Issue Brief Blog Feed ()

ECOHH Election Questions

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:23:50 +0000

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Bottom Lines of the Party Platforms

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:55:36 +0000

Commentary on the Alberta Party's Proposals for Democratic Renewal

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:42:38 +0000

Commentary on the Alberta Liberal Party ESL Funding Proposal

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:31:34 +0000

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Commentary on the Progressive Conservative Poverty Reduction Plan

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:13:48 +0000

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Commentary on the NDP Child Care Proposal

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:55:32 +0000

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Commentary on the Wildrose Party Child Tax Credit

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:23:25 +0000

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Enough Already: Let's Talk About Poverty

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:00:00 +0000

During the 2012 provincial election, the Edmonton Social Planning analyzed some of the social policies committed by Alberta's competitive political parties. At the same time, the ESPC raised issues related to poverty in Alberta over Twitter.

Social Health and GDP

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:36:02 +0000

The public release of Tracking the Trends yesterday brought up an interesting point. How does Edmonton's social health compare to growth in the economy? Good question.

A Better Way to Help Families

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:12:30 +0000

A federal Conservative election promise has reignited the debate over income splitting as a way of helping families. Income splitting is based on a false premise, namely that a family can trade in two $50,000 per year jobs for one $100,000 per year job. If this were possible many more families would likely choose to have one parent stay at home at least in the early years. A better way to help all families with children would be to invest in enhancing child tax benefits.

Downtown Arena Bottom Lines

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:46:19 +0000

Mayor Stephen Mandel is pushing City Council for a decision on the financing of the Downtown Arena as early as next month. It's really hard to see how an informed decision can be made given the lack of basic information on arena design, who the partners are that will provide the tax lift to help pay for the arena, and whether Rexall Place will be closed or remain open.

Pecha Kucha 9

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:27:31 +0000

Where Will They Go?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:23:34 +0000

The Chinatown and Little Italy Business Association want to create a museum and community garden in Mary Burlie Park on 97th Street. On Wednesday, February 23, 2011 several speakers took issue to the suggested changes during a City Council meeting suggested that the proposed changes would push the current �transient street people� who mainly use the park out of the area.

6th Annual Memorial for Homeless Persons

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:45:37 +0000

The 6th Annual Memorial for Homeless Persons was held on January 22, 2011 at Boyle Street Community Services. It was a solemn event that honoured the lives of 57 individuals who passed away as a direct or indirect result of homelessness in the Edmonton area. The event not only highlighted the tragic circumstances that had befallen on those without a home, but also reminded us that there is more we share in common with each other than we tend to think.

Nonprofits and information: sharing our stories

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:25:57 +0000

We�ve all heard about information overload. Nicholas Carr�s famous 2008 article in Atlantic Magazine got all of us wondering if Google is making us stupid. The BBC has just asked again if more information means we know less. The idea behind these opinions is that a glut of information has destroyed our attention spans and our ability to absorb and remember important information.

Does information still matter? How do we distinguish the good from the bad? How do we protect ourselves from overload? Among my colleagues across the nonprofit sector, the issue of information overload is heightened by restricted budgets and heavy workloads. We need to make well-informed decisions while juggling multiple projects on a tight schedule.

Film Review: Made In Dagenham (2010)

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:24:40 +0000

All I Want For Christmas is the Long Form Census

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:43:27 +0000

An census update is in order! With Christmas just around the corner, Canadians have put the long form census on their wishlist.

Problematizing the Inter-City Forum on Social Policy

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:00:46 +0000

The Inter-City Forum on Social Policy and Family and Community Support Services Alberta held a dialogue about ending poverty in Alberta on Friday, November 26, 2010 in conjunction with their annual convention. I attended the dialogue along with the ESPC Research Coordinator John Kolkman.

Go Vote: Edmonton Municipal Elections Oct. 18

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:36:52 +0000

Various longitudinal studies have shown that voter turnouts in elections throughout Canada and other western industrialized countries have steadily decreased over the past 30 years.

Save the Census

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:45:45 +0000

Census Changes Harms Canadians� Health

Anyone in the social research and policy analysis business can easily see the ramifications of the Federal Government�s recent decision to scrap the long form census and replace it with a voluntary household survey. Now we have health care professionals, Epidemiologist and Biostatistician also weigh in on the issue.

Winnipeg Roundtable on Poverty Reduction

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:32:30 +0000

The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and Campaign 2000, in collaboration with Council of Canadians with Disabilities and Canadian Council on Social Development hosted a roundtable discussion on August 4, 2010 in Winnipeg, to finalize a consensus document of what the Council of the Federation should do to eradiate poverty throughout Canada.

Part of our civic duty

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:05:02 +0000

One of the obligations of living in this wonderful country is filling out the short-form census every five years, and the long-form census, on average, every 25 years.

Housing the Homeless in Alberta

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:31:05 +0000

A new video filmed in Calgary and Edmonton was recently released depicting the positive results of the plan to end homelessness.

Minimum Wage Policy Review Presentation

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:00:32 +0000

In a June 15, 2010 presentation to the Alberta Legislature's Standing Committee on the Economy, the ESPC asked that the minimum wage be increased to at least $10.00 per hour immediately, and then adjusted annually to reflect changes in average weekly earnings.

5 Tests for a Successful Affordable Housing Strategy

Tue, 04 May 2010 17:07:52 +0000

The Housing Network of Ontario recently published a set of 5 criteria that they will be using to assess the effectiveness of Ontario's long-term Affordable Housing Strategy. These five broad areas of focus would serve as a good starting point for an affordable housing strategy for Alberta.

Alberta, Can You Spare a Dime?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:57:36 +0000

The final Stats Can numbers on changes to average weekly earning are now in. They make the Alberta government's decision to freeze the province's mininum wage look even more perplexing and unnecessary.

Ending Poverty in Canada - The Sequel

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:03:22 +0000

Amid all of the other goings on in Ottawa, a significant anniversary was marked this week. November 24, 2009 is the 20th anniversary of a unanimous House of Commons resolution to end child poverty by the year 2000.

How Does Poverty Shape Participation?

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:05:54 +0000

A 2003 study found that people living in poverty are less likely to participate in a wide range of activities than people not living in poverty.

End the Burden of Transportation Loans for Refugees!

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:58:27 +0000

For humanitarian purposes, Canada sponsors a small number of refugees each year who come from devastated countries where there has been severe loss through war, natural disaster or persecution for the people there.

Cutting Coverage for Gender Reassignment Surgery a Terrible Mistake

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:30:58 +0000

In the provincial Budget 2009, coverage for gender reassignment suregery was cut from the list of services

Alberta's Disposable Workforce

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:31:52 +0000

Edmonton lawyer Yessie Byl calls temporary foreign workers Alberta's disposable workforce. With the current economic downturn, this is more true today than it has ever been.

Who Are the Deserving Poor?

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:16:04 +0000

A Critical Evaluation of Federal Budget 2009

Whether you have heard the term �deserving/undeserving poor� or not, it is a concept that has always been a part of Canadian History, and it permeates our social institutions and policies today.

Vacancy Up a Bit, Rents Still Rising

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:55:27 +0000

While vacancy rates for rental accommodation in the Edmonton have gone up a bit (from 1.5% in October 2007 to 2.4% in October 2008), rents still keep going up as well. Average rents for a two-bedroom apartment unit went up by 9.2% year over year, a pace more than double that of the average person's wages.

Ontario Commits to Firm Poverty Reduction Targets

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:00:07 +0000

The political storm in Ottawa over-shadowed an important commitment made by the Government of Ontario yesterday - namely the adoption of concrete targets to reduce child and family poverty in that province by 25% over the next five years.

Quarters Public Hearing Gets Hijacked

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:23:29 +0000

On November 24, Edmonton City Council held a public hearing on the Quarters Downtown (Downtown East). I presented to the hearing on behalf of the Edmonton Social Planning Council. Since the presentation isn't overly long, I've re-printed it below.

What Causes Neighbourhood Ills?

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:01:40 +0000

Jean Swanson argues that stagnant income rates have a significant impact on neighbourhood decline. This excerpt from her February 2006 article i nthe Vancouver Sun gives some food for thought.

Reflections from the 2008 Homeless Count

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:54:35 +0000

On October 21st, I volunteered for the 2008 Edmonton Homeless Count. As Homeless Count volunteers, our job was to approach everybody we saw, and ask them if they had a place to go home to...

Does Wealth = Well-Being?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:51:24 +0000

The Impacts of Living in Poverty

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:11:39 +0000

A 2005 study of women living below the Low Income Cut Off found that the experience of living in poverty had direct impacts on emotional well-being and physical health.

Upgrader Alley - What can we expect?

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:36:11 +0000

Plans are in place to transform lands northeast of Edmonton - Alberta's Industrial Heartland - into a bitumen-upgrading, petrochemical-producing, industrial mecca! How will this impact our community?

MLA Pay Hikes and the Growing Gap

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:55:10 +0000

Some reflections on how the top 20% of earners (including Alberta�s politicians) are growing the gap between themselves and the rest of us. And further what this growing gap says about how our society increasingly values some types of work over other types of work.

MLAs vote themselves hefty pay hikes

Fri, 30 May 2008 19:31:36 +0000

Meanwhile, social assistance clients and seniors' benefits received a zero increase in recent provincial budget, and AISH recipients received an increase on January 1 that lagged behind inflation.

Stats Can Poverty Numbers - Treat with Caution

Mon, 05 May 2008 20:20:03 +0000

Statistics Canada released the 2006 numbers from its annual survey of the incomes of Canadian families today. At first blush, the low income (poverty) numbers for Alberta and metro Edmonton look good. As it turns out though much of the improvement was due to the one-off Ralph Bucks sent to each Albertan that year.

Location as a determinant of immigrant economic well-being

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:05:43 +0000

Most immigrants to Canada settle in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. What effect does this choice of location have on their economic well-being?

Housing slowdown � good news for renters?

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:41:08 +0000

In a dramatic turnaround, the Canada Mortage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released figures yesterday showing that new home construction starts in March 2008 are down a whopping 61 per cent compared to the same month last year. Both single family and condo construction are down sharply.

Edmonton an Increasingly Diverse City

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:24:03 +0000

The second to last release of 2006 census data is a report on ethnic origins and visible minorities in Canada with updated data broken down all the way to the neighborhood level. On May 1, the final Census release of data on the income and earnings of Canadians comes out.

Crime and Neighborhoods

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:45:39 +0000

An interesting Stats Can report was released recently. It looks at neighborhood crime levels in Edmonton, Halifax and Thunder Bay.

Tying the Minimum Wage to Average Wages is Good, Tying it to the Poverty Line Would Be Better

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:50:37 +0000

The April 1 increase in the minimum wage to $8.40 per hour should not have caught anyone by surprise.

The End of Health Care Premiums is in sight� and it can�t come soon enough

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:25:28 +0000

Speaking of taxes, will 2008 be the year that Albertans will finally see the end of health care premiums?

Tax Time Can Really Pay, Especially this Year

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:22:49 +0000

Because of a couple of tax changes the feds brought in last fall, it�s more important than ever this year for those with low or modest incomes file a 2007 tax return.