Canadian Poverty Institute - Accomplishments 2022

As we begin 2023 it is a good time to look back and reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. For the Canadian Poverty Institute, 2022 was a year of tremendous activity as we continued to pursue our mission “to advance the eradication of poverty in Canada through research, teaching and action that promotes systems change.” Here are some highlights of our work in these three areas.

Research

In 2020, a massive hailstorm devastated a swath of northeast Calgary. Several years later, these neighbourhoods are still struggling to recover. At the request of the community, the Canadian Poverty Institute conducted a community-based research initiative to document the social impact of the storm and provide recommendations for building resilience against future disasters. The final report of this study was released in June on the 2nd anniversary of the storm.

Food insecurity remains a critical issue for many Calgarians. During the pandemic, Calgary’s emergency food assistance system was stretched to meet the heightened demand. Working in collaboration with Vibrant Communities Calgary, the Canadian Poverty Institute completed a review of the emergency food system and how it responded to the crisis with recommendations for improving the effectiveness of that system. Our 2022 report provided an update of the original study conducted in 2021.

In 2022, income and poverty data from the 2021 Census was released, showing an important decline in poverty compared to the previous Census in 2016. In partnership with Vibrant Communities Calgary, the Canadian Poverty Institute undertook a qualitative study to understand the state of community well-being in the city. To provide a deeper picture behind the numbers, interviews were conducted with people offering a diversity of perspectives. This research will provide an important narrative to the forthcoming Community Well-being Report to be released by Vibrant Communities Calgary in 2023.

Covid19 proved a significant test of the resilience of our communities. In response, the Canadian Poverty Institute has been active in documenting the impact of Covid19, particularly on those who are marginalized or vulnerable. Dr. Jim Cresswell has been leading a pan-Canadian study on the impact of Covid on those who became newly vulnerable as a result of the pandemic. With funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), this project produced a series of findings presented in videos and reports. As well, the Canadian Poverty Institute completed a literature review of the impacts of Covid19 on equity deserving communities in the city on behalf of the United Way of Calgary and Area.

Historically, the Christian church has been at the forefront of efforts to ameliorate and reduce poverty. Over the past century, this role has been challenged and redefined with the rise of the secular welfare state. Understanding the current role of the church in poverty reduction work is important for effective ongoing engagement of the church in this issue in partnership with the state and civil society. With funding from the Canadian Council of Churches, Dr. Jim Cresswell has been leading this research over the past year.

An important aspect of poverty reduction work is connecting knowledge to action. In order to facilitate that connection, the Canadian Poverty Institute collaborated with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness at York University to develop the Canadian Poverty Hub. A companion to the popular Homeless Hub, the Poverty Hub is an online compendium of research and resources available to policy makers, practitioners, researchers and students. In 2022, a significant redesign of the site was initiated, with a launch of the redesigned site scheduled for the Spring of 2023. The Poverty Hub was also pleased to partner with the Ontario Local Poverty Reduction Fund to provide a digital home for the program evaluations carried out on LPRF funded projects over the past five years.

Teaching

A core mandate of the Canadian Poverty Institute is to raise awareness and understanding of the issue of poverty, it’s causes and impacts. During 2022, the CPI provided a variety of formal and informal learning opportunities for students and the community at large. As part of the Poverty Studies curriculum at Ambrose University, the course Poverty in Western Society (PV501) was taught for the first time. Institute staff also presented as guest lecturers in a variety of courses across disciplines at Ambrose University, as well as at Mascwesis Cultural College.

In addition to academic instruction, the Canadian Poverty Institute also organized and led a variety of public workshops and activities designed to raise awareness about poverty. In March, the CPI collaborated with the Women in Need Society to host an event marking International Women’s Day. The event “Break the Bias” provided an opportunity for people to hear and learn from women about the inter-relationship between gender and poverty.

In March, our Senior Researcher, Dr. Rita Yembilah, at the invitation of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) joined a panel of experts to discuss the UN Sustainable Development Goals within the context of the Indigenous communities' development in Canada. The theme for that SDG Forum was "Defining a First Nations Pathway to the Sustainable Development Goals."  Contributing to the theme "The Role of the SDGs in Advancing First Nations Health and Social Development" Dr. Yembilah argued for First Nations engagement with the SDGs from a Human Rights perspective as well as making a case for the adaptation of the SDGs to First Nations needs as opposed to their adoption for use.   

In June, the Canadian Poverty Institute hosted an online webinar “Decent Work and the Labour Crunch: Attracting and Retaining Great Employees.” The event featured Ottawa restauranteur Devinder Chaudry who is a committed living wage employer, along with Dr. Anna Barford from Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, who spoke about the business benefits of decent work.

In September, CPI Director Derek Cook addressed the Ozanam Conference at St. Mary’s University, speaking about the Language of Hunger. Finally, as part of the annual Ambrose University Deeper Life Conference, a group of Ambrose students and staff participated in a Poverty Walk led by the Canadian Poverty Institute, to gain a first-hand perspective of the reality of poverty in Calgary.

Action

Connecting knowledge to practice is a critical aspect of the work of the Canadian Poverty Institute. Our mission is to do this in a way that creates systems change to address the root causes of poverty. Throughout 2022, the Canadian Poverty Institute provided consultancy and convened stakeholders to advance important systems change in critical areas. This included developing an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) framework for Vibrant Communities Calgary to guide the ongoing implementation of Calgary’s Enough for All poverty reduction strategy. The Canadian Poverty Institute also provided strategic advise to the Calgary Local Immigration Partnership on the development of their 3 year strategic plan. The CPI also continued its evaluation work with the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, conducting an ongoing evaluation of its Youth Resiliency Project in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

In June, the Canadian Poverty Institute was invited to speak at a gathering of the members of the Alberta Knowledge Mobilization Network, organized by the University of Calgary to shed light on the role of Knowledge Mobilization in anti-poverty interventions. Our Senior. Researcher presented on the recently concluded research on the impact of the massive 2020 hailstorm on low-income communities in Calgary, presenting findings that expose the elevated vulnerability of low-income households in terms of access to insurance, inequitable environmental and design justice, as well as with the management of risk for households in at risk areas. 

Connecting knowledge to practice also involved convening several standing Roundtables that bring together key public, private and non-profit stakeholders to address particular issues. In 2022, the CPI convened and supported the following Roundtables:

  • New Economy Roundtable – This roundtable brings together public, private and non-profit employers in the Greater Toronto Area to share knowledge and experiences and reduce barriers to decent work in Ontario. In 2022, this Roundtable produced a series of reports as well as hosting the Decent Work and the Labour Crunch webinar.

  • Energy Poverty Roundtable – This roundtable brings together utility companies, government and non-profit stakeholders to address the burden of high utility costs on low-income households. In 2022, this Roundtable worked to raise the issue of energy poverty with government and the general public. With funding from The City of Calgary, this roundtable also launched an initiative in partnership with the Calgary Housing Company to provide energy efficiency workshops and supplies to low-income CHC tenants to reduce their energy costs.

  • Fair Access to Insurance Roundtable (FAIR) – Launched in 2022, this roundtable brings together stakeholders from the insurance industry, academia, the non-profit sector and persons with lived experience to address barriers to insurance for low-income households. The most significant output from this group in 2022 was the development of an inclusive insurance strategy framework.

The Canadian Poverty Institute also participated in a variety of public consultations and provided submissions to key government policies. This included participating in a consultation on the reform of Canada’s labour code by Employment and Social Development Canada, as well as providing a submission to the Federal Sustainability Strategy. In addition, the CPI participated in national consultations with Food Banks Canada and Coast Capital Savings. As well, the Canadian Poverty Institute continued to participate on the Commission on Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches. Finally, the Canadian Poverty Institute continued to provide support to Poverty Talks, a Calgary based advocacy group for persons with a lived experience of poverty.

Publications

Gratitude

The Canadian Poverty Institute gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the many people and organizations that make our work possible. In addition to Ambrose University, these include:

Our Funders

  • Anonymous Donors

  • City of Calgary

  • Co-operators Insurance Company

  • Duke of Edinburgh International Award

  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

  • United Way of Calgary and Area

  • Vibrant Communities Calgary

If you would like to contribute to the work of the Canadian Poverty Institute, donations may directed here.

Our Team

The work of the Canadian Poverty Institute is the combined efforts of a dedicated team which included in 2022 the following:

Staff Team

·       Derek Cook – Director

·       Dr. Rita Yembilah – Senior Researcher and Evaluator

·       Laura Nauta – Researcher and Project Manager

·       Dorothy Chacinski – Research Assistant

·       Rita Diaz – Research Assistant

·       Susan Gwynn – Community Research Assistant

·       Annie Gee – BSW Practicum Student, Dalhousie University

·       Romit Panesar – BSW Practicum Student, University of Calgary

 Faculty Associates

·       Dr. Monetta Bailey – Associate Professor, Sociology, Ambrose University

·       Dr. Jim Cresswell – Professor, Psychology, Ambrose University

·       Dr. Rodrigo Dal Ben – Associate Professor, Psychology, Ambrose University

·       Dr. Alex Sanderson - Associate Professor, Psychology, Ambrose University

·       Dr. Beth Stovell - Chair, General Theological Studies, Ambrose Seminary; Professor of Old Testament

·       Dr. Colin Toffelmire - Chair, School of Ministry; Associate Professor of Old Testament