Various community groups are keeping a close eye on the ongoing consultation of the Ontario Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction. For a variety of informed viewpoints on Ontario's poverty reduction strategy and consultation, read the following:

• OCAP: Poverty reduction committee 'a distraction', an interview with an OCAP member
• Poverty Watch Ontario is a website that maintains a log of community events on poverty reduction and attempts to monitor cross-Ontario activity on the poverty reduction.
• OCAP - The Ontario Liberals and 'Poverty Reduction': Are they Trying or Lying?
• Toronto Star editorial - "Why we must talk about race when we talk about poverty"
• 25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction - Recent news, media and resources on poverty reduction.

A Fraser Institute, What is Poverty? Providing Clarity for Canada (in PDF), claims that despite recent census data that showed increased levels of poverty across Canada, poverty has remained between 4-6% for the past decade. A entry in the Wellesley Institute blog, claims the Fraser Institute is defining poverty out of existence with a measure that doesn't even make sense in real life.

LICOs (Low Income Cut-Offs) are published by Stats Canada and defined as an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of its income on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family. There is an easy to read Before-Tax Low Income Cut-Off graph for 2004 on the Canadian Council on Social Development site. You can also read Stats Canada's most recent report: Low income cut-offs for 2006 and low income measures for 2005 (in PDF).

Echoes of Inner City Voices (in PDF) is a follow up report to a series of stories that ran in the Winnipeg Free Press between 1997 and 1999. The series tried to give a voice to inner city people. The recent report looks at how the inner city and the lives of inner city people have changed, as well as providing statistics on the inner city and commentary on the effectiveness of policies and programs.

The City of Toronto is becoming increasingly divided by income, ethno-cultural characteristics, and socio-economic status, says a new report, The Three Cities within Toronto (in PDF), issued by the Centre for Urban and Community Studies (CUCS) at the University of Toronto. No longer a “city of neighbourhoods,” the study calls modern-day Toronto a “city of disparities.” In fact, Toronto is now so polarized it could be described as three geographically distinct cities made up of 20 percent affluent neighbourhoods, 36 percent poor neighbourhoods, and 43 percent middle-income earner neighbourhoods and that 43 percent is in decline.

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Coalition of Nova Scotia has released a new document: Framework for a Poverty Reduction Strategy for Nova Scotia. It is now available online through the Community Action on Homelessness Website.

The Strategic Research and Analysis Directorate at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has released a report called Levels and Sources of Individual and Household Level Income for Inuit in Canada, 1980-2000. It focuses on income-related indicators for the population with Inuit ancestry. The report finds that although average incomes increased from 1980-2000 for Inuit people, they remained much lower than those of all Canadians.

The Tyee has an interesting article, "Child Poverty is Down. No, it's Up," about two reports issued in the last couple months about child poverty. One report issued by the Fraser Institute claims that less than six per cent of Canadian children live in poverty; the other report issued by Campaign 2000 said the poverty rate for Canadian children was more than three times that, over 17 per cent. The Fraser Institute and Campaign 2000 define poverty very differently. The Fraser Institute includes the cost of only subsistence levels of food, clothing, housing and a few other necessities, while Campaign 2000 uses Stats Canada low income cutoffs below which families would find themselves living in "straitened circumstances."

Despite other research, in a new report the Fraser Institute claims that poverty in Canada has fallen to the lowest level in history. Read the news release, "Poverty in Canada Hits Record Low," or the full report Poverty in Canada: 2006 Update (in PDF).

An Tyee article, "Poverty Amidst Plenty" calls attention to a recently released Human Resources and Social Development Canada report that puts B.C.'s average poverty rate at 22.5% in 2002. Averages were much higher for some groups: among children it was 30% and for single moms it was a staggering 58%. For most groups these numbers, calculated according to the government's "market basket" measure of the poverty line, are higher than previous estimates, higher than the national average, and higher than in every other province except Newfoundland. The article discusses implications of the report and suggests feasible minimum wage and welfare changes for a province with a currently booming economy.

An Tyee article, "Poverty Amidst Plenty" calls attention to a recently released Human Resources and Social Development Canada report that puts B.C.'s average poverty rate at 22.5% in 2002. Averages were much higher for some groups: among children it was 30% and for single moms it was a staggering 58%. For most groups these numbers, calculated according to the government's "market basket" measure of the poverty line, are higher than previous estimates, higher than the national average, and higher than in every other province except Newfoundland. The article discusses implications of the report and suggests feasible minimum wage and welfare changes for a province with a currently booming economy.

Vibrant Communities Saint John (VCSJ) was founded in 2004. Saint John community organizers take pride in the rich interwoven relationships that form the basis of their work to identify and remove the traps that keep people in poverty. This is the fourth in a series of stories on the key ideas that guide the poverty reduction work. A report by the Caledon Institute of Social Policy is available in PDF.

A 150 page StatsCan report examines family income and low income in Canada (in PDF), and StatsCan's 'the Daily' reports highlights of selected sections of the full report.

Perception (in PDF) is a digest of the Canadian Council of Social Development brings you news and views on social development issues like poverty and income security, employment, health, pensions and social services. Examples of articles included in this issue include: "Why must chronic illness mean poverty and isolation?", "Beyond wishful thinking: Emergency planning for persons with disabilities," and "A helping hand up for the working poor."

"This document is a call for partners to come forward to help work out the best way to reduce poverty in our province. As is discussed in the paper, a comprehensive approach with a mix of policy options is required to have a significant impact on poverty. The development of a comprehensive strategy requires input from all orders of government, community-based groups, business, labour, and individuals about the best approaches and policy mix to reduce poverty in the province." Both the 44 page report Reducing Poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador: Working Towards a Solution (in PDF) or the report's Plain Language Summary can be downloaded.

An international study says inequality and homelessness are rising in Canada - despite a sustained economic boom and repeated federal promises to cut poverty. Poverty is rising among children and new immigrants, the middle class is finding it increasingly difficult to afford education and housing, and there are 250,000 Canadians living on the streets, says the study by Social Watch, a coalition of 400 non-government organizations from 50 countries. Read the CBC story on the report, the Canadian section of the UN report (in PDF), or the entire international report.

Divided and Distracted (in PDF), a Social Watch report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives documents how recent federal reinvestments in social programs failed to relieve deep poverty in Canada because there was no national unity of purpose about how to use that money.

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Nova Scotia has released a report card specific to Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Child Poverty Report Card 2004 (in PDF) provides information on Canada’s promise to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000 and focuses on Nova Scotia in relation to Canada and the Atlantic Provinces. The report shows that performance in Nova Scotia on reducing child poverty is even poorer than in other Atlantic Provinces and a number of specific recommendations are made.

"A report by Statistics Canada says many people in low-paying jobs can't find better work. The study found about half of those paid the minimum wage or less in 1996 were faring no better five years later. For those under 25, getting that first job is a big step" says CBC's Cathy Gibson in a news report regarding poverty in Canada. Similar research has illustrated the vast numbers of Canadians earning wages far below the poverty line. For more information read the CBC's "Paid to be Poor."

A report by the Canadian Council on Social Development and United Way Toronto: Poverty by Postal Code, "provides evidence of a dramatic increase in high poverty neighbourhoods, hence the title. When poverty is concentrated and intensified, its effects for neighbourhoods – and the entire city – are amplified. The consequences of living in a poor neighbourhood are significant – and long-term – for children and youth, for newcomers, for lone-parents. Neighbourhoods of high poverty can spiral into further decline, increased crime, and abandonment by both residents and businesses. Highly concentrated poverty affects the quality of life – and economic prosperity – of everyone in Toronto, now and in the future."

Full Report
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/whoWeHelp/reports/PovertybyPostalCodeFin...
(April 2004, PD - 1.9 MB)

Executive Summary
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/whoWeHelp/reports/PPC-Exec-Summary-04.pd...
(PDF - 674 KB)

Frances Lankin's Speech on Poverty by Postal Code
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/whoWeHelp/reports/FL-povertybypostalcode...
(PDF - 24 KB)

Source:
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/whoWeHelp/reports.php