Maytree Conversations - Latest Comments

Re: Charity is good, justice is better

Michelle Girard — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:28:34 -0000

Thank-you, the human rights lens allows you to see that poverty is not the result of broken people who are somehow responsible for their own poverty, instead systemic problems become more visible. These are the problems that must be tackled if we are ever to truly have a Just Society.

Re: A tale of two cities: Edmonton and Toronto launch bold poverty reduction strategies

John Ryerson — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 17:49:46 -0000

The Toronto plan is good with a lot of community participation and efforts. The budget about to be passed for the first year of the plan is profoundly disappointing. no real change to what we have done for decades.

Re: Closing the opportunity gap in education: it’s time to think outside the school

Susan Wright — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 12:56:29 -0000

Hello Chris - your work is great. I would love to talk about the crucial role that food and appropriate nutrition can play in the holistic approach to helping youth thrive.

Re: Voting rights for Permanent Residents: Citizen Engagement or Citizenship Devaluation?

Cha Rob — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 20:30:35 -0000

What's the big deal ? Why should you be allowed to vote in a country that you really have not been fully approved to be belonged and accepted into...Your "Permanent resident status" is really only a trial run for the Canadian people to check you out to be worthy of permanent Citizenship...Your resident status is what "Courting is to Marriage"(Citizenship)..I E..A couple (The Govt" and You) checking out each other do they belong together.

Re: Expression of Interest: What employers need to know about Canada’s proposed new immigrant application system

Seven Seas — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 04:26:56 -0000

Great Info....

Re: A Canadian view of income inequality and its international implications

Gisele — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:49:55 -0000

In 2012, Statistics Canada noted the Canadian gender pay gap was
the fifth largest among the 34 OECD countries. Women working full-time earn
only 70 per cent of what men earn. Almost one third women worked part-time often
because they lack access to child care, are only offered part time or casual
hours or because they must care for a family member who is sick or elderly.
Mothers who take family leave face a consistent pay gap of three per cent for
every year they did not work, for the rest of their lives. 8.1 per cent of
women live in households with moderate or severe food insecurity. Lone parent
households have the highest – 22.1 per cent – rate of food insecurity and 82
per cent are headed by women. Studies in developing countries prove that when a
women's financial status improves, the whole community benefits. More women
than men are poor. Income affects every aspect of our lives, from where we live
to what we eat, from what we wear to how we get where we are going. Lack of
income means doing everything the hard way: Health hazards for people with low
incomes include: poor housing with mould, poor air quality, inadequate heat or
hot water etc., food challenges; restricted access to non-insured health care
such as medications and dental benefits; restricted access to phone or
Internet; fewer job prospects, social isolation; fewer resources with which to
handle crises, e.g. equipment, time, knowledge, access to professionals, tools,
money to pay maintaining goods & equipment and increased levels of stress due
to less leisure time and greater financial pressures. Part of the problem is
that jobs that have been traditionally done by women pay less than traditional
male jobs. This is true “regardless of the value of the work to the employer or
the consumer.” The more a job is considered ‘women’s work,’ the less it pays. Traditionally
male-dominated trades deter women from entering them.

Median income is the amount that divides the income distribution
into two equal groups—half having income above that amount, and half having
income below that amount. Median income increased from $45,800 in 1976 to
$48,300 in 2009. Canadian women earned an average total income2 of $30,100 in
2008 (So MOST working Canadian women fall below the median) Much of women's
work is unpaid. Women do more than EIGHTY percent of the UNPAID CAREGIVING inCanada. Single parent families are mostly headed by women, and the income of
single parent families has decreased more than the income of the average family
income. It takes money to make money, and women tend to lack the resources to
get out of poverty, such as capital, land, and borrowing opportunities. Health
Canada recognizes: INCOME AND SOCIAL STATUS AS ONE OF THE TWELVE KEY
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH Canadian gender pay gap was the fifth largest among the
34 OECD countries.

Money is an essential tool for taking charge of your own life.
People with low incomes usually have little access to resources. When bad luck
strikes, they don't have the tools to make things right. This undermines their
sense of self-worth, and can lead to hopelessness and depression. Small wonder,
then, that poverty is associated with mental illness. Studies in developing
countries prove that when a women's financial status improves, the whole
community benefits. We know that employers have always refused to acknowledge
the pay gap between men and women. It also redefines the criteria to evaluate
if work is of “equal value”, by taking into account its worth on the free
market. This is ironic, since the main purpose of pay equity is to correct the
discriminatory bias against women in the free market!

SYSTEMATIC POVERTY IS VIOLENCE! & Poverty makes escaping
violence THAT MUCH MORE difficult & then permanently $$ punishes women for
escaping!!

http://psacunion.ca/16-reas... & Stats Canada

Re: Maytree Scholarship Program: Opening doors to new futures

maytree — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:46:36 -0000

Hi - there are two good sources of information online that you can look at.
One is a government site that lists possible scholarships: http://www.educationau-inca....

The other site is settlement.org with information specifically for Ontario. The section on eduction is here: http://settlement.org/ontar.... There is a lot of information, but it should be easy to navigate to find what you're looking for.

Re: Maytree Scholarship Program: Opening doors to new futures

kirti — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:38:11 -0000

i am an indain mom of 19 year old gifted son...has an inborn instinct for computer software development. i want him to study computer software (gaming apps development in canada ,markham. is there any agency help me financing his studies?also any colleges in markham near settlers st wherte my younger sister is settled with her husband. i dont wan my son to be burdan on them .but he wishes to study in canada . i am a single mom making both ends meet wid tution work .but i made my twin kids daughter n son study in best of colleges in india. now my son wans to learn and earn for me and his sister. guys plz guide me

Re: A Canadian view of income inequality and its international implications

Toni Pickard — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 23:44:28 -0000

I wonder why, in this otherwise quite thorough discussion, Mr. Broadbent says nothing about the potential of a basic income guarantee (BIG). Perhaps je had basic income in mind when writing about refundable tax credits. But " refundable tax cred" describes a method of delivery rather than what is to be delivered and why. True that if the credit were set somewhat at least above the poverty level, it would effectively provide those who don't have enough money with the needed dollars to escape poverty. But if the refundable tax credit is set at, say, $12,000, it would do no such thing. What's needed before thinking about delivery methods for distributing cash grants is a discussion of the values that would best inform the size and nature of such a grant. That being said, a refundable tax credit method of delivery could well be the most effective way to deliver a basic income.

However delivered, BIG is can be described as an entitlement to income adequate to meet life's necessities, unconditional (most notably with no requirement to seek paid labour), simple to administer, easy to access, reliable and indexed. It does away with the stigma and bureaucratic meddling that characterize our current programs, replacing them with privacy, autonomy and the dignity in living that depends on them. It's basically an income floor through which no one need ever fall into hunger and homelessness. Basic Income treats income as an essential of life, best ensured by providing it collectively, right up there with health care and education, or the OAS/GIS for that mater. It could do more than eliminate poverty and alleviate income insecurity. It would have all the benefits of living wages but on a larger scale. It would improve health for everyone living on a low income, reducing downstream healthcare costs. And because the money would be spent locally, as Mr. Broadbent points out, it would nourish local economies, improving local employment possibilities and productivity, Not insignificantly it would increase tax revenues. It will take other measures to reduce income inequality over the short haul, but over time basic income could contribute substantially to reducing the income gap.... not perhaps between the 1% and the rest of us, but more likely between say, the 50th an 10th decile. BIG is being discussed widely in Canada and abroad and its absence here is perplexing.

Re: Plug into changes in immigration and employment rules

lindajvv123 — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 09:25:30 -0000

I appreciate the reply and its nice to know that their is a super visa for parents and grandparents. Thanks.

Re: Plug into changes in immigration and employment rules

maytree — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 10:36:25 -0000

The Parents and Grandparents program that re-opened on January 2, 2015 closed within days once Citizenship and Immigration Canada received the 5,000 complete applications set as maximum intake for the year. The program is expected to reopen only next year. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/englis....

Parents and grandparents wanting to spend an extended period of time in Canada with their families can also apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/englis....

I hope this helps.

Re: Plug into changes in immigration and employment rules

lindajvv123 — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 03:56:32 -0000

Thank you for this interesting article. Where can I find more details of the Parent and Grandparent programme that opened in January this year?

Re: Expression of Interest: What employers need to know about Canada’s proposed new immigrant application system

lindajvv123 — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:49:37 -0000

Thank you for the info!

Re: Expression of Interest: What employers need to know about Canada’s proposed new immigrant application system

Guest — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:46:02 -0000

Thank you for the quick response. I do appreciate

Re: Expression of Interest: What employers need to know about Canada’s proposed new immigrant application system

maytree — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:00:04 -0000

It's been officially launched on January 2015 as Express Entry. You may want to start with the official government of Canada website - http://www.cic.gc.ca/englis.... You may find these pages also of interest (put together by canadavisa.com ): http://www.canadavisa.com/e... (this is a FAQ for candidates) and http://www.canadavisa.com/e... (FAQ for employers) - main page is here: http://www.canadavisa.com/e....

Re: Expression of Interest: What employers need to know about Canada’s proposed new immigrant application system

lindajvv123 — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 07:47:42 -0000

Thank you for this informative blog. I agree with Ronald's comment that it is a good proposal, but we will have to see what the outcome will be. Is there a source that explains how the EOI system will fitin with the Federal Skilled Worker-, Provincial Nominee Immigration- or the Quebec Skilled Worker programmes?

Re: Six patterns to spread your social innovation

Ashley Kurtz — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 07:29:17 -0000

Sounds like an amazing read, and very flattered that a dinner could influence your train of thought in social innovation! Very humbled Al

Re: Liveability – for whom?

Sherri — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 08:43:12 -0000

Thanks for your comment! I couldn't agree more. Affordable housing and deep social bonds are factors that contribute immeasurably to the quality of life. Winnipeg ranks high on the things that matter. We need to pay more attention to these vital social amenities. Thank you for adding this important dimension to the liveability conversation.

Re: Faster refugee processing system puts more pressure on legal aid support

maytree — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 08:17:11 -0000

Thanks for letting us know. We've updated the link to the document (Legal Aid for Refugee Claimants in Canada). The Refugee Forum, unfortunately, no longer exists.

Re: Faster refugee processing system puts more pressure on legal aid support

Arrby — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 09:44:26 -0000

re the link to Refugee Forum: It returns a msg "page not found"

Re: Liveability – for whom?

GoJetsGo — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:53:36 -0000

Great article, thanks Sherri. I live in Winnipeg and there aren't many Canadians who would pick my city as highly liveable in the winter, and the number of Winnipeggers escaping to Phoenix or Mexico at this time of year shows we feel the same way! However, as Sherri points out, the lower housing costs that come as a result of our less than desired status make this a more affordable place to live for people who have average incomes. Not only that, people with average incomes can afford to go to Phoenix or Mexico for a week! We like to say Winnipeg is a nice play to live but you wouldn't want to visit here, or that we love to hate our city but we also hate to love it. We might not be all that appealing to people with the highest ambitions, and we know it is a loss to us when people we love take off to chase the dream in Toronto or L.A, but cities like Winnipeg, and there are lots of others like us, are places where people dig down deep roots. Family and friends are irreplaceable. The lists that come out ranking cities as "Best City in the World" are naturally going to focus on things that appeal to the well-off, and I really do wish we had a transit system as good as Montreal and the natural beauty of Vancouver, but maybe the list needs to also include strong feelings of social connection and affordability of housing.

Re: Renewed interest in Guaranteed Annual Income or ‘Mincome’

Toni Pickard — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:26:59 -0000

It's true that we don't have enough politicians YET who are willing to support basic income, but the more public awareness grows and discussion and debate continue, the more pressure there will be on politicians to respond. And awareness is definitely growing both in Canada and worldwide. The BIG PUSH campaign (http://bicn.nationbuilder.c... was founded in April 2013. In October of 2013, even before the campaign had had a chance to have an impact, a Trudeau Foundation poll found that 46% of Canadians supported a basic income (defined as the Fraser Institute does unfortunately - ie to replace all social programs - a definition with which we emphatically disagree), 19% strongly. Much progress has been made since then, and BIG is being talked about ever more frequently in all forms of media, and (mostly) quietly by a number of governments and political parties. But NB, the Greens have included what they call a Guaranteed Living Income in their Vision Statement, the Liberal Party Policy Convention adopted two BIG related resolutions among its final 32 in February of 2014; twenty Provincial NDP Riding Associations submitted BIG resolutions to the ONDP Policy Convention in November 2014;the Quebec Minister of Social Solidarity has written a book about it (Ending Poverty: A Basic Income for All Canadians by Francois Blais); the former Premier of PEI said publicly that BIG was being considered by his government, and there's reason to believe that some other Provincial Governments are quietly considering its possibilities. So, no reason to despair (yet). Universal health care was not brought into being in a day. We need a politician who has the vision and strength of Tommy Douglas, AND a polity which understands and is firmly in favour of basic income for the political will to follow.

Re: Renewed interest in Guaranteed Annual Income or ‘Mincome’

Robyn Peterson — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 10:46:07 -0000

In their 2009 report, "In From the Margins", the Senate sub-committee chaired by Art Eggleton and Hugh Segal recommended a serious examination of the idea of an income guarantee. The report itself was dismissed in its entirety by the Harper government in the fall of 2010. It seems that much of the opposition to a guaranteed income programme comes down to the problem of sorting out federal and provincial programmes into a comprehensive whole that could support a GAI properly. Plainly, we don't have enough politicians in this country willing to examine this idea seriously, let alone to implement a programme. Given the recent release at Davos of Oxfam's report on global income inequality, this lack of willingness is appalling. Ranjit Bhaskar is right to provide it with serious attention. Perhaps a few more key decision makers can be won over.

Re: Expression of Interest: What employers need to know about Canada’s proposed new immigrant application system

Ronald T. Reza — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:55:34 -0000

Bonnie, thanks a lot for such an informative blog. EOI is a good proposal but I'm not sure how far the success of this model will be. There have been so many changes happening in immigration laws in Canada and these changes have created a lot of issues, which I believe Canadian Immigration Services have turned a blind eye on. I've recently had the chance to review few of the cases handled by Matthew Jeffery, Toronto team, and noticed that these changes resulted in families losing their dear ones.

I hopefully wish that anything innovative and beneficial happening in the immigration field; I want it to be happening along with the mending of hearts which was broken by the old laws.

Re: Bringing communities together to end poverty

Sabeen Sherazi — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 09:53:17 -0000

I want to work with NGO who works for poverty alleviation.