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Signals of Coming Disruption

Big change doesn't just click on, it occurs over time, starting out often as weak signals of the change to come. Sometimes it’s like the old frog in the boiling water story. Put the frog in when the water is cool and turn up the flame and eventually the frog realizes its plight, just too late to adjust, to escape.

For years, donor giving has been changing. Charities have become increasingly dependent on larger gifts from fewer donors. As the economy has served to increase the income and wealth gap between the small numbers of wealthy and the rest of everyone else, we have seen food bank use escalate and a growing number of workers living pay check to pay check. Job security is no longer a reasonable expectation for a growing number of people, much less the chance for advancement. Employee supported pensions are no longer the norm and health and dental benefits are harder to come by for low income workers and many who do not yet qualify as “low income” workforce members.

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Edmonton Moves Forward with its Roadmap to End Poverty in a Generation

Mayor Don Iveson's Taskforce to End Poverty in a Generation had its final meeting on May 30, 2016. Actually the meeting was really a celebratory gathering, a time to acknowledge the work and leadership of so many. 

In particular we celebrated the publication of End Poverty Edmonton’s Roadmap to Guide Our Journey which is based on the EPE’s Strategy to achieve a poverty free city within a generation. Both of these documents have been endorsed by Edmonton’s City Council and indeed, City Council has already been involved in implementing certain aspects of the strategy even before the Roadmap was finalized.

Thanks to a partnership with the Alberta Government, the City will be launching a low income bus pass that will provide a 60% discount on the standard fares for public transit. The program is being launched in 2017 with three years of funding in place. The total cost is estimated to be around $12.4 million and will be split 50-50 between the province and the city. Approximately 20,000 low income families will benefit from this savings. For more information about how the subsidy works, click HERE.

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A Living Wage for Whitehorse, Yukon

By: Kendall Hammond, July 5 2016

Last week the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition (YAPC) released the report Living Wage in Whitehorse, Yukon: 2016 that included the first ever living wage calculation for Whitehorse, Yukon. The report revealed that the living wage in Whitehorse equals $19.12 per hour, one of the highest rates in Canada. In addition to the report, the YAPC released a calculation guide that includes a detailed description of the methods used in the Whitehorse calculation as well as step-by-step instructions to assist those calculating the living wage in other Northern communities. To date, Yellowknife is the only other Northern community to calculate the living wage.

The living wage serves as an important measure of poverty as those earning less than the living wage amount in their community will undoubtedly face significant challenges meeting basic needs. This information is especially valuable in Northern communities where Statistics Canada does not measure poverty.

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New Affordable Housing Initiative in Edmonton

Vulnerable and at-risk families in Edmonton will now have a chance at a safe place to call home. The City of Edmonton will be starting construction soon on a 70-unit apartment building, with mixed income units.

The project is expected to provide homes for approximately 230 people.

"We are pleased to see this kind of key investment in our community as everyone deserves a place to call home. Affordable housing is one of the critical components to ending poverty in Edmonton and we will continue to work with the Government of Alberta, housing providers and community support service providers to ensure these kinds of investments are made."
-Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton

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Louie and Bruno: What Would You Do?

I was in a board meeting in the Operation Friendship drop in centre. I was positioned so I could see out of the windows into the courtyard. During the meeting I noticed Louie walking slowly toward the rooming house door. Louie was a short, slender man, about 65 years of age. I turned my attention back to the meeting but it was soon again diverted when I heard a hoarse voice shouting profanity.

Louie had stopped and turned and he was angry, yelling at someone that was out of my line of sight. I stood up as Louie reached into his pocket and pulled out a blade. I said nothing to my colleagues as I headed toward the door. I wasn’t really thinking to be honest.

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Expanding Our Thinking About Poverty

For the majority of us, the experience of poverty is unimaginable. We intuit it must be difficult; we can read the reports of its impact and have some understanding, but in the end, we do not know poverty to the degree and depth those who live with it do.

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