Social Assistance Review – Preparing for the Options Paper The Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario is expected to release an Options Paper in early February with options for reforming Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), followed by a very short period for public response and feedback. The options [...]

On Monday, Prime Minister Harper’s Conservative MPs voted for the cruel Crime Bill. That night, the NDP, Liberal, Bloc and Green MPs stood together against the bill, and many of them were wearing “Safer, not meaner” buttons in solidarity with our campaign. Now, the struggle for Canadian justice moves to the Senate. The Senate’s job [...]

The Canadian Harm Reduction Network urges you to sign this important petition aimed at stopping the Harper Government’s ill-thought-out, financially wasteful and counterproductive “Omnibus Crime Bill”. http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_harpers_cruel_crime_bill/?cl=1378435890&v=11036 The petition is an initiative of Avaaz.org, and already close to 100,000 people have signed it. Also, BC residents can appeal directly to their Premier, Christy Clark, and [...]

The rich get richer and the homeless get fined by Stephen Gaetz November 10, 2011 Homelessness continues to be a visible problem in most Canadian cities.  I would say most Canadians, when they think about how we respond to homelessness, would consider emergency shelters, drop-ins and soup kitchens – charitable programs set up to shelter [...]

Collective Impact on Poverty: Lessons from Vibrant Communities [By: Mark Cabaj] In the winter of 2011, John Kania and Mark Kramer wrote a now very popular article for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, that described how diverse organizations and leaders are crossing artificial lines to work together to create “collective” – rather than “isolated” impact. [...]

To our national contact list: Consider tuning in this Sunday at 4:00pm Eastern to the Goldhawk Live national CPAC program, which will focus on the Occupy movement with examination of the intersect between income/wealth inequality and poverty.  On behalf of Canada Without Poverty I will be one-on-one with Dale Goldhawk beginning about 4:30pm for several [...]

The long view: Frances Lankin co-chairs a massive review of Ontario’s social support structure Paul Carlucci | Wednesday, June 01, 2011 Related Images “Public policy,” says Frances Lankin, “is not an exercise in sheer logic.” So call it an exercise in endurance, or an experiment in stamina. Lankin brings both qualities to her new role [...]

THE COST OF CARING: Report on the Consultation on Discrimination on the Basis of Family Status VI. HOUSING 1. Introduction Canada, as a signatory to a number of international human rights instruments, has recognized that adequate housing is a fundamental human right. With the ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, [...]

This report is also available in PDF format. Recommendations for an Ontario Income Security Review May 2010 Table of Contents The Social Assistance Review Advisory Council Letter of transmittal Executive Summary Recommended Terms of Reference Scope of the Ontario Income Secuirty Review Key Strategies to Guide the Ontario Income Security Review Measurable Outcomes The Review [...]

Turtle home a new take on tradition By: Diana Swift staff writer The solar-powered home, at right, is inspired in part by the teepee and designed in collaboration with the Treaty 7 First Nations of Southern Alberta. A team of students at the University of Calgary has designed a solar-powered home that produces as much [...]