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Friends, Neighbours and the Sweet Taste of Community

Taking time to share food with the people close to us — whether it’s friends, neighbours, or a bit of both — is good for the belly, and the soul and the people around you.

It was a long time ago and a ridiculous day.

I went for a sleepover. "Chris has invited you," I was told by the grownups around me. So with my pyjamas and such, I walked some distance to my friend's house. Chris wasn't home, so I sat and waited. His sister looked at me like I was from Mars. I waited. And waited.

Finally, Chris came home with his mother. Neither knew a thing about any sleepover. Then that mother gave Chris supreme %$^&*. "Christopher! Have you been fooling around with that phone again?" she yelled. Nobody, least of all me, knew what was going on.

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A Beginner’s Guide: Communities of Practice

Kids know the best way to learn double dutch or how to solve a Rubik’s cube is to watch their peers do it, collect tips and tricks, and then practice the skill themselves. It’s simple: observe, apply, practice, refine.

The same is true in our professional lives when we seek to tackle a complex challenge; there are rich lessons to be learned from our peers that can be applied to make our work more effective. Joining a Community of Practice is one way to tap into our peers’ knowledge.

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Poverty in Canada: Experiences and Perceptions

Within the Cities Reducing Poverty network, building public awareness and shifting attitudes about poverty is a critical part of the work. So I was interested in what the Angus Reid Institute’s recent study of poverty, which was released in two parts this summer, revealed about Canadians’ views on poverty.

The first part of the study defined and quantified poverty in Canada by asking people whether and how often they have struggled economically. The study created four segments of the population based on the responses:

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Wood Buffalo’s Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity and Equality

The Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, is committed to inclusion, diversity and equality. The RM aims to create a welcoming community where residents work together to implement initiatives that meet the needs of its increasingly diverse population. Its work includes responding to community challenges such as a lack of affordable housing, racism, high costs of living, lack of mental health supports, and isolation.

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Update on Ontario's Basic Income Pilot

Only hours after we posted a blog exploring reflections on the Ontario basic income pilot, two weeks ago, the Ontario government announced the cancellation of the pilot within 100 days. The Ontario basic income pilot, which reached its full enrolment in April of this year, with 4000 participants, in Thunder Bay, Hamilton, and Lindsay, was scheduled to run for three years, with an in-depth evaluation of the impact of this pilot afterwards. The Progressive Conservatives are discontinuing it after only eight months — despite Premier-elect (now Premier) Doug Ford’s commitment to continuing the pilot if successfully elected.

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The United Kingdom Addressing Youth Loneliness

Two big announcements on youth loneliness have recently come out of the United Kingdom. First, the United Kingdom announced £2 million from its Building Connections Fund to support youth-focused initiatives to be distributed by the Co-Op Foundation. The funding announcement pairs with the launch of the report “A Place to Belong: The Role of Local Youth Organizations in Addressing Youth Loneliness,” by UK Youths which the Co-Op Foundation supported.

The Building Connections Fund is a collaboration between the Government, Big Lottery Fund and the Co-Op Foundation in response to the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness. The aim of the fund is to reduce loneliness in England. The fund contains two strands £9 million from the main fund and a separate £2 million that is targeted toward youth. The youth strand will provide £80,000 to organizations to co-develop approaches with youth to combat loneliness.

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