Toronto is the biggest city in Canada, and among the half dozen largest cities in North America, but our city is suffering from a lack of investment in social and physical infrastructure (everything from affordable housing to public transit). Toronto Mayor David Miller launched a new web site today that sets out the facts and […]
Archives for 2007
25 in 5 poverty reduction campaign
A group of prominent Ontarians, backed by a network of community organizations (including the Wellesley Institute) has launched the “25-in-5” poverty reduction campaign at the start of Ontario’s provincial election. The goal of this non-partisan campaign is to get all political parties contesting Ontario’s provincial election to make two commitments: First, to adopt a target […]
Colour of Poverty campaign
A new campaign called the Colour of Poverty has been launched to highlight the racialization of poverty in Ontario. Here are some basic facts from the campaign: Racialized students face discrimination in schools. Poverty among racialized groups is growing. Poverty among racialized groups leads to greater risk of poor health. Racialized groups are more likely to […]
Another public holiday for Ontario?
One of the political parties contesting the October 10 election in Ontario has revived the age-old idea of an additional public holiday for the province in February (that rather bleak stretch between New Year and the spring that offers little relief). If adopted, that would bring to eight the number of public holidays in Ontario […]
"A Fair Go for all Australians"
Good health, strong communities, a good life – all these are much more difficult to achieve when there are large inequalities, especially income disparities. “A Fair Go for all Australians” is a comprehensive proposal from the Australian Council of Social Service that offers international comparisons and then sets out ten key categories for action: Fair […]
Medical debt and the U.S. housing collapse
As the U.S. subprime housing market continues its collapse, dragging down not only the broader U.S. economy but also many other economies around the world (including thousands of Ontario autoworkers who have lost their jobs in a recent round of layoffs), pause for a moment to consider the many layers of pain that are being […]
European reports on policy action to address health inequalities
Two recent reports survey policy action on health inequalities in Europe. The first is a summary of the situation in 21 countries, examples of best practices for local interventions and overall conclusions derived from the European Union’s Closing the Gap project. The report stresses that “it is however at the local level where measures to […]
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Alberta government to shut down homeless encampment
The Alberta government announced yesterday (Monday) that it will move to shut down a homeless encampment in Edmonton on September 15. Edmonton, and Alberta, are experiencing among the worst housing conditions anywhere in Canada – ownership and rent costs are sky-high, the supply is inadequate, there is little government support for affordable housing and few […]
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Toronto – not so liveable, says Pembina Institute
Toronto is a great city – but is it liveable? Not according to the Pembina Institute, a sustainable energy think tank that released on Monday a detailed review of 27 Ontario communities. It looks at environmental, social, economic and community sustainability. The report is full of detailed analysis based on key indicators – a well-researched and […]
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Ripped from the Headlines!!! Housing, Homelessness: Issues and Solutions
This presentation by Michael Shapcott (2006) provides an overview of urban health issues in Canada, as well as the international context. Also provides historical information about housing/homelessness in Canada, and statistics about Toronto neighbourhoods. Here is the presentation: Ripped from the Headlines!!! Housing, Homelessness: Issues and Solutions View more documents from WellesleyInstitute.
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