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Opinion: Poverty, power and the skyrocketing cost of utilities

When Mary (not her real name) opened her February utility bill, she was shocked. What was normally less than $200 had risen to over $600. A single mom and careful budgeter, Mary was used to making tough choices around where her money went each month. But this meant that even tougher choices were in front of her ...

Read our Editorial in the Calgary Herald on the growing issue of Energy Poverty in Alberta. An initiative of the Energy Poverty Roundtable.

Break the Bias

March 8, 2022 is International Women’s Day, and it is themed #breakthebias! International Women’s Day is set aside each year to draw attention to women’s challenges in both the private and public domain, take stock of the progress achieved and reflect on the work still to be done. Read the reflection by CPI Senior Researcher Dr. Rita Yembilah on the connection between gender and poverty. Read here.

Building Forward: Charting a Path to Resilience

A reflection on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Every year on October 17th, the United Nations encourages the world to pause and reflect on the ongoing reality of poverty across the globe. This year, the theme for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is “Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet”.

Read more: www.povertyinstitute.ca/buildingforward

Fall 2021 Edition of Spero

The Fall 2021 issue of Spero, the newsletter of the Canadian Poverty Institute, is now available. In this issue read about:

·       Towards Climate Justice: Assessing the Risks to Marginalized Communities

·       Building Cultural Capital for Anti-Racism Among Racialized Youth

·       “Back to Normal”: Understanding the Impact of Covid19 on Newly Vulnerable Households

·       The latest publications, resources and events from the CPI

Spero is available for download here.

SACKCLOTH AND ASHES AND CANADA DAY: ON SPIRITUAL POVERTY AND GENOCIDE

A Reflection from our Director.

The discovery over the past few weeks of mass burials of indigenous children in unmarked graves at Residential Schools demands a response. Yet, what response can there possibly be? As a settler, I have personally struggled to come up with anything meaningful to say in the aftermath. Apologies are hollow. Rage seems insufficient. Words fail. But silence too is unacceptable … Read

We Want Your Input

The Canadian Poverty Institute is renewing its strategic plan to chart a path for the next five years. In order to plan where we need to go, we are also looking back at where we have been and what we have accomplished. To help us steer in the right direction, we’re seeking your input on the work of the Institute and your ideas for our goals and priorities for the coming years. Help shape the future direction of the Poverty Institute by completing our short survey. Thanks for joining our shared mission to heal poverty in Canada.

The Risk and Depth of Poverty in Calgary

Using 2016 custom Census data, this new report provides a profile of households in Calgary with incomes just above the poverty line, as compared with those just below and those far below the poverty line. The report highlights that in addition to the 133,000 people living in poverty, a further 77,000 (6%) had incomes only marginally above the poverty line and thus at risk of falling into poverty. Similar to those in poverty, those with incomes marginally above the poverty line included seniors, persons living alone, immigrants, visible minority and indigenous persons. This group of people was also strongly attached to the labour force, predominantly employed in low-wage industries and occupations. This report was produced in collaboration with Vibrant Communities Calgary. Download the Full Report.