The Latest

Defying ‘Generational’ Gravity

In one of my volunteer roles, I co-chair LivingSJ—a collective impact movement in Saint John with a goal to end generational poverty. What many may not realize is that generational poverty is a much more stubborn and complex problem to solve than situational or temporary poverty. When a person or family with a job/house/car/etc… gets into dire straits after suffering a catastrophic financial event, they are often privileged to have friends and family with assets to lean on temporarily, with their gravity typically pulling them upward towards recovering to their norm. However, with generational poverty, the gravitational pull is often reversed, continually holding people down, generation after generation, because in many respects the knowledge of what heights can be reached gets lost to the collective conscience.

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Strength in numbers: Targeting labour force participation to improve prosperity in Ontario

In its 16th Annual Report, Strength in numbers: Targeting labour force participation to improve prosperity in Ontario, Ontario’s Panel on Economic Growth & Prosperity analyzes Ontario's GDP per capita compared to ten similar peer jurisdictions (Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, the Netherlands, Tennessee, Sweden, Michigan, Australia, British Columbia, and Québec) and analyzes the labour force participation rate of youth, women, older workers, and Indigenous Peoples in Ontario.

The analysis reveals that Ontario continues to experience a ‘prosperity gap’ – GDP per capita is $5,600 below its peer jurisdictions.

Removing the barriers faced by these four groups has the potential to close Ontario's prosperity gap and could add $54.0 billion to the economy.

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Lower Columbia Region Releases Road Map to Poverty Reduction

British Columbia is one of the most prosperous provinces in Canada, yet poverty remains a serious issue in many communities. According to a new report released today, key indicators of poverty remain startlingly high in the Lower Columbia Region (LCR) of BC’s West Kootenay. For example, the four local foodbanks support approximately 5,000 visits per year. Additionally 1,600 households – 1 in 5 in the region – are in housing need, and in 2013, the last year for which there is reliable data, 990 children were living in poverty.

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Economics of Doing Business and the New Minimum Wage

The January 1, 2019 looming deadline of a minimum wage increase to $15 / hour has people on both sides of the pay cheque debating the merits of this increase and the potential unintended consequences of moving so much so fast.  We have the employer discussing the impact to their bottom line as any increase in expenses directly impacting profit.  On the other side of the paycheque we have social leaders advocating the positive economic impact that this wage increase will have on both the individual employee and the greater economy.

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Ending Poverty

I was in San Francisco this week and spoke with pride about Canada's work to end poverty. I may have spoken too boldly. There is something about being in U.S. that makes me want to emphasize how progressive Canada is and share how much more advanced our social agenda is. My behaviour might be likened to a younger brother coming home to visit his more accomplished older brother and provide an update about his year away. 

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Working yet Homeless in Banff, Alberta

Banff, Alberta. Located in one of the most beautiful areas in Canada. People come from all over the world by the bus loads. There is money being made for sure. Nothing wrong with making money, right?

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