Manitoba Budget a Leap Forward for Poverty Reduction

By Lynne Fernandez and Molly McCracken By substantially raising EIA shelter rates and increasing child care spaces, new apprenticeship programs and support to social enterprises, the province is taking action to provide marginalized people with the assistance low …

A Province with No Poverty

By Shaun Loney The so-called war on poverty has been an abysmal failure.  Poverty rates in Canada remain at stubbornly high levels.  Most provinces, including Manitoba, still have about one in 10 living below acceptable low-income cut-offs. Low-income …

Government responds to calls to increase EIA shelter allowance

By Molly McCracken This past weekend, Theresa Oswald, Minister of Jobs and the Economy, said she agreed with a long-standing anti-poverty goal. “We agree that 75 percent as a target is the right goal”. The provincial government has …

Community Development Manitoba-style

By Molly McCracken For fashion trends the world looks to Milan; Copenhagen has become synonymous with urban planning; but for community development, Manitoba is increasingly the source for inspiration and cutting edge policy. Manitoba’s home-grown approach to community …

Upstream thinking, healthy society and reviving Canadian democracy

By Dr. Ryan Meili Social factors play a significant role in determining whether we will be healthy or ill. Our health care is but one element of what makes the biggest difference in health outcomes. This has been …

“Indians Wear Red”: Aboriginal Street Gangs in Winnipeg

They were kids when they started. Teenagers locked up in the youth detention centre, watching movies about American street gangs. Soon they realized that if they stood up for each other, and worked together, it was easier to …

National Household Survey and Housing in Manitoba

By Josh Brandon Last week, Statistics Canada released data from the third and final instalment of its 2011 National Household Survey (NHS). The new data dealt with housing and income of Canadians. It is still unclear how compatible …

The Two Faces of Government Policy Towards Local Food

By Colin Anderson Download PDF Small farm owners Pam and Clint Cavers were blindsided on August 28, 2013 when Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) staff showed up to “seize and destroy” their locally produced and cured …

Thoughtful, committed citizens make change: Right to Housing

PDF version by Sarah Cooper Affordability of housing has been an important issue in Winnipeg for the last decade or so, with vacancy rates well below three percent and rents rising every year. In recent years, however, there …

Federal Off-loading Hurts Us All

PDF version by Molly McCracken Federal funding cuts will be top of mind at the Premiers’ annual in-person meeting July 25th to 26th in Niagara-on-the-Lake. However it remains to be seen if Premiers will address the off-loading of …