Ontario

The recession of 2008-2009 hit fast and furiously, with a steep decline in Gross Domestic Product and employment. Since then, both indicators have recovered well, leading some to trumpet Canada’s quick recovery from the recession. But other indicators, such as social assistance caseloads, have not seen the same strong recovery. And still other indicators, while on their way back to pre-recession levels, still reveal worrisome trends.

We know that the recession significantly increased Canada’s poverty levels. But do Canada’s poor now risk being permanently left behind? Our survey of the economic indicators over the past several weeks suggests that the answer is yes. Read more »

We know that the recession significantly increased Canada’s poverty levels. But do Canada’s poor now risk being permanently left behind? In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore the economic indicators, updating the research in CPJ’s 2010 report on the recession, Bearing the Brunt.

Perhaps no other indicator better shows the growth in poverty and insecurity created by the recession than food bank use. The recession caused a record spike in food bank use, which rose 18% between 2008 and 2009. Following the recession, food bank use increased another 9%, reaching a record high of 867,948 people in March 2010. Between 2008 and 2010, food bank use increased 28%.1 (See Chart One for Food Bank Users in Canada.) Read more »

1. 1. Unless otherwise noted, data comes from Food Banks Canada, Hunger Count 2010, 2010, http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/documents/HungerCount2010_web.pdf.

We know that the recession significantly increased Canada’s poverty levels. But do Canada’s poor now risk being permanently left behind? In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore the economic indicators, updating the research in CPJ’s 2010 report on the recession, Bearing the Brunt. Check back over the next few weeks for new blog posts on each indicator!

As Canadians struggle with unemployment, inadequate Employment Insurance and social assistance, and involuntary part-time or precarious work, it is no wonder that more Canadians are struggling with debt. The low interest rates of the Bank of Canada throughout the recession and following have also contributed to growth in consumer credit that the Bank warns may be unsustainable once interest rates inevitably rise. Read more »

We know that the recession significantly increased Canada’s poverty levels. But do Canada’s poor now risk being permanently left behind? In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore the economic indicators, updating the research in CPJ’s 2010 report on the recession, Bearing the Brunt. Check back over the next few weeks for new blog posts on each indicator!

During the recession, inflation was very low (in fact there were some fears of deflation), with an average inflation rate of 0.3% in 2009. However, food prices rose by more than the rate of inflation and more than the rise in average income, making food more expensive relative to income. Read more »

We know that the recession significantly increased Canada’s poverty levels. But do Canada’s poor now risk being permanently left behind? In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore the economic indicators, updating the research in CPJ’s 2010 report on the recession, Bearing the Brunt. Check back over the next few weeks for new blog posts on each indicator!

Social assistance or welfare is the bottom layer of the Canadian social safety net, intended to catch those who have no other source of income or means of livelihood. It is, however, in most cases a poverty income. Most provinces also require recipients to divest themselves of savings and assets, and all provinces maintain limits on savings for as long as a person receives assistance. It is therefore very difficult for recipients of social assistance to make their way out of poverty. Read more »

We know that the recession significantly increased Canada’s poverty levels. But do Canada’s poor now risk being permanently left behind? In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore the economic indicators, updating the research in CPJ’s 2010 report on the recession, Bearing the Brunt. Check back over the next few weeks for new blog posts on each indicator!

When someone loses their job, they need an alternative source of income. Employment Insurance is supposed to be that program for Canadians. Unfortunately, as CPJ’s report Bearing the Brunt showed, EI was totally inadequate in responding to the recession in 2008-2009 – at the recession’s peak, only half of all unemployed Canadians were receiving EI benefits. Since then, things haven’t gotten much better. Read more »

When I was expecting my daughter, I was asked on more than one occasion if I had put my name on a list for childcare yet. Here in Ottawa, the waiting lists for some childcare centres can be more than a year – requiring parents who need childcare to signup before their child is even born. Parents who can’t afford the fees (which for young children can outstrip university tuition!) can wait even longer for a subsidized childcare space.

Meanwhile, just across the river in Gatineau, all parents have access to $7 a day childcare. Approximately 50% of children under 5 receive this care, which can take place in many different settings from home-based care to a regulated daycare centre. While other Canadians gaze jealously in the direction of Quebec, the argument is often made that a government-funded childcare program is expensive and unwieldy and doesn’t facilitate “true choice.” Read more »

With the Conservatives winning a majority government by virtue of 6,102 votes and only 39.6% of votes cast, talk of electoral reform is surfacing once again. In fact, rallies were held across the country on May 14 calling for electoral reform and some form of proportional representation in Canada.

Meanwhile, a referendum in the United Kingdom – a key component of the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal-Democrats – saw Alternative Vote go down to defeat on May 5 with 68% of voters opting in favour of first-past-the-post (FPTP). Read more »