Close to 50 people attended the Forum on Poverty that was held October 21 at North Toronto Memorial Community Centre. After the Moderator, Michael Muller, a former Director on the P.O.I.N.T. (People and Organizations In North Toronto) Board, welcomed those present Charm Darby, from the P.O.I.N.T. Board and Christine Mounsteven, Chair, CPC Board, made opening remarks. . The first speaker, Tatum Wilson, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Minister for Ontario's Poverty Reduction Plan, assured the audience that the Committee's work was moving forward and the plan would be presented by the end of the year. The energy and mobilization have been good. There have been over 6000 submissions and 14 Committee Round Table meetings plus consultations with local groups including people experiencing poverty. MPPs also held more than 75 community meetings. The Committee is now collecting and analyzing the reports. What has been found out so far is that communities have the capacity when they have the tools; government rules are not always useful; and that stigmatization is important. Mr. Wilson felt the shift in understanding of the poverty issue by those involved has been impressive.

Joe Mihevc, Councillor for the City of Toronto, traced the public acceptance of poverty. In the 1970s and 1980s people were their brothers' keepers. In the 1990s people began to think each person was responsible for him/herself. Today 175,000 people are relying on food banks monthly. There are 90,000 units of affordable housing and 60,000 on the wait list in Toronto.

Politicians are trying to think differently than they have since the 1990s and the public is starting to care about each other again. He admitted that with the current recession beginning it is difficult to put forth arguments to support the "25 in 5 Campaign" (reduce poverty 25 percent in five years).

Susan MacDonnell, Director of Research for the United Way of Toronto, spoke about a United Way 2007 research publication Losing Ground : Persistent Growth of Family Poverty in Canada's Largest City which updates a report issued 15 years earlier. Results of the study show that the median income in Toronto has fallen behind other large and mid-sized urban regions in Canada. Further, the median income of lone-parent families continues a downward spiral and a large gap has opened up between median income for two-parent families in Toronto and their counterparts in other areas. Family poverty in Toronto continues to grow and the gap continues to widen compared to the rest of the province and the country. Warning signs are increases in insolvency rates, applications for evictions for non-payment of rent, debt management caseloads, payday loan and cheque cashing outlets. Recommendations from the Report were that the government develop a poverty reduction strategy with clearly stated targets and timelines.

Pat Capponi spoke about Voices from the Street. There are many ways into poverty, she said, and few ways out. Agencies haven't solved the problem - they don't seem to have much faith in people themselves or their ideas and dreams. People began to feel punished if they spoke out. The government was told by Voices from the Street members that agencies shouldn't just keep busy but should actually do things for people including listening to them. The problem can't be solved by just giving funds to agencies, social enterprise should be tried.

Naomi Berlyne explained how the campaign "Take Our Seniors off Welfare" developed. Poorest people were the 60 to 64 year olds who couldn't find work because of their age. The only resource open to them was welfare. Before 1988, the 60 to 64 age group could get ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) which is $999 per month. This was eliminated by the Conservative government in 1998 and then they could only get Ontario Works i.e. welfare, which is $560 per month. The aim of the campaign is to return to the pre-1998 arrangement.

Michael Kerr from the Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change Network said that as poverty increased, it was realized that visible minorities were a high percentage and this fact needed to be made known. There is a tendency to include them with immigrants but half are born in Canada. From 1980 to 2000, poverty amongst Caucasian people decreased but among visible minorities it increased 301 percent. The Network has 13 points in its shared framework for action which are on its website, www.colourofpoverty.ca. The first and most important of these is that the government departments should all measure data the same.

Roy Horton from the Salvation Army North Toronto Citadel Lunch Program, said the Program has existed since April 1993. In 2004 it provided 3500 lunches per year and so far in 2008 it has provided 7000. Transients are a small percentage of the clients, seniors are 35 percent and the rest are people with disabilities. Mr. Horton feels that part of the solution is to teach people how to handle the money they have.

Dennis Bruce thought the Out of the Cold Program at Blythwood Baptist Church would be a band-aid solution but now it seems to be permanent - it is in its 14th season. There is usually 120 to 130 for supper and about half of these stay overnight and have breakfast. Workers at the program have learnt not to judge but to accept people as they are. Mental illness is a factor for about 30 percent but there isn't professional help available. Drugs and alcohol are also an issue.

There have been fights and now there are security guards but there are also moments of joy and laughter and a community spirit.

Michael Shapcott, Director of Community Engagement, The Wellesley Institute, spoke about an OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) report just released. It shows that Canada spends less on cash benefits than other countries do. Canada is generating jobs but not good jobs. If people fall into poverty, they stay longer than in other OECD countries and the rich are richer than the rich of other OECD countries. And this, pointed out Mr. Shapcott, is when the economy is good. Mr. Shapcott continued that recommendations to the "25 in 5 Campaign" are: health equity; affordable housing; strong healthy third sector i.e. agencies, volunteers, faith groups. The third sector, he noted, contribute four times as much to the economy as manufacturers do.

During the question and answer period the following points were made: poverty costs society money; the economy is becoming an end in itself (i.e. goods) rather than helping people; there is a movement from moral imperative to economic imperative but the economic community is starting to step up; if every Canadian showed concern about poverty, the politicians would listen - the majority of Canadians care, they must vote for their values; charity work has to be linked to justice.

Youth is a gift of nature, but age is a work of art.