Poverty or Prosperity: Indigenous Children in Canada

PDF version by David MacDonald and Daniel Wilson As we celebrate National Aboriginal Day this year, we must also take the opportunity to consider the unacceptable conditions so many Canadian Aboriginal people struggle with. This reality is sadly …

Asking the Right Questions about P3s in Winnipeg

PDF version by Elizabeth Blackwood and Lynne Fernandez On Tuesday, June 11th, Winnipeg’s Property and Development Committee reviewed a proposal to buy out the Private Public Partnership (P3) agreement for the South District Police Station. In 2012, the …

Social Impact Bonds

PDF version by John Loxley Introduction Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are a relatively new method of funding and delivering social services. Under this approach the private or social sector finances and delivers services under contract to the public …

Canada-EU Trade Deal Bad for Manitoba

PDF version by Lynne Fernandez and John Jacobs Recent leaks from the negotiations between Canada and EU confirm concerns that a comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) would infringe on Manitoba’s ability to promote economic development and advance …

National Housing Day: Still waiting for a plan

PDF version by Shauna MacKinnon November 22nd is National Housing Day in Canada. Canada is the only country in the G8 that does not have a national housing strategy. There have been many attempts to rectify this in …

Let’s Put the Horse Before the Cart: Why We Need Investment in Social Infrastructure

by Kirsten Bernas and Lynne Fernandez In July, 2012, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba was invited by the federal government to participate, together with other groups representing a variety of industries, in consultations for its …

Random acts of kindness will not solve inequality

PDF version By Lynne Fernandez It’s noteworthy how much media attention Mr. Doubledee’s random act of kindness is receiving. He and Mayor Katz were in New York this Saturday to appear on CBS TV. Doubledee, a Winnipeg Transit …

Is It Time To Repeal Balanced-budget Legislation In Manitoba?

by Errol Black and Shauna MacKinnon In a recent review of income inequality in Manitoba, we compared Manitoba to Canada.  The comparison showed that in 2010 “Manitoba was the most equal province before taxes and the third most …

Manitoba’s NDP: Time to return to its social democratic roots

PDF version by Errol Black and Jim Silver In June 1969, Manitoba elected Canada’s first NDP government and Manitoba’s first social democratic government. The NDP has since become the dominant political party in Manitoba, winning 8 of the …

Closing the Divides – First things first

by Errol Black In early July the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg announced that it was seeking to obtain money to fund a study to determine the feasibility of relocating the C.P.R. yards that geographically currently divides the city. …