec. 2003)
- Pre-Budget Submission to the House of Commons Committee on Finance

RDSP Questions and Answers (PDF file - 75K, 3 pages)

Learning from the Public and the Lived Experience of St. Christopher House Participants (PDF file - 467K, 11 pages)
Personal impressions by John Stapleton, retired Ontario government bureaucrat, after his first seven months at St. Christopher House.

What Could Be Done (PDF file - 103K, 6 pages)
Richard Shillington offers "a very unstructured list (...) of various flaws, problems, screw-ups in the design of support programs which could be corrected" --- 14 specific 'fixes' for programs like Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan, provincial-territorial welfare programs and the income tax system, to help improve the financial well-being of people with low income. Several of the suggestions focus on asset retention strategies for people on low income and households on welfare. This list originally appeared on Richard's website early in 2002.
[ Tristat Resources - Richard Shillington's website ]

Punished for their providence (PDF file - 131K, 2 pages)
December 3, 2003
Carol Goar (Toronto Star)
"Their instincts were bravely right, their plans pathetically wrong. Three single parents came to John Stapleton at St. Christopher House, asking how to start a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). He told them they'd be crazy to do it."

Settlement.Org - "Providing newcomers with information and answers to settle in Ontario, Canada"
- links to a wealth of information, including : Community and Recreation - Education - Health - Immigration & Citizenship - Legal Services - Consumer Information - Employment - Housing - Language and Literacy - Social Services - Discuss - Events - FAQs - First Days - Forms - Organizations - News - Quizzes - Reference Shelf - and more...

SHORT Ottawa
"SHORT is an organization of and for the people who live in the homeless shelters, the men's and women's hostels, and many other housing arrangements supplied by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and a wide variety of charitable organizations, non-profit agencies, and even the private sector."

Who or what is SHORT?
Anyone who lives in a:
SHELTER,
HOSTEL or
OTHER
RESIDENCES, or is
TRANSIENT.

- incl. links to : Introduction to SHORT - Local Ottawa Homeless Resources - More Homeless-related Links - The Shelter System Explained - Danger: The "Shelter Trap" - Homeless-Related Issues - Homelessness in the News - Task Force on Homelessness - Email the National Housing Minister!

Skills for Change
"Providing learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the workplace and wider community."
- incl. links to information about the following programs and services : Clerical Employment Services - Employment Assistant Services - Employment Preparation for Retail Services - Finance and Office Assistant Program - Job Search Workshop - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada - Mentoring - Sector-specific information sessions - Sector Terminology Information and Counselling - Tech@Skills - Work Search for foreign-trained teachers and Engineers
To navigate this site, use the drop-down menu at the top of the page or go to the "About SFC" page.
Here are a few sample pages on this site:
Links to Other Sites - Links to business directories, community agencies and job banks
SfCeNews Newsletter - Monthly e-mail newsletter about SFC programs and services

Social Assistance in the New Economy (sane
[Ernie Lightman, Andy Mitchell, Dean Herd]
The Social Assistance in the New Economy (SANE) project, established in 2002, is a multi-year, multi-disciplinary inquiry into the changing nature of social assistance in Ontario and its relation to precarious employment and health in a globalizing economy. Funded primarily by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) through five major grants to date, the research program comprises a number of complementary projects which are investigating the welfare and post-welfare experiences of social assistance recipients, as well as the labour market experiences of those precariously employed. Our methodologies include primary data collection through qualitative in-depth interviews, ethnographic research, and secondary analysis of large data sets such as the SLID, CCHS and NPHS. Aside from publishing extensively in the academic literature, SANE has advised various non-profit community-based agencies and governments on policies towards income support for those with low incomes.

* Research Team
* Grants
* Publications
* Presentations

Source:
University of Toronto Faculty of Social Work

Selected SANE papers and reports:

Precarious Lives: Work, Health
and Hunger among Current and Former
Welfare Recipients in Toronto (PDF - 177K, 18 pages)
2008
By Andrew Mitchell, Ernie Lightman and Dean Herd
Andrew Mitchell
ABSTRACT.
This article explores the impact of welfare reform in Ontario, Canada, by reporting on three rounds of annual, in-depth qualitative interviews with a longitudinal panel of current and former welfare recipients in Toronto. Two years after they were first interviewed, participants continued to live precarious lives, both on welfare and off. Whether “welfare poor” or “working poor,” most respondents reported compromised hunger status, fear of, as well as actual hunger and monotonous diets lacking necessary nutrition. These findings provide valuable insight into longer-term impacts on labor market restructuring and welfare reform on health and hunger among the vulnerable and marginalized and offer direction to policymakers in response.

Welfare Time Limits: Symbolism and Practice (Word file - 114K, 26 pages)
2008
By Dean Herd, Ernie Lightman and Andrew Mitchell
This paper examines time limits on the receipt of welfare, based on experiences in the United States and, since 2002, in British Columbia, the only province to have introduced time limits in Canada. In effect, time limits start a 'clock' running and when the time has expired, welfare recipients become subject to penalties, up to lifetime exclusion from welfare.
The paper begins by describing the introduction of time limits in the US and Canada, detailing the often complex policies themselves. It then reviews the research evidence, drawing primarily on the US experience which has been more fully evaluated. Overall, the research shows that time limits are both philosophically flawed and a blunt and ineffective policy tool. Proponents of time limits advocate their use as part of a package of measures designed to change the behaviour of individuals and to reduce welfare "dependency". Instead, the research shows that those who reach time limits face multiple barriers to employment.
NOTE: recommended reading - this paper contains an excellent overview of the evolution of the welfare time limit rule from bad idea to non-issue in BC.

Poverty is making us sick : A comprehensive survey
of income and health in Canada (PDF - 522K, 39 pages)
By Ernie Lightman Ph.D, Andrew Mitchell and Beth Wilson
December 2008
"(...) the poorest one-fifth of Canadians, when compared to the richest twenty percent, have:
• more than double the rate of diabetes and heart disease;
• a sixty percent greater rate of two or more chronic health conditions;
• more than three times the rate of bronchitis;
• nearly double the rate of arthritis or rheumatism."
Source:
Partners in this report include:
Social Assistance in the New Economy
Wellesley Institute
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto

Related link:

The Economic Outlook:
Implications for Ontario and Ottawa (PDF - 184K, 16 pages)
March 11, 2009
Powerpoint Presentation by Don Drummond
Senior Vice-President and Chief Executive
Source:

---

TD Economics (<=== this page includes links to more TD Economics reports)

New Asset and Income policies to assist low-income adults under Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy
Towards a comprehensive approach to accommodate new (2008)federal programs and encourage
self-reliance under Ontario’s asset and income tested benefit programs (PDF - 954K, 58 pages)
Andrea Baldwin/John Stapleton/Don Drummond
July, 2008
Source:

MoneyTalk with Patricia Lovett-Reid (video - this may not work for you if you're behind a corporate firewall)
From Welfare to Work: Still the Road Less Traveled
December 08, 2005
Gillian Manning, economist, TD Bank Financial Group
Susan Pigott, chief executive officer, St. Christopher House
NOTE: this is a weekly half-hour television show on Toronto business TV.
The December 8 program focused on the work of the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWWA").
Click the link above, then (on the next page) scroll down to the December 8 show and click the "PLAY" button under that date to watch the whole half-hour show.

Related Links:

Analysis of Social Safety Net Reveals Major Gaps,
Says Task Force of Civic Leaders (PDF file - 119K, 8 pages)
Press Release
September 8, 2005
"TORONTO – A new report prepared by TD Economics on behalf of the Task Force for Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA) highlights the need for broad-based income security reform in Canada. The MISWAA Task Force, of which TD Bank Financial Group is a member, was launched last year by the Toronto City Summit Alliance (TCSA) and Toronto’s St. Christopher House to identify failings in the present income security system and recommend a road map for change. The Task Force is composed of leaders from the business, academic, government and non-profit sectors, including those with first-hand experience dealing with income security issues."

Executive Summary (HTML)

Complete report:

From Welfare to Work in Ontario: Still the Road Less Travelled (PDF file - 467K, 54 pages)
September 2005
"Ontario Works and other provincial/territorial welfare systems have been turned into "providers of first resort" for too many people and too many things - for a path into work, for more income when work doesn't pay enough, for sundry health benefits, and for child care. And, not surprisingly, welfare programs have responded to this surfeit of demands on their systems by raising entry barriers, with the result that a growing number of low-income adults are at risk of falling through the cracks." [Excerpt, page 33]

Now, even a bank slams workfare
TD report pokes holes in welfare and EI policies, offers new blueprint for safety net
Thomas Walkom
National Affairs Writer
The Toronto Star
September 9
"The worm turns. Old ideas gain currency again. Now, even hard-headed business people are beginning to realize that taking a sledgehammer to the welfare state was a bad, bad idea. The latest evidence is a remarkable paper released yesterday on how Canadian governments should deal with welfare, poverty and unemployment. (...) What is remarkable is the report's provenance. It was written by the TD Bank Financial Group, a big, rich bank. And it appears destined to form the basis of recommendations that a joint panel of business, labour and anti-poverty activists is to present to federal and provincial governments next month."
Source:
The Toronto Star

On a personal note...
I find it SO refreshing to see this kind of information produced by a financial institution --- makes me feel that there's some hope for us yet!
Thanks, TD Economics!

Also from TD Economics:

Enhancing GTA standard of living
requires concerted effort: TD Economics (PDF file - 19K, 3 pages)
July 17, 2007
Press release
(TORONTO) A report published today by TD Economics states the relative decline of the Greater Toronto Area’s standard of living against competing jurisdictions during the past five years poses a serious threat to the region’s future prosperity (www.td.com/economics). Cohesive and coordinated action is required by all regional players, but future policies must be underpinned by efficiency and innovation rather than public money.
Among the GTA’s challenges, co-authors Don Drummond and Derek Burleton cite:
· The region’s eroding competitive position due to economic forces such as the rising dollar;
· The limited flexibility of the City of Toronto due to its structural deficit; and
· The rising number of low-income families among newcomers and the self-perpetuating cycles of poverty.

Complete report:
An Update toTD Economics' 2002 Report on the Greater Toronto Area Economy (PDF file - 301K, 33 pages)

Executive summary (PDF file - 440K, 3 pages)

Link to the 2002 GTA Report:

Canada's Primary Economic Locomotive in Need of Repairs (PDF file - 673K, 37 pages)
May 2002

Source:
TD Economics (<=== this page includes links to more TD Economics reports)

Related link:

TD urges social investment for TO's "deep pools of poverty"
July 17, 2007
By Michael Shapcott
Toronto and the surrounding Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are "a powerful economic locomotive which produces nearly one-fifth of the entire nation's GDP", along with many other economic advantages, according to a new report from TD Economics called "Canada's Primary Economic Locomotive in Need of Repairs". But the economists working for one of Canada's largest banks warn that despite the economic good times, "deep pools of poverty persist - a problem that is exacerbated by an inadequate supply of social housing".
Source:
The Wellesley Institute Blog
[ The Wellesley Institute ]

Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA")
- incl. links to : In the News · Press Releases · Task Force and Working Group Members · Contact Us · Papers · Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto City Summit Alliance
"The Toronto City Summit Alliance is a coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region. The Alliance was formed to address challenges to the future of Toronto such as expanding knowledge-based industry, poor economic integration of immigrants, decaying infrastructure, and affordable housing."

From The Toronto Star:

'The greatest mayor we never had,' David Pecaut dies at 54
December 14, 2009
Passionate city-builder and co-founder of Toronto's Luminato Festival, David Pecaut has succumbed to cancer. He was 54.
"(...) Inspired by Pecaut, more than 6,000 people became involved in Alliance projects, tackling everything from immigrant integration to income security reform to cultivating emerging leaders."

David Pecault's message to the city
December 9, 2009
Toronto City Summit Alliance Chair, David Pecaut, shares his inspiring vision of collective leadership and city-building to ensure the future success of the Toronto region.

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

Comment:
I don't generally include death notices in my site and newsletter, but like many others in the Canadian social advocacy community, I was saddened by the passing of David Pecaut. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago and watching him at work in the context of the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA"). He was an inspiring civic leader, and he will be sorely missed.
May he rest in peace.
[by Gilles]

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

Related links:

Toronto City Summit Alliance
The Toronto City Summit Alliance is a coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region. The Alliance was formed to address challenges to the future of Toronto such as expanding knowledge-based industry, poor economic integration of immigrants, decaying infrastructure, and affordable housing.

Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA")
MISWAA was formed in the fall of 2004 by the Toronto City Summit Alliance, a broad-based coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region, and by St. Christopher House, a multi-service neighbourhood centre that works with low-income people in Toronto. The Task Force is a diverse group made-up of over fifty experts and leaders from major employers, policy institutes, labour unions, academia, community organizations, advocacy groups, foundations and governments, as well as individuals with first-hand knowledge of income security programs.

St. Christopher House
“St. Chris has 92 years of experience working with diverse individuals, families and groups. We provide support to people of all ages, including immigrants and people who are lower-income. We are not a religious organization in any way. St. Christopher House is strongly committed to community development in all aspects of our work.”

All governments have a duty to tear down walls of poverty
With politicians in election mode, now is the time to secure a decent living for all
Sep 16, 2007
By John Stapleton
Earlier this year, an impressive list of community leaders – including three former premiers from all parties – united with other leaders in an open letter calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to follow the "fair deal" road map (first related link below) laid out by the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (second related link below). In a full-page newspaper plea, they urged senior levels of government to ensure "a decent living for all Ontarians." Announcements on new income security measures surfaced soon thereafter. But with a provincial election and a new federal session on the horizon, now is the time to review expectations for the fall and to encourage governments to achieve the goal of ensuring a decent living for all.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Ontario Budget Aftermath:
Working poor get little relief from Flaherty
By John Stapleton
March 23, 2007
Upon closer inspection, the Conservative finance minister's Working Income Tax Benefit falls way short of the original proposal first floated by his Liberal predecessor Ralph Goodale, notes John Stapleton.
Source:
The Toronto Star

A Decent Living For All:
An Open letter to Prime Minister Harper and Premier McGuinty
March 16, 2007
"On February 26-27, over 600 leaders from across the Toronto Region met at the Toronto Summit 2007 to discuss key challenges facing our city, province, and country. One of the major topics at the Summit was the need for urgent action to address poverty. Specifically, leaders discussed the report of the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults – an unprecedented coalition of leaders from business, community agencies, labour unions, the public sector, and leading social policy institutions. The Task Force’s May 2006 report, Time for a Fair Deal, delivered a roadmap for modernizing income security in Canada. We are writing you today to urge your governments to follow that roadmap and take action to assist low-income working-age adults in lifting themselves and their families out of poverty."
[This open letter appeared in The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail on March 16]

Source:
Toronto City Summit Alliance
"The Toronto City Summit Alliance is a coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region. The Alliance was formed to address challenges to the future of Toronto such as expanding knowledge-based industry, poor economic integration of immigrants, decaying infrastructure, and affordable housing."

Related links:

Toronto Summit 2007: Making Big Things Happen
- incl. links to 10 summit backgrounders on a number of topics such as transit and transportation infrastructure, waterfront revitalization, diversity, strong neighbourhoods and more.
The two backgrounders that I chose to highlight from the collection deal with incomes and housing:
* A Decent Living For All (PDF file - 78K, 4 pages)
* Affordable and Adequate Housing for All (PDF file - 92K, 4 pages)
[Go to the Toronto Summit 2007 page for links to the other backgrounders.]

St. Christopher House
St. Chris has 92 years of experience working with diverse individuals, families and groups. We provide support to people of all ages, including immigrants and people who are lower-income. We are not a religious organization in any way. St. Christopher House is strongly committed to community development in all aspects of our work.

Time for a Fair Deal: Report of the Task Force on
Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 282K, 67 pages)
May 2006

Family falls behind trying to get ahead
December 1, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/yjj539
"(...) Social workers, labour experts and academics have long decried the lack of incentives in the system to help working-poor families lift themselves out of poverty. It's a system designed on giving with one hand while taking with the other, leaving impoverished families no further ahead, said income-security expert John Stapleton." There is no governing agency that looks at the overall effect of these programs," he said. "You need employment insurance, the tax system and Canada Pension Plan working together with public housing, child care, social assistance and the child-benefit system to bring in large-scale solutions. Many families are suffering the "unintended consequences" of rules that kick in when people's income levels hit an amount that nobody would think was excessive, said Susan Pigott, co-chair of a Toronto task force report calling on Ottawa and the provinces to overhaul the country's income-security system."
Source:
Toronto Star

Time For A Fair Deal
Task Force Addresses Urgent Need to Reform Income Security Policies with Unveiling of Report (PDF file - 134K, 8 pages)
Press Release
May 15, 2006
[version française du communiqué:
Un traitement équitable s'impose
Un rapport du groupe de travail indique un besoin urgent de réforme en matière sécurité du revenu] (fichier PDF - 135Ko, 10 pages)

TORONTO, ON – (May 15, 2006) - Today in Toronto an unprecedented coalition of business, labour, academic, non-profit, and think tank leaders released their report “Time for a Fair Deal” calling for fundamental reform of Canada’s income security programs for working-age adults.

Declaring the current system in need of a thorough overhaul, The Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (MISWAA) identified three key issues plaguing low-income Canadians:

- Many working people cannot earn enough to make ends meet even when working full-time for a full year – at least 30% of low-wage workers fall into this group,
- Employment Insurance (EI) no longer covers the majority of the temporarily unemployed – in Ontario only 27% receive EI benefits, and only 22% receive EI benefits in Toronto, and
- Existing social assistance programs are punitive, make it difficult to escape poverty, and create a “welfare trap” for many.
(...)

Key recommendations to the federal government include:

- Reforming Employment Insurance to address the significant decline in coverage,
- Introducing through the tax system a new national refundable tax credit and working income supplement to support low-income Canadians,
- Providing a national disability income support program for persons whose disabilities are so substantial they cannot enter the paid labour force.

Key recommendations to the Ontario Government include:

- Establishing an independent body, with representation from employers and labour, to recommend periodic increases to the minimum wage,
- Implementing a seamless and integrated child benefit platform for low-income parents with children that pays child benefits to all low-income parents, including those receiving social assistance,
- Reducing the impediments to leaving social assistance by providing prescription drug and dental benefits to low-income workers,
- Strengthening the enforcement of employment standards to protect the rights of workers under the law,
- Restoring the asset limits for those receiving social assistance to levels that allow savings for contingencies and help support the transition to work,
- Improving training and employment supports for social assistance recipients and low-income workers,
- Introducing reforms to the Ontario Disability Support Program, including returning benefit levels to those received by senior citizens who have no other source of income, and
- Uploading social assistance benefit costs from municipalities to the province.

Complete report:

Time for a Fair Deal: Report of the Task Force on
Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 282K, 67 pages)
May 2006

Context

MISWAA was formed in the fall of 2004 by the Toronto City Summit Alliance, a broad-based coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region, and by St. Christopher House, a multi-service neighbourhood centre that works with low-income people in Toronto. The Task Force is a diverse group made-up of over fifty experts and leaders from major employers, policy institutes, labour unions, academia, community organizations, advocacy groups, foundations and governments, as well as individuals with first-hand knowledge of income security programs.

MISWAA Frequently-Asked Questions (PDF file - 106K, 7 pages)

Related Links:

From The Toronto Star:

Ontario still punishing poorest of its children
October 22, 2006
Children living in families that receive welfare should be no less deserving of our help than any other poor children. Yet when the National Child Benefit Supplement was introduced in 1998, the Ontario government under former Conservative premier Mike Harris decided, in effect, there were two groups of families in the province — the deserving and the undeserving poor. It did that by clawing back the supplement from families that received welfare, and putting that money instead into child-care programs for working parents across the province. (...) In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, low-income families receive a separate, income-tested child benefit paid for all children in need. They receive the benefit regardless of whether the parents are working or, because of the circumstances they find themselves in, are forced to rely on welfare incomes that fall far below any measure of poverty. Ontario should adopt a similar program. Combined with federal funds, an Ontario Child Benefit could support all low-income families with children up to the age of 18.

Victory possible in war on poverty
October 21, 2006
In an effort to build a broad base of public support for a true national anti-poverty strategy, the National Council on Welfare launched a new website inviting Canadians to voice their opinions about the state of poverty in Canada and what politicians should do about it. (...) A reasonable and thorough program to start alleviating poverty has been developed through a co-operative effort of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, a broad-based coalition of civic leaders, and St. Christopher House, a Toronto neighbourhood centre that works with low-income people..."

More recent Toronto Star articles on poverty - 7-day archive search results from The Star ("Ontario AND poverty")
NOTE: the number of search results will vary depending on when you click the link - on October 22, there were links to 9 articles.

Working poor a 'smouldering crisis'
June 20, 2006
By: VANESSA LU - Toronto Star
Many adults below poverty line despite full-time jobs
Successful business leaders must not ignore the plight of Canada's working poor who toil as an invisible group, often unable to get ahead in this rich country, says a prominent civic leader. "I think what we're facing here is a smouldering crisis. It's not burning out there," David Pecaut, chair of the Toronto City Summit Alliance told a Canadian Club luncheon yesterday. "But in the next recession, it will burst into flames. There is no doubt about that. "Toronto and the GTA will be one of the hardest-hit places in the country." Pecaut, who is a senior partner at the Boston Consulting Group, is warning about growing income disparity in Canada — where the working poor and those on welfare lag far behind. (...) Pecaut co-chaired a report, released last month, with Susan Pigott of St. Christopher House, called Time for a Fair Deal, Modernizing Income Security for Working-age Adults.

Source:
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults
[ Toronto City Summit Alliance ]

Google Web Search Results:
"modernizing income security, report, Toronto"
Google News search Results:
"modernizing income security, report, Toronto"
Source:
Google.ca

Compromise versus conviction
May 19
By Carol Goar
"Compromise hurts, especially when people come to the table with strong convictions. Sometimes it is the price of progress. Sometimes the sacrifices outweigh the gains. For the past year and a half, 51 of Toronto's most civic-minded people have wrestled with these trade-offs. The result is a not-quite-unanimous report released this week titled Time for a Fair Deal. It sets out a hard-headed plan to tackle adult poverty, a social blight that governments refuse to address and middle-class voters blithely overlook. Given the diversity of the task force — members ranged from senior corporate executives to militant anti-poverty activists — it is a tribute to the group's dedication that it stayed the course. But its report reflects a clash of visions that could not be reconciled."
Source:
The Toronto Star

Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA")
- incl. links to : In the News · Press Releases · Task Force and Working Group Members · Contact Us · Reports · Frequently Asked Questions

Boston Consulting Group - Toronto Office
"BCG Toronto was created through the merger of The Canada Consulting Group and The Boston Consulting Group, and in the years since then, it has more than tripled in size."

Executive Summary (HTML)

Complete report:

Employment Insurance: Research Summary for the
Task Force for Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults
Ontarians Can No Longer Count On Employment Insurance To Provide Temporary Income Between Jobs
Toronto and Ottawa Have Lowest Coverage in Canada
October 6, 2005
By Jill Black and Richard Shillington
Highlights
- EI coverage has declined precipitously for a number of reasons, many to do with changes in the labour market that the program wasn't designed to handle; new initiatives should therefore be considered to fill the gap.
- Toronto and many other Ontario cities have extremely low EI coverage, likely due to high employment and high immigration; there is no comprehensive or definitive assessment of what is driving low coverage, but program changes in the 1990s clearly contributed to EI coverage becoming increasingly unbalanced. This needs to be understood better, and part of the solution may lie in EI program changes.

Complete report:

Word version ( 428K, 11 pages)
PDF version (613K, 11 pages)

Ontarians Can No Longer Count on Employment Insurance to Provide Temporary Income between Jobs
Toronto and Ottawa Have Lowest Coverage in Canada (PDF file - 68K, 2 pages)
Press Release
October 6, 2005
"The Task Force for Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults released its review of Employment Insurance (EI) today, revealing that EI no longer fulfils its role of providing temporary
income to most unemployed Canadians who are between jobs."

Youth raised in care of child welfare authorities face huge challenges when expelled from system at age 18
Measures aimed at easing transition from state care to independence would
improve quality of life and lessen dependence on social assistance
News Release
"TORONTO, Oct. 28 - Compared to their peers, youth exiting, or leaving the care of child welfare agencies are often consigned to a cycle of persistent poverty, are more dependent on adult social assistance, and are overly represented in the mental health and criminal justice system according to Youth Leaving Care: How do they Fare?, a study released today by the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA).

Complete report:

Youth Leaving Care – How Do They Fare?
Briefing Paper (PDF file - 242K, 31 pages)
September 2005
By Anne Tweddle
"This discussion paper was prepared for the Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA) Project in order to support and inform short- and long-term recommendations respecting challenges facing youth leaving care."

Source:
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA") - they produced the report
More MISWAA content (further down on the page you're now reading)
Laidlaw Foundation (they funded the report)

Related Links:

Smoothing a brutal transition
October 28, 2005
By Carol Goar
Trying to be gentle, social workers coined the phrase "aging out of care" to describe what happens to adolescents who reach the end of the child welfare system. In an earlier, less tactful era, they were simply terminated. But no amount of semantic cushioning can soften what, in real life, is a brutal transition. At the age of 18, crown wards, whose only parent has been the state for most or all of their lives, suddenly have no parent. They're on their own. In Ontario, some are eligible for extended care and maintenance payments of $663 per month until they reach 21. But many — usually those least able to cope — are cut off completely. They're alone in the adult world.
Source:
Toronto Star

Child Protection Services in Ontario
- from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Children's Aid Society Foster Care
- from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services

National Youth In Care Network
"The National Youth In Care Network exists to voice the opinions and concerns of youth in and from care and promote the improvement of services for them. We help our members find their voices and regain control over their lives through support, skill building, and healing opportunities."
- incl. links to : our bio (mandate, history, leadership, operational philosophy) - our work (consulting services, ken dryden scholarship, healing and training intensives, primer, our issues and sensitivity training
research and development) - our people (youth in care, members and supporters, board of directors, staff, youth in care networks) - our resources (stories, youth in care rights and resources, education, supporting youth in care networks, research, tools and manuals, links)

39th Parliament, 1st Session
Standing Committee on Human Resources,
Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
EVIDENCE
Thursday, November 23, 2006
On November 23, 2006, The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and status of persons with disabilities began its deliberations on Factors aggravating poverty by hearing the testimony of the following five witnesses:

On behalf of the
National Anti-Poverty Organization:
Vincent Calderhead, Senior Staff Lawyer, Nova Scotia Legal Aid

On behalf of the
National Council of Welfare:
Greg deGroot-Maggetti, Member

On behalf of the
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults:
John Stapleton, Research Director and St. Christopher House Research Fellow.

As individuals:

Ross Finnie, Professor, School of Policy Studies, Queen's University;
Chris Sarlo, Professor, Department of Economics, Nipissing University.

This is one of two Parliamentary committees currently studying poverty.
The other is Senator Hugh Segal’s study of Rural Poverty.

These committee studies are important. They are an avenue to our MP’s and they can be a powerful force for change. They are your committees too, so get involved!

High-Powered Task Force of Civic Leaders Aims to Reform
Income Security Policies for Working-Age Adults
Press Release
February 18, 2005
"Toronto - Government policies and programs aimed at assisting low-income Canadians to escape poverty are not working. A Task Force made up of some of Toronto’s most prominent citizens met today to launch a process to discover why the current system is failing and to recommend a new roadmap for reforming income security in Ontario. Called the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA), it is spearheaded by the Toronto City Summit Alliance (TCSA) and Toronto’s St. Christopher House, with prominent members from Canadian business, academia and public life, including those with first-hand experience dealing with income security issues. The Task Force is an unprecedented response from leaders across the spectrum of civil society to tackle one of the most critical issues facing our cities."Recommended reading (from the "Reports" page):

Progress To Date: Highlights From First Two Task Force Meetings (PDF file - 440K, 39 pages)
- contains excerpts from the materials used at the first meeting of the Task Force on September 22, 2004 and its second meeting on December 13, 2004.

“What Works When Works Doesn’t?” Income Security Strategies For Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 204K, 30 pages)
Spring 2004
"St. Christopher House brings the results of its recent efforts to develop 'modern strategies' for income security for working age adults in Ontario, including an in-depth understanding of the issues, and ideas for potential solutions that have been tested with front-line agencies and people directly affected by problems with the system. The MISWAA Task Force will build on the final report of that effort." (Description from the "Reports" page)

Media coverage:

New task force aims to bolster income security
Review to focus on working-age adults and need to recession-proof the city
By JOE FRIESEN
February 18, 2005
"Ontario's social safety net is full of holes that make it difficult for the poor to get off welfare and back to work, say the co-chairs of an ambitious task force on income security that is being launched today. David Pecaut, chairman of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, and Susan Pigott, CEO of St. Christopher House, are co-chairs of a group of more than 50 prominent economists, academics, business people and civic leaders. They aim to produce a report they hope will encourage Ottawa and Queen's Park to act on an issue that has major economic ramifications for Toronto (...)"
Source:
The Globe and Mail

City aid crisis looms
By ROYSON JAMES
February 18, 2005
"Toronto is faced with the creation of a permanent underclass in the next recession, says a dream team task force bent on repairing the country's fraying social safety net. Programs that paid out billions of dollars during the last recession in 1992 have been changed and amended to such a degree that thousands of people will be left without help if the hard times return, they warn."
Source:
The Toronto Star

The next article is relevant, but not related to the launch of the task force (or is it?):

Voice missing from the debate
By CAROL GOAR
"... there is a missing voice in this incipient debate: that of the economically marginalized.For the 675,000 Ontarians who depend on social assistance, there is a more urgent need than health services or post-secondary education. They can't afford life's basic necessities. All of the support systems they rely on — welfare, social housing, subsidized child care — have been chopped, dismantled or frozen in the last decade. Their incomes have slid from 62 per cent of Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off in 1995 to 45 per cent today (...)"
Source:
The Toronto Star

Thunder Bay

A Community of Acceptance: Respect for Thunder Bay's Diversity
March 2002
This study is a multi-method assessment of racism and race relations and social cohesion in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
- 392 surveys and interviews with 45 residents form the basis of the study.
"The study concludes that while blatant racism is occasional, far more relevant are a number of racializing social practices which are subtle and pervasive. This study is contracted by Diversity Thunder Bay, an organization comprised of representatives of many stakeholder organizations. Funded by Canadian Heritage, the study is about race relations and social cohesion in this Canadian city."
Full Document (PDF file - 1114K, 130 pages)
Report summary (PDF file - 76K, 6 pages)
Diversity Thunder Bay website - includes a description of Diversity Thunder Bay and an overview of the study.

Toronto - see City of Toronto on the Canadian Social Research Links Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (A-C) page

"At the present time there are six projects underway or completed. They are:

The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council - working to improve the employment outcomes of skilled immigrants in the Toronto region through internships, mentorships, public campaigns and advocacy, improved licensing and accreditation processes, and increased government coordination.

The Toronto Region Research Alliance - bringing public and private institutions in the Toronto region together to build research excellence in our areas of strength, increase the commercialization of our research, increase venture capital financing to all areas of research and development, and market the Toronto region internationally as a premier R&D location.

The Toront03 Alliance - dedicated to post-SARS tourism recovery through a marketing campaign to bring tourism, especially Americans, back to Toronto. The mandate of Toront03 ended March 31st, 04 at which point it partnered with the city, the province and Tourism Toronto to fund and launch a branding strategy for the city which will be completed by the end of this year.

The Affordable Housing Coalition - uniting the private and community sectors to advocate for greater access to quality affordable housing through government lobbying and public education campaigns.

The Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force - articulating a vision for strong neighbourhoods in Toronto, recommending the principles, potential scope and purpose of a tripartite agreement between all levels of government to mobilize investment in community infrastructure in Toronto's neighbourhoods, advocating for change.

New Deal for Toronto"

- incl. links to : About TCSA - TCSA Initiatives (Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council - Toronto Region Research Alliance - Toront03 Alliance - Affordable Housing Coalition - Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force - New Deal for Toronto) - Issues Facing Our City (Affordable Housing - Arts & Culture - Community Services - Early Childhood Development - Economic Integration of Immigrants - New Fiscal Deal for Cities - Post Secondary Education - Public Education - Regional Transportation and Planning - Research and Development - The Waterfront - Tourism - Search for Policy Reports - Additional Web Resources - Event Listings - Community Resources - Take Action - FAQ's - Media - Contact Us

Site Map - best way to see everything on this site!

"Enough Talk"- An Action Plan for the Toronto Region (PDF file - 579K, 36 pages)
April 2003

Toronto CED Learning Network
Community economic development (CED) involves initiatives that attempt to strengthen the community by building equitable and inclusive economies. It is about building a sustainable economy through a process that is driven by and for the community. CED is about the full economic participation of marginalized communities such as people experiencing long-term poverty, consumer/survivors of mental health services, ethno-racial groups, youth, women and disabled people. The Toronto CED Learning Network is a group of over 350 organizations and individuals who are interested in CED in the Toronto area.
Excellent resource! incl. links to over 750 sites touching a wide variety of topics related to CED, background information on community economic development, research papers, Internet resources, reference material, a weekly newsletter (with archives back to July 2000), and a whole lot more...
Current CED Bulletin (newsletter)

Toronto Community Housing - "...one of the largest social housing providers in North America and home to about 164,000 tenants in communities across Toronto.We work with tenants, the community and other stakeholders to create strong, healthy neighborhoods."
- incl. links to : About Us - Our Communities - Tenant Life - How to Rent at TCHC - Revitalization - News - Events - Business Opportunities - Job Opportunities - Contact Us - Search - Sitemap

Toronto Disaster Relief Committee
(Anti-homelessness coalition)
Visit this site for links to pages on homelessness in Canada - United States - United Kingdom - Australia - United Nations - International

See also Homelessness Links (a separate page of this site)

Toronto Social Justice Magazine
John Bonnar, Independent Journalist

I just stumbled across this social issues blog that appears to be a couple of years old, but it's quite current and informative.
Recommended reading!

The Toronto Star

Links to articles about poverty (2006, 2007) - from The Toronto Star
- dozens of links to articles by various Star writers and columnists about the plight of Canada's needy and possible reforms to the social programs that assist them.
NOTE : this link takes you to another page of the Canadian Social Research Links website.

TheStar.com Census 2006 page
- incl. links to 30+ articles and features related to the 2006 Census
Selected content:
* Speak Out: Is marriage important? * Voices: Marriage vs. common law * Census highlights * Flash: Canadian population breakdown * Flash: Immigration and language * video reports on trends in the 2006 Census: income, immigration, divorce rates, gender imbalance, population growth, Quebec's baby boom and declining towns * population profile * much more
-----------------------------
Related link:
Globe and Mail In-Depth : Census 2006
- links to several dozen articles based on Statistics Canada's 2006 datasets, covering a wide range of themes, including :
* visible minorities * the wealth gap * income inequality * interracial relationships * Canada's aging work force * immigrants and education * baby boomers, retirement and the spectre of a labour shortage * ethnic origin and minorities * families and work * Canadians helping the seniors in their lives * public transit use * immigrants living and working in their mother tongue * Canada's changing work force * families * Population of Indian, Métis and Inuit tops one-million mark * population * Canada's tenuous French connection * more...
Source:
The Globe and Mail
-----------------------------

For more info on the 2006 Census of Canada, go to the Social Statistics Links page of this site:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/stats.htm

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

Selected articles from The Toronto Star:

Advisers aim to fix Ontario's welfare 'quagmire'
By Laurie Monsebraaten
December 2, 2009
Ontario has appointed the head of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank to head a panel of anti-poverty advocates to advise the government on a long-awaited review of its welfare system, the Star has learned."If this group can't make the proper recommendations, then nobody can," said food bank executive director Gail Nyberg. Almost 800,000 Ontarians – including about 236,000 children and about 260,000 disabled people – live on provincial welfare and disability supports that leave most of them trapped in grinding poverty and despair. (...) The advisory panel, which will meet with Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur before Christmas, will help the government finalize the scope of the review and start work in the New Year on both short- and long-term changes, the source said. The review is expected to be complete by the end of 2010. Other members of the advisory panel are Pedro Barata of the Atkinson Foundation; Colette Murphy of the Metcalf Foundation; former senior provincial social services bureaucrat John Stapleton; Michael Oliphant of the Daily Bread Food Bank; Michael Mendelson of the Caledon Institute and Kira Heineck of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association.
Source:
Toronto Star

Premiers setting national agenda
August 4, 2009
Editorial
The premiers gather tomorrow in Regina for their annual conference. With federal politics devoted mostly to name-calling and finger-pointing these days, the premiers' conference can perform an important agenda-setting function for the whole nation by refocusing debate on neglected issues of public policy.
Source:
Toronto Star

Opportunity to transform early learning in Ontario
Evidence supports Pascal's blueprint for an integrated approach for children under 6
June 16, 2009
Opinion
By Jim Grieve and Bill Hogarth
We know for certain that every dollar we invest in children before they are 6-years-old saves us up to $17 in social service costs. So why does Canada shamefully spend so little in support of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens? What will it take to change the status quo – to move from talk to action and make a difference for children, families and our communities?The good news is we finally have an opportunity to make that difference. A new report entitled With Our Best Future in Mind by Charles Pascal, early learning adviser to Premier Dalton McGuinty, presents a clear and powerful blueprint for Ontario. The report calls for sweeping, collaborative action to place early learning firmly on the public agenda for Ontario and the rest of Canada. With Our Best Future in Mind calls attention to the need to build on best practice and embed proven strategies uniformly toward a total transformation of our approach to early learning. The report proposes expanded Best Start Child and Family Centres and introduces early learning programs as the enhanced full-day model for 4- and 5-year-olds.

Early Learning : A Star special on a new vision for Ontario Children
- includes links to a number of articles on the report on early learning:
* `Seamless' program urged for kids (by Andrea Gordon) - June 16, 2009
* The case for full-day learning (by Kenyon Wallace) - June 16, 2009
* Can teachers, daycare staff play together? (by Laurie Monsebraaten) - June 16, 2009
* Not known which schools will get kindergarten program: Premier (by Rob Ferguson) - June 15, 2009
* Full-day learning starts next year (by Laurie Monsebraaten) - June 15, 2009
* Take over daycares, Ontario schools told (by Kristin Rushowy) - June 14, 2009
* Single system for child care encouraged Laurie Monsebraaten - November 4, 2008
*The people behind the report
Fraser Mustard, Charles Pascal and Lorna Weigand were all
instrumental in the Ontario plan to make elementary schools full-day hubs for 4- and 5-year olds

Related link from
the Government of Ontario:
With Our Best Future in Mind:
Implementing Early Learning in Ontario
June 2009
Complete report:
PDF (2.1MB, 68 pages)
HTML - table of contents + links to individual chapters of the report
News Release (June 15)
Summary

A better tool box for poverty reduction
May 25, 2009
By Carol Goar
One of the defining characteristics of an effective social agency is that it never stays still. It changes as the population of a community changes. It creates new programs when the existing ones don't meet the needs of its clients. It constantly looks for better ways to do things and better tools to help people. Governments, on the other hand, lock their programs in place with rigid rules. They demand conformity. They manage change by imposing limits and off-loading responsibilities. This clash of visions leads to stifled creativity and half-solved problems. That is the message a Senate delegation heard when it came to Toronto this month, seeking solutions to urban poverty. Three members of the subcommittee on cities – Senators Art Eggleton, Jane Cordy and Hugh Segal – spent a morning at Woodgreen Community Services, one of Toronto's leading social agencies...
Related link:
Woodgreen Community Services
At WoodGreen we believe that everyone should have access to
the essentials of life whether that means a roof over their head, a stable job or child care they can trust.

'Historic' law compels Ontario to fight poverty
Requires the province to create goals to cut numbers living in need
May 7, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten
and Tanya Talaga
Fighting poverty is now the law in Ontario.In a unanimous vote yesterday, Queen's Park passed legislation that commits the province to become a leading jurisdiction in the battle against poverty. The Poverty Reduction Act, hailed by advocates as "historic," requires successive governments to draft poverty-fighting strategies with specific goals every five years and to report annually to the legislature on progress.

Welcome boost for poverty bill
Editorial
May 07, 2009
It is significant that a bill committing the Ontario government to a plan to reduce poverty was passed with all-party support in the Legislature yesterday. It suggests there is widespread agreement among the politicians that it is no longer acceptable – either morally or economically – to leave more than a million Ontarians in poverty. That acknowledgement – and the law now on the books – is a wonderful beginning. But it is just a beginning. We ought not to forget that in 1989 our federal politicians voted unanimously to "achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000." Sadly, two decades after that resolution, the number of poor children is nearly the same.

Activists strengthen anti-poverty legislation
May 07, 2009 04:30 AM
By Greg deGroot-Magetti and Sarah Blackstock
The historic Poverty Reduction Act passed this week with the support of all three political parties. This important legislation requires the Ontario government, now and for years to come, to create and implement poverty reduction strategies. No longer can poverty be ignored.

Strengthen poverty bill
Editorial
April 20, 2009
Unemployment numbers are soaring, welfare cases are rising and food banks are reporting shortages. The economic downturn has made Ontario's plan to reduce poverty even more crucial than when it was first promised by the Liberals. The initial target is to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent within five years. We have seen targets like that before, and they have been missed. But what makes this plan somewhat different is the accompanying legislation, which would make poverty-reduction an ongoing government responsibility. Children's Minister Deb Matthews, who designed the province's anti-poverty strategy, states: "The only way we're ever going to succeed in the fight against poverty is for it to become a core responsibility of governments now and in the future." Political interests and governments come and go, so the anti-poverty bill – now before a legislative committee – would be a tool to hold politicians to account.

NOTE: For more links to information about the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy,
see http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Fix welfare rules that hurt jobless
Editorial
March 24, 2009
The number of Ontarians living on welfare is rising. Another 18,000 cases were added in the last few months, bringing the total to more than 214,000 cases. That's nearly 400,000 people living on welfare. The hard truth is that even these numbers understate the real need for social assistance, given the effects of the economic downturn. Hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who have lost their jobs will soon run out of severance pay and exhaust their Employment Insurance benefits. Yet many of these recent victims of the economic downturn will discover that they face even more hurdles – and humiliations – because of the punitive welfare rules still in place.

What Ontario has to do to fix the hole in welfare
March 18, 2009
By Don Drummond (Chief Economist, TD Bank Financial Group)
and John Stapleton (Metcalf Foundation Fellow)
Our welfare system provides Ontarians with a false sense of security. Many assume it has been designed to offer temporary protection to individuals who are ineligible for Employment Insurance, or no longer able to participate in this program. But this so-called safety net has some large holes. It does not catch all those it should. And the ones it does catch often become entangled in the web, finding it difficult to get back out. In short, it has a way of keeping the destitute down. (...) We have argued that the asset limits for welfare eligibility need to be raised substantially. A particular aspect of this is to exempt certain amounts in Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and the new Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). The Ontario government has an opportunity to do this in its March 26 budget. It would be an important step forward in its poverty reduction strategy. (...) The end game is to provide temporary support for individuals who lose their job and then help them get back into the labour market as soon as possible, when the economy turns around. Under present welfare rules we are destined to repeat the patterns of the past when too few are protected and those who are become entangled. By creating a better future for those who need it most, the government can help make sure we don’t repeat history.

Poverty strategy belongs in budget
Editorial
March 17, 2009
When Premier Dalton McGuinty committed to reduce poverty, just four months ago, his plan spoke passionately about alleviating the suffering of families living in poverty and, in doing so, improving the economic future for all Ontarians. The need is even greater now. Yet, just days before the provincial budget that could elevate the plan from nice words to concrete action, there are troubling signs that the government is backing off...

Poverty fight must continue
Timely investments will reduce poverty but also stimulate local economies
March 17, 2009
By Sarah Blackstock, Pat Capponi and Janet Gasparini
"(...)These are challenging economic times and, historically, it has been during such dark moments that previous governments did the most for the poor and the jobless. Abandoning the poor during an economic downturn is not the kind of leadership Ontarians envision for their government. Now is not a time for cold feet. It is a time for bold action.Now, more than ever, we turn to our government to meet its commitment."
(Sarah Blackstock is a policy analyst with the Income Security Advocacy Centre. Pat Capponi is facilitator of Voices From the Street. Janet Gasparini is chair of the Social Planning Network of Ontario.)

[ See also : 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction ]

- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Economic crisis could stall poverty plan, minister says
March 13, 2009
By Joanna Smith
OTTAWA–The economic crisis could disrupt an Ontario government strategy to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent over the next five years, provincial Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews said yesterday. (...) The provincial government released its anti-poverty blueprint – which aims to lift 90,000 Ontario children above the poverty line by 2014 – last December. Matthews says she has always been upfront about its dependence on economic growth and co-operation from all three levels of government. Matthews said worsened economic conditions could result in an interruption in implementing the strategy but insisted the government can still succeed. "I am optimistic we can achieve it and I can assure you that kids will be better off as a result of this strategy regardless of the economy," she said.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related links:
- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Ontario needs to step up and tackle social deficit
Ottawa gave province fiscal breathing room but did little to help poor and unemployed
Opinion
March 4, 2009
By John Stapleton, Janet Gasparini and Neethan Shan
Two important questions faced Ontario's poverty reduction plan after its December release:
- How much further would Ontario's economy deteriorate?
- What would the federal government do in its winter budget to support Ontario's goal to reduce poverty by 25 per cent in the next five years?
Well, we now have the answers. Ontario lost 71,000 of the 129,000 jobs lost in Canada in January 2009. And Ottawa intends to do just about nothing at all about poverty. (...) It's disappointing, to say the least, that the federal government chose to ignore its important role in supporting provincial moves to reduce poverty. But Ontario's finance minister still has plenty of options to demonstrate his own government means business when it comes to reducing poverty. There is no doubt that we live in difficult times and the economic parallels to the Great Depression are striking. But unlike the 1930s, we do not need to wait for years before we do something about it.

Recent columns by Carol Goar
(Toronto Star):

Hard times call for Ontarians to pull together
Opinion
February 20, 2009
By Carol Goar
"One of Dalton McGuinty's favourite phrases is "shared responsibility." In his first term as premier, he applied it to everything from curbing gun violence to keeping seniors healthy and independent. But since his re-election 16 months ago, he has used it chiefly to explain, affirm and defend his pledge to reduce poverty. "There will be part of the (upcoming provincial) budget that speaks to our shared responsibility to help those Ontarians who have been most affected by this recession," he promised last week. This is a welcome departure from the blame-the-victim language that prevailed at Queen's Park for more than a decade. But anti-poverty groups are withholding their applause. The premier's rhetoric is encouraging, but Ontario's welfare system still operates on the assumption that recipients should be hounded and lectured about their responsibility to become self-supporting. The government's desire to tackle poverty seems genuine, but its actions have been modest and its plans are vague. It would be nice to believe that Ontario is returning to its tradition of protecting the vulnerable and supporting the disadvantaged."

Putting healthy food within reach
February 18, 2009
"(...) a coalition of 350 anti-poverty organizations, known as the 25 in 5 Network, is asking Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to include a $100 monthly Healthy Food Supplement in monthly welfare cheques. The extra $25 a week wouldn't enable people who depend on social assistance to follow the Canada Food Guide, which calls for five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, three daily servings of milk or cheese and two daily servings of meat or high-protein substitutes.But it might mean an apple or a banana a day. It might mean a glass of milk at dinner. It might mean chicken instead of macaroni on Sundays."

Size of your food bill depends on where you live
February 16, 2009
"(...) The Heart and Stroke Foundation is calling on the government to monitor food prices and issue regular reports to Canadians. It also wants Ottawa to sit down with food producers, wholesalers, retailers and marketing boards to find out why there is so much inconsistency in the price of healthy foods. It is asking the agri-food industry to promote equitable food pricing within and between communities. And it is advising Canadians to shop carefully, choose frozen vegetables when fresh produce is unavailable or expensive, and learn more about healthy eating."

[ Earlier columns by Carol Goar ]

Source:
The Toronto Star

Also from The Star:

Food supplement 'can't wait'
Pressure mounts on province to introduce $100-a-month benefit for welfare recipients
February 20, 2009
By Megan Ogilvie
The call for the Ontario government to introduce a $100 healthy food supplement for all adults on social assistance is getting louder. Yesterday, Toronto's medical officer of health added his voice to the campaign for the introduction of the monthly food supplement in the upcoming provincial budget. A coalition of 350 anti-poverty organizations, called the 25in5 Network, along with the Association of Local Public Health Agencies, has mounted the drive for more nutrition dollars.

Is a cellphone a basic human right?
As the United States provides mobile phones to the poor, experts argue they are not a luxury
January 10, 2009
By Lynda Hurst
All compassionate governments should provide which of the following to their people:
a) food
b) shelter
c) medical care
d) a cellphone.
Having a little problem with d)?
Rephrase it then to "the right to communicate."
Still a problem?
It isn't south of the border.
In the wake of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. has increased the drive to ensure all citizens have basic phone services and access to help in times of emergency. More than 7 million Americans still don't. Last fall, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched SafeLink, a program that provides eligible people with a free cellphone and 68 minutes a month of free airtime for the period of one year. It includes texting, voicemail, call waiting and caller ID. The program is up and running in Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, where more than 2 million households qualify for the service, and is scheduled to go into nine other states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. SafeLink was the brainchild of Miami-based TracFone Wireless Inc., the largest prepaid cellphone company in the U.S. As a purely prepaid provider, TracFone has always aimed at the market's lower end.
Source:
The Toronto Star

[ NOTE : Be sure to read the Comments section at the bottom of the article for reactions from 60+ readers on the subject of free cell phones for people living in poverty. These reactions range from the reasonable ("If done correctly, a great idea") to the ridiculous ("Why not give them a plasma TV while you're at it?"). Read the above article and the bumph from SafeLink Wireless below and decide for yourself : is a cell phone a basic human right? My own view is that the concept and rationale are excellent, but the optics are horrible and not very "marketable" from a political standpoint...]

Related link:

SafeLink Wireless (U.S.) is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers.
To be eligible for SafeLink, a person must be participating in specified State or Federal assistance programs, such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps and Medicaid - OR - the person's total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by individual States and/or the Federal Government. [This works out to $18,000 (U.S.) for an individual and $26,000 for a four-person family.]

When 'poorhouse' wasn't only an expression
A local museum preserves in harrowing detail the stories of a forgotten institution
January 3, 2009
By Tracey Tyler
"(...) Though more commonly associated with Victorian England and novels by Charles Dickens, such as Oliver Twist, the poorhouse was part of Canada's social fabric for more than 60 years and one of its earliest legislated responses to poverty."

Glimmers of hope in poverty fight
October 17, 2008
By Carol Goar
Today, people of conscience in every country will take time to mark International Day to Eradicate Poverty. Canadians will meet in council chambers and classrooms, homes and churches to renew their commitment to fight poverty. The tradition began 15 years ago, when the United Nations designated Oct. 17 as a day for humanity to stand together against the most ruthless killer and greatest cause of suffering in the world. It has been observed – usually by a devoted few – ever since. For Canadian anti-poverty campaigners, this year's anniversary comes at a particularly challenging time.
(...)
Although the Conservatives won Tuesday's federal election, the three opposition parties captured more than half of the seats in Parliament. The Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Québécois all want Ottawa to tackle poverty. Their policies are very similar. If they are prepared to use their combined strength to advance policies that will help struggling Canadians, they have the votes to make headway. It will take political maturity and a strong prod from the Canadians who voted for them. But there is potential for progress under a minority government. (...) For those working tirelessly to lift their fellow citizens out poverty at home and abroad, promising glimmers and isolated success stories don't provide a lot of sustenance. Luckily, they don't need a lot.

Ontario can help the poor save
But provincial rules blunt the impact of new tax-free savings plan for people on welfare
July 25, 2008
For eight straight years, the number of welfare recipients in Ontario has remained unchanged, with an approximate caseload of 200,000. This puts into question the current system's ability to effectively transition high-risk groups, including working-age adults, to the labour force. There are enormous social costs to bear when such a large number of people rely on the welfare system. It can place serious strains on recipients, their families and the communities they live in. However, enabling individuals to become self-reliant is not just a social imperative – it's also an economic priority. That's because, in an era of tight labour markets, our province relies on a greater participation in the workforce. We all have something to gain when an individual makes the successful journey from welfare to work.

Recessions hit poor the hardest
July 18, 2008
Carol Goar
Canada has been through seven recessions since 1950. It looks as if we're heading for an eighth. Past contractions have varied greatly in length and severity. Some have been highly localized, others have been all encompassing. Some have destroyed governments, others have scarcely registered on the political scale. Despite this variation, they've all had one thing in common: The poor have fared worse than the rich.

'Have the guts to help,' poor tell the province
June 10, 2008
(...) Some 1.3 million Ontarians live in poverty and the Liberals have promised to have a poverty-reduction strategy – and targets to measure the government's progress – in place by year's end. Ontarians had their first chance to publicly air their views on the government's plans at three meetings yesterday across the city of Toronto attended by Liberal MPPs.

Child poverty crusade
Editorial
June 2, 2008
The late June Callwood was a tireless activist who until her death last year fought and won many battles. Her last great crusade was to eradicate child poverty in Canada. So it is fitting that her birthday today has been declared June Callwood Children's Day in Ontario. As Premier Dalton McGuinty sees it, we should take the opportunity "to commit ourselves to action."

Gap between passion and revenue
May 23, 2008
Carol Goar
Expectations are running high. Revenues are running low. And Premier Dalton McGuinty has decreed that there will be no deficit and no tax increases. Yet Deb Matthews, who heads the cabinet committee drafting Ontario's poverty reduction strategy, is defiantly sanguine.

See also:
- Canadian Social Research Links Antipoverty Strategies and Campaigns page

Foster children left behind, NDP charges
February 20, 2008
By Tanya Talaga
News that 20,000 Ontario foster children were left out of an anti-poverty plan proves how flawed Premier Dalton McGuinty’s child benefit program is, the province’s NDP leader says. In 2003, McGuinty promised he would end a clawback of the national child benefit supplement, which takes about $1,500 a year out of the pockets of families on welfare and disability support, Howard Hampton charged yesterday. However, parents who receive Ontario disability support or Ontario Works payments are still having the national child benefit deducted from those cheques, Hampton said.

McGuinty forgets vulnerable kids
February 18, 2008
NDP Children and Youth Services critic Andrea Horwath slammed Dalton McGuinty for once again failing Ontario’s poor and most vulnerable by forgetting to include foster children in his child benefit program.
Source:
Ontario NDP website

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

Thousands of foster kids to get RESPs
Province tells children's aid societies to put cash from federal child care benefit into education plan
April 23, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten and Tanya Talaga, Social Justice Reporters
Queen's Park is ordering Ontario children's aid societies to set up registered education savings plans for all kids in foster care younger than age 6 receiving Ottawa's $100-a-month child-care benefit. An annual contribution of $1,200 from birth to age 6 would trigger $340 a year in matching federal funds and $1,000 in Canada Learning Bond payments up to age 6. After that, the RESP would grow by $100 per year in Canada Learning Bond payments, until age 16, according to the Royal Bank, which was chosen by the province to manage the RESPs at no charge to the societies.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Buddy can you spare a home?
April 5, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
More than 66,000 individuals and families in Toronto are on the list for subsidized apartments in these buildings – a number city officials say would take 66 years to serve at the current rate of affordable housing construction. They are the tip of a veritable iceberg of need in a city where an estimated 200,000 low-income households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on rent and another 4,000 sleep in homeless shelters every night.

Ottawa must commit on housing: Province
April 5, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
A Toronto plan to provide safe, affordable homes for more than 200,000 vulnerable families and individuals in the next 10 years may never get off the ground if Ottawa doesn't contribute, warns Ontario Housing Minister Jim Watson.

Working poor still losing ground:
Report shows Ontario child poverty rate still rising; system penalizes working poor
April 2, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
When Andrea Duffield's youngest child started Grade 1 last fall, the single mother of three got a part-time job in the hope of pulling her family out of poverty. But the extra income caused her subsidized rent to double. And after taxes and work-related expenses, her Toronto family wasn't any further ahead.

Hand up for foster kids
Editorial
February 25, 2008
When the provincial government introduced its new five-year, $2.1 billion Ontario Child Benefit in its budget last year as the cornerstone of its pledge to fight poverty, it did not extend the program to the 20,000 Ontario children in foster care. The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies pointed out the apparent oversight during the budget lock-up last March. But the problem, which cost each child $250 last year, still has not been fixed.

Related links from the
Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Making It A Little Easier For Low-Income Ontario Families
File Your Income Tax Return To Qualify For New Monthly Ontario Child Benefit
News Release
February 22, 2008

Ontario Child Benefit (OCB)
In July 2007, eligible families received a one-time down payment of up to $250 for each dependent child under 18. Beginning in July 2008, the Ontario Child Benefit will be delivered to eligible families each month. In July 2008, about 460,000 families will receive a monthly Ontario Child Benefit payment of up to $600 per child annually. When the program is fully implemented in 2011, more than 600,000 low-income families will receive up to $1,100 per child annually.

Ontario Child Benefit Calculator - from the Ontario Ministry of Finance
New Ontario Child Benefit - from the 2007 Ontario Budget (March 22/07)
OCB Backgrounder - from the 2007 Ontario Budget

Ontarians hope budget will spark EI reform
But despite pressure from McGuinty, Flaherty unlikely to act on uneven benefit payments
February 23, 2008
By Les Whittington
OTTAWA–Ontarians facing the threat of a recession will keep a nervous eye on Tuesday's federal budget to see if the Conservatives will deal with an Employment Insurance program that leaves the province's jobless lagging far behind other Canadians.

---

McGuinty wants equal EI pay for Ontario workers
Says unemployed are being short-changed $1.7B and wants Ottawa to address discrepancy in budget
February 23, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Premier Dalton McGuinty wants the federal government to use next Tuesday's budget to fix a problem that is keeping $1.7 billion out of the hands of Ontario unemployed workers. But the chances are it won't happen, despite a $50 billion surplus in the Employment Insurance program. McGuinty has been vociferous in complaining about how Ontario's unemployed workers are treated differently than those in other provinces.

An income for all Canadians
A guaranteed income program would lift more than 1.5 million people out of poverty
February 17, 2008
Comment by Reginald Stackhouse
Some ideas are rejected in the public forum not because they have been tried and found wanting but because they have been found challenging and not tried. One of them is a proposal that can really make poverty history in this country – no, not by increasing any or all of our existing social programs. Just the opposite.They will be replaced by a basic income policy, a.k.a. guaranteed annual income or negative income tax. It will provide all Canadians with an annual income, regardless of what other income they enjoy, earned or unearned.

Related links:
- Go to the Guaranteed Annual Income Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/gai.htm

Bridging Toronto's divides
Only a socially inclusive strategy can overcome the twin `paradoxes of globalization'
January 20, 2008
In the past few months, two major reports have delivered a disturbing message to everyone concerned about Toronto's future. In November, the United Way's Losing Ground documented growing income inequality across the city with more than 30 per cent of families living in poverty, rising to more than 50 per cent for single-parent families. Still digesting the implications of that report, Torontonians' holiday spirits were dampened by the University of Toronto study, The Three Cities within Toronto. It mapped the new geography of the economic gap. Since 1970, Toronto's renowned mixed-income neighbourhoods have become harder to find, squeezed between an opulent inner city and deteriorating suburbs. The overall conclusion: Toronto is Canada's richest city, but also becoming its poorest and most divided.
Source:
The Toronto Star

The Three Cities within Toronto:
Income polarization among Toronto’s neighbourhoods, 1970–2000 (PDF file - 880K, 12 pages)
December 2007
by J. David Hulchanski
[ Related Table, maps and figures ]
Source:
Centre for Urban and Community Studies (University of Toronto)

Eliminating poverty makes economic sense
January 11, 2008
By Ann Decter*
When Canada's First Ministers meet over dinner tonight in Ottawa, they'll sit down to the unusual opportunity to chew on an issue that has support from premiers of all political stripes. Along with dinner, they can take a big bite out of poverty. Any meeting focused on the economy and labour force requirements should take a hard look at the statistic that almost 12 per cent of Canadians under 18 are living in poverty. Meeting labour force requirements will mean ensuring all Canadian youth are prepared for the working world, and none are left behind with inadequate skills.
Source:
The Toronto Star

[ * Ann Decter is national co-ordinator of Campaign 2000, a coalition working to end poverty in Canada, and interim director of social reform at the Family Service Association of Toronto. ]

Related links:

Campaign 2000 Media release: Poverty Should Top First Ministers’ Agenda
January 10, 2008
Reducing poverty should lead the agenda of today’s First Ministers’ Meeting in Ottawa, says Campaign 2000, the national non-partisan coalition working to end child and family poverty. In an open letter, the coalition urged the First Ministers to use the meeting to take initial steps toward creating a national Poverty Reduction Strategy with targets and timetables.

Open letter to First Ministers from Campaign 2000 (PDF file - 32K, 3 pages)
January 11, 2008

The Liberals' calculated fight against poverty
Stéphane Dion's strategy of targeting low-income Canadians looks starry-eyed.
It might just be a hard-nosed play for the middle class
January 5, 2008
Susan Delacourt
OTTAWA–The next federal election campaign could spark an intriguing form of Liberal-Conservative class warfare: the Liberals, putting poverty front and centre, while the Conservatives continue their quest to own the middle-class vote in Canada. So is it food banks versus tax breaks in the expected election campaign of 2008? The homeless versus the suburban dwellers? The battle lines may not be that clear-cut, but it's worth asking why Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and his party have decided to embrace the anti-poverty fight so intensely – at the same time as many strategists argue that successful election campaigns are fought in the middle of Canada's income spectrum.

No time to let up on poverty front
Editorial
January 02, 2008
If our political leaders muster the will to act, 2008 could very well mark the year in the history books when the appalling but silent enemy of poverty in Canada was finally engaged. It has been a year now since the Star launched its War on Poverty in a continuing series of editorials and news stories aimed at documenting the toll poverty takes on one in every 10 Canadians and nearly one in five of the children living in one of the richest countries in the world.

A '25-and-5' goal to fight poverty
September 4, 2007
Some 18 years ago, Parliament voted unanimously to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000. Today, the percentage of children in Canada and in Ontario living in poverty is higher than it was back in 1989. As well, the percentage of all Canadians in poverty is as high as ever. In a country and a province so rich, it is a disgrace that so many Canadians are living in poverty – estimates run up to 5.3 million people. In Ontario, the child poverty rate is 17 per cent, or one in every six children. Food banks served 330,500 Ontarians in 2006. (...) In Ontario, the provincial branch of the national anti-poverty group Campaign 2000 is challenging all three major political parties to devise a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy before the Oct. 10 election. It has set out a credible multi-year strategy that includes defining poverty, setting targets and timetables, making long-term financial commitments and providing ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the results – all things that Britain and Ireland did.

Prosperity gap weakens province
July 16, 2007
Excerpt re. anti-poverty strategies and targets:
"(...) In the United Kingdom, the government set a target to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent by 2004, missing it only by a small margin. The target is twice as ambitious for 2010, with a total elimination of child poverty by 2020. With similar goals, Ireland reduced its child poverty rate from 15 per cent in 1994 to less than 5 per cent and aims to hit zero. Here at home, Newfoundland has set a goal to be the province with the least poverty within a decade. And Quebec hopes to have one of the lowest poverty levels among the industrialized nations by 2013.

Poverty plan targets election:
Blueprint by activists urges Ontario
political parties to commit to strategy during upcoming campaign
July 13, 2007
By Kerry Gillespie
"(...) More than 330,000 Ontarians rely on food banks to survive – and 40 per cent of them are children. Today, a group dedicated to ending child poverty in Canada is releasing a blueprint for reducing child poverty in Ontario in the hopes of setting the agenda for the Oct. 10 provincial election. The Campaign 2000 report, obtained early by the Star, calls for all three political parties to commit to developing a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy. The goal should be to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent within five years and by 50 per cent within 10 years, the report states."

The Discussion Paper:

A Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario (PDF file - 425K, 14 pages)
July 2007.
By Jacquie Maund (Campaign 2000), Sarah Blackstock (Income Security Advocacy Centre), Greg deGroot -Maggetti (Citizens for Public Justice), Sara Farrell (Toronto Public Health), Elizabeth Ablett (Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care).
This report calls on all Ontario political parties to commit to a “Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario” as they finalize their party platforms for the October election.
Source:
Ontario Campaign 2000
[ Campaign 2000 ]

Ontario's political parties respond:

No commitments offered on poverty group's targets
But parties to meet with Campaign 2000 officials
July 14, 2007
By Kerry Gillespie
"Ontario's political parties yesterday would not commit to the firm targets for reducing poverty that have been proposed in a new report by the non-profit coalition Campaign 2000. Liberal officials said they appreciate the suggestions and the dedication of the group, which yesterday called on Ontario politicians to commit during the upcoming election campaign to cut child poverty in half within 10 years. The Liberals also talked about improvements they've made, including raising the minimum wage and welfare rates and introducing a child benefit for low-income families."

Poverty is a medical condition
December 15, 2006
CAROL GOAR
According to the Toronto department of public health, a single mother with two school-aged children needs $412.70 a month to feed her family properly. She has to be a thrifty shopper. She has to prepare most meals from scratch. And she has to be able to get to a decent grocery store. If she is living on social assistance, all of that is difficult. But there is a bigger problem. She has an income of $1,184 a month. That includes $582 for housing and $602 for everything else. The trouble is, there is no housing in Toronto for $582 a month. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,052 a month. So she has $132 a month left for food, clothing, toiletries, transportation, utilities and possibly heat. For this mother — and thousands like her — the health department's "nutritious food basket" is a cruel joke.

More columns by Carol Goar
- links to almost three dozen recent columns dealing with social justice themes like poverty, welfare, housing, immigration, etc.

TV Ontario

The Debate: Ontario's War on Poverty
Making poverty a priority: What Ontario should - and should not do - as it designs its poverty reduction program.
March 3, 2008 (taped program, view on demand on your computer)
Recommended viewing!
Steve Paikin of TV Ontario's The Agenda parses the Ontario poverty reduction initiative
of Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government along with the following guests:
* Deb Matthews (Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services)
* Jacquie Maund (Coordinator of Ontario Campaign 2000)
* Finn Poschmann (Research Director, C.D. Howe Institute)
* Shawn Skinner (Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment in Newfoundland & Labrador)
[NOTE: you won't likely be able to watch this 20-minute video clip if you're behind a network firewall, but it's definitely worth viewing from home.]

Click the link above, then (on the next page) click on the tab in the top- middle of the page that says "Ontario's War on Poverty"- only then can you click on the link to the video or the podcast (in the top right corner of that page)
NOTE: - includes an extensive discussion and debate about the measurement of poverty in Ontario and elsewhere, perspectives on poverty reduction strategies in Canada, Ireland and New Zealand and panel members' recommendations concerning the best direction for Ontario's poverty reduction strategy.

Source:
The Agenda with Steve Paikin

The Tyee

Liberals to JobWave: You're Fired
$8 million job training contract cancelled; work goes to B.C. competitor.
August 29, 2008
The company that pioneered private job placement services in B.C. for people receiving welfare has lost an $8 million government contract in the province's Interior. A message sent on Aug. 8 by ASPECT-B.C.'s Community Based Trainers to its members working in the sector said the Ministry of Housing and Social Development had cancelled the Interior region contract with WCG International Consultants Ltd., which runs the JobWave program. The company continues to provide B.C. Employment Program services in other regions of the province.
(...)
WCG won a contract in 2005 to provide a pilot project, JobsNow, in Ontario. The pilot ended over a year ago and has not been renewed. The Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services prepared an evaluation of the project but has not released it. Originally scheduled for a fall 2007 release, the ministry's website now says it will be released in summer 2008.
Source:
The Tyee

United Way of Greater Toronto
- Social Issues - Check out this section of the United Way site - it's got links to the Social Services Bulletin ("Homelessness and the Federal Budget of March 2000"(small PDF file), the speeches and writings of Anne Golden and United Way reports. I've provided links to some sample reports below.

Losing Ground: The persistent growth
of family poverty in Canada's largest city
November 2007

United Way poverty report reveals 1 in 4
Toronto families struggling in poverty
Despite economic prosperity, high employment and strong job growth Toronto’s
family poverty rate at 28.8 per cent, compared with 19.5 per cent across Canada
Media Release
TORONTO, November 26, 2007 –The number of low-income families in Toronto continues to grow at an alarming rate, opening up an ever-widening gap with families in the rest of Canada, according to a research study released today by United Way of Greater Toronto. The study also chronicles a number of startling symptoms of the persistent growth of poverty in the city, including signs of growing debt such as insolvencies, rising eviction applications, and a rapid expansion of quick-fix money solutions targeting low-income neighbourhoods across the city.

Losing Ground: The persistent growth
of family poverty in Canada's largest city
November 2007
* Full report (pdf - 1 MB)
* Executive summary (pdf - 705 KB)
* Introduction by Frances Lankin
* Key findings
* Toronto warning signs
* Recommendations
* FAQ's
* Definitions

This report builds on and updates the findings of several groundbreaking reports:

*** Strong Neighbourhoods: A Call to Action (2005)

*** Poverty by Postal Code (2004)

***Decade of Decline (2002)
Source: United Way of Greater Toronto

*** Update to the TD Economics' 2002 Report on the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Economy(2007)
Source: TD Economics

*** Time for a Fair Deal (2006)
Source: Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults Task Force

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

United Way, City of Toronto target inner suburbs with major neighbourhood investment strategy (PDF file - 119K, 2 pages)
Plan calls on governments to coordinate resources to invest in neighbourhoods
Press Release
June 30, 2005
"TORONTO– United Way and the City of Toronto today unveiled a plan to strengthen social services in neighbourhoods facing the greatest need throughout Toronto, particularly in the city’s inner suburbs. The plan identifies nine Toronto neighbourhoods where social services are most out-of-step with growing need. The Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy was released today after a year-long City of Toronto-United Way task force began looking for ways to strengthen the social infrastructure of Toronto neighbourhoods, identify community investment models, and advocate for change."

United way announces $9.5 million in investments for underserved neighbourhoods throughout Toronto (PDF file - 101K, 1 page)
Investments include community development programs to identify local issues
Press Release
June 30, 2005

Complete Report:

Strong Neighbourhoods - A Call to Action... (PDF file - 2.6MB, 44 pages)
June 2005

"Enough Talk"- An Action Plan for the Toronto Region (PDF file - 579K, 36 pages)
April 2003
The Toronto City Summit Alliance represents a coalition of over 40 civic leaders from the private, labour, voluntary and public sectors in the Toronto region.

A Decade of Decline: Poverty and Income Inequality in the City of Toronto in the 1990s
"Despite the economic recovery in the late 1990s, Toronto experienced a significant increase in poverty. A new United Way report reveals Torontonians were financially worse off at the end of the 1990s than in the rest of Canada. Government benefits were cut. Housing costs rose. In Toronto's poorest neighbourhoods, the number of families making less than $30,000/year increased from 16.8% to 20%. In Toronto during the 1990s, two-parent family incomes declined 13%, single-parent family incomes dropped 18%, and single people's incomes fell 12.5%. Neighbourhoods became more segregated as the income gap widened between Toronto's wealthiest and poorest neighbourhoods."
Press Release (PDF file - 26K, 2 pages)
Backgrounder (PDF file - 245K, 6 pages)
Executive Summary (HTML)

Poverty by Postal Code - Complete report (PDF file - 1.9MB, 92 pages)
April 2004

What United Way of Greater Toronto is doing to solve issues of poverty in our community (HTML)
Prepared jointly by :
United Way of Greater Toronto
Canadian Council on Social Development

Related links:

City to spend $1M a year to help 100 homeless get off streets
May 22, 2009
The City of Ottawa announced Friday that it's taking a million-dollar step toward ending chronic homelessness in the city. With the help of Leadership Table on Homelessness, the group of business leaders and government officials that made the announcement Friday, the city said it hopes to help 100 chronically homeless people a year. The city said it has committed $1 million a year to provide support for the 100 homeless who will soon be given homes.
Source:
CBC

Report urges housing for chronically homeless
Saving on services will bring benefits to us all in the long run, group says
May 22, 2009
OTTAWA - The squalid, shadowy side of Fat City came sharply into focus Friday with the release of a compelling report on how to end chronic homelessness in Ottawa within 10 years. The report, titled "Destination: Home," noted that more than 1,400 people in Ottawa are categorized as "chronically homeless," defined as those who spend more than 60 cumulative nights a year on the streets or in shelters.
Source:
The Ottawa Citizen

United Ways of Ontario

McGuinty's First Throne Speech focuses on Restraint
Special Throne Speech Edition - United Ways of Ontario
November 21, 2003
"Take Action!
The Throne Speech ignored the Liberal Party's campaign promise to increase welfare benefits by the cost of living for the first time in eight years. Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello said the government can't afford to increase benefits now because of the $5.6 billion deficit left by the former Tory government. 'Our goal will be to do exactly that ... timing is going to be the issue... because we have some huge fiscal challenges,' she said. It is absolutely essential that MPPs across the province hear from their constituents that this is an outrageous violation of promises made during the election, and a callous disregard for the lives of the people who have been suffering for years without enough income to survive in the richest province in one of the richest countries in the world.
Call your MPP today, and demand that they take immediate steps to raise the rates.
Ontario MPP contact information available at http://olaap.ontla.on.ca/mpp/contact.jsp "
Source: DisAbled Women's Network Ontario

United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin - Nov. 7, 2003
- incl. the following articles:
* New Government, New Ministries, and New Committees
* McGuinty Moves Swiftly to Tackle Deficit
* Food Banks Struggle with Growing Hunger
* Study Cites Factors Driving Dramatic increase in Children’s Aid Cases
* Ontario to End Hydro Rate Freeze
* Commission Seeks Removal of Barriers for Disabled Students
* B.C.’s Two-Year Welfare Cut-off Challenged
Source: DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario

Non-Governmental and Municipal Government Sites in Ontario D-W

Non-Governmental and
Municipal Government Sites in Ontario
D-W