Ending Poverty in Ontario

Community Project Profiles continued

Sault Ste Marie:

Although there are numerous community groups working on poverty issues in Sault Ste Marie none of them include low income people.  This is one of the reasons why this project really took off in this community and why we had such strong interest in the initial workshop with 54 people in attendance.  A new group called the “Voices of Action Against Poverty”, supported by our partner the Algoma Community Legal Clinic, was formed as a direct result of our June 2008 workshop.   The group has been growing in creative and effective ways since then.  They have a Steering Committee which meets monthly, have held a ‘visioning session’ facilitated by a local teacher from Algoma University, and have held numerous public events to raise the profile of poverty issues and solutions.  Their website is http://voaap.col.ca/.

Following their formation in summer 2008, Voices of Action Against Poverty presented the report from their workshop to local MPP David Orazietti (who was also a member of the government’s now disbanded Poverty Reduction Cabinet Committee).  In December ’08 they partnered with the local Labour Council and the Soup Kitchen to hold a community meeting at which our report “Solutions Start with Us” (summarizing findings from all the workshops) was launched, with media and local federal and municipal politicians present. The event was covered in the local SooNews.

Through this project and support from ISAC/Campaign 2000, Voices of Action Against Poverty has become actively connected to province wide poverty initiatives.  They are focusing on housing and social assistance issues.

Members of the group participated actively in province-wide strategizing meetings in Toronto organized by the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction. We linked them into work with the Housing Network of Ontario to prepare for public consultations with Minister Watson to develop Ontario’s Long Term Affordable Housing Strategy.  The first of 13 ministry meetings was held in the Soo on June 16 with members of the Voices group among the 75 participants.  The group subsequently made a submission to the housing consultations.

Then on June 25, 2009 they organized a forum which included the “Do the Math” exercise, a release of  “Stories from Soup Kitchen” booklet, and a performance of the play “In My Shoes” written and performed by group members. Dana Milne (ISAC) gave a presentation on social assistance issues, and the forum was covered in the local paper with a link to the “Do the Math” website.

During Poverty Awareness week (Oct 17/09) Voices held a display in the local shopping mall on poverty issues which included: the  ‘paper house made of housing reports’ display from Social Planning Toronto, distributing copies of their reports and wearing Voices T Shirts. The event got local media coverage and lots of community attention.   Next steps include: meeting with their MPP to “Do the Math” exercise with him; following through on their visioning exercise to focus on 1-2 issues; and securing funding to support their ongoing work.  

Owen Sound

Local partner the Grey-Bruce Community Legal Clinic followed up with participants from our May 2008 Owen Sound workshop and invited them to join a new Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee. This group then got actively involved in the government consultations on Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy by attending the nearby Kincardine meeting with MPPs Carol Mitchell and Deb Matthews.  When their own MPP refused to hold a local consultation, the group partnered with the local Labour Council and United Way to organize a community consultation in Owen Sound July 29 with media coverage. 

Their momentum continued with a “Stone Soup” rally and march in Owen Sound on October 17th, and a Poverty Forum organized with the local Children’s Alliance on November 27th.  The group partnered with the Grey Bruce Coalition for Peace & Justice to hold a second Poverty Forum on February 24, 2009 at which our project report, “Solutions Start with Us”, was publicly released with coverage in local media.

Since then the group has been focusing on housing issues in particular.  Using a workshop format developed and facilitated by Jacquie Maund (Campaign 2000), the Legal Clinic held a workshop on June 25, ’09 with low income people to get views on housing. A broader coalition was then developed, the “Grey Bruce Affordable Housing Coalition” with low income people, agencies & housing providers.

Unable to convince their local MPP to hold a consultation to give input to Ontario’s Long Term Affordable Housing Strategy, this coalition organized their own Oct 14 Owen Sound housing consultation and submitted a report to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. This was encouraged and supported by Campaign 2000 staff person Jacquie Maund who persuaded a representative from the Housing Minister’s office to attend.

On November 27 the coalition held a forum to learn about successful housing initiatives from other communities, with funding secured from CHHC. Low income people participated in both meetings.   The group is actively linked to the Housing Network of Ontario and 4 reps attended a provincial meeting on Nov 30 in Toronto. Next steps include a meeting with nearby MPP Carol Mitchell who sits on the Results Committee of the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy, and their MPs.

Thunder Bay

Our project began with a community forum in May 2008 on the government’s plans for developing a Poverty Reduction Strategy. Dana Milne from ISAC spoke at the forum.  This was followed the next day by our workshop with about 20 low income people attending.  Our work with local partner the Lakehead Social Planning Council has focused on encouraging more low-income people to become involved in the Thunder Bay Economic Justice Committee (TBEJC), an existing group of low income activists

They became re-energized by the provincial housing consultations in summer 2009.  They organized a September 17 ‘Housing, Food & Gabfest’ meeting of 40 low income people to prepare for the September 30 housing consultation with Minister Watson.  Our colleague at the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Yutaka Dirks, attended and then offered a media training workshop the following day for TBEJC members. As a result 20 TBEJC members attended the Housing consultation, put out a press release & got media coverage in print and radio with quotes from TBEJC members.  5 members attended the Housing Network of Ontario November 30 Leadership Forum in Toronto and shared information on northern housing issues.

They have done other outreach activity through the fall and new active members have joined.  For example, they organized “Feed the Poor” day on October 17, 2009 outside the homeless shelter with grocery store donations and 300 attending. They made a ‘Thunder Bay Glimpses” video on poverty now on YouTube, and are planning a neighbourhood clean up day in spring.

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