The following was presented at the Annual General Meeting of CPC (Ontario Division) on April 20, 2009.

Peter Oliver, then a history professor at York, drew attention specifically to the social environment in 1969 when Canadian Pensioners Concerned (CPC) came into being. He described it as a year of both political turbulence and achievement. Social movements of protest emerged, such as farm interests and organized labour. Ordinary citizens screamed about the high costs of benefits and administration in our tax system. Along with these, program cut-backs had negative effects on our civil service at the time.

CPC initially interested in pension issues, emerged, as did a number of organizations of concerned citizens, all strongly supported by volunteer members. This is not to say that the NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations) did not compete with each other, which may have led to government strategies to divide and conquer, or else to ignore them. Nonetheless it was hardly surprising, given the social welfare history briefly referred to, that CPC should be created to advocate measures in the public realm that contribute to fairness, equity CPC initially interested in pension issues, emerged, as did a number of organizations of concerned citizens, all strongly supported by volunteer members. This is not to say that the NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations) did not compete with each other, which may have led to government strategies to divide and conquer, or else to ignore them. Nonetheless it was hardly surprising, given the social welfare history briefly referred to, that CPC should be created to advocate measures in the public realm that contribute to fairness, equity The Family Allowances program was converted to a tax credit system.

With the approach of the 1980s had come a recognition that social assistance, for example provincial Mothers Allowances, later Family Benefits, fell short by not promoting work incentives rather than welfare assistance. The creation of WIN (Work Incentives) in Ontario in 1979 resulted from this thinking and represented a major shift in our view of the welfare state - from welfare to work. Among the contributing factors in this transformation two can be identified: the first is the increasingly sharp influence of globalization as seen in free trade movements, international commerce, labour force shifts and the growing influence of corporations on central government. The 1980s became increasingly stressful for voluntary bodies like the CPC: federal benefits were down-loaded to the provinces, for example, through cutting the federal share of the Canada Assistance Plan. Ontario was forced to download whatever it could to municipalities. Over the years, government benefit systems were increasingly manipulated, and in the 1990s income benefits were slashed in favour of the national deficit. Along with those actions we well remember the devastating funding cuts in Ontario's social security and other social ser-vices in 1995. Voluntary bodies like ours have struggled hard against the tide in their work of advocacy.

From another perspective, Graham Riches argued that the collapse of the social safety net beginning in the 1980s and in particular the inadequacy of social assistance benefits was largely responsible for the rapid creation of food banks across Canada. Viewed another way, the successful expansion of food banks in the past 30 years has enabled our governments to cut back social assistance income benefits or not to award beneficiaries well-deserved cost - of - living increases. Experience indicates the conclusion is not far-fetched. In the present world financial crisis, however, the loss of public financial resources today has led to a serious decline in the funding of food banks so they cannot adequately meet nec-essary and rising requests for aid.

In view of its stated function, it comes as no surprise that over the years CPC has presented briefs at legislative hearings and taken part in many forums and conferences. Some of these drew attention to deficiencies and inequities in government social spending or administration; some were intended to present new initiatives and ideas.

• 2001, Submission to Ontario Human Rights Commission, Accessible Transit Services in Ontario.
• 1998, 2005, Position Statement on Privatization in Health Care.
• 2006, Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy, Bill 36, The Local Health System Integration Act.
• 2006, Seniors Socio-Economic Inequalities. Part of The Peoples Report, 2006, to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, Social and Cultural Rights
• 2006, Brief to the Standing Committee on Social Policy: Bill 102, An Act to Amend the Drug Interchangeability and Dispensing Fee Act and the Drug Benefit Act.
• 2007, Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy: Bill 140 An Act respecting Long Term Care Homes.
• 2007, Presentation to the Ontario Seniors Secretariat, Consultation on Regulating the Retirement Industry.
• 2008, Response to the Law Commission of Ontario Consultation, The Law as it Affects Older Adults: Shaping the Project.
• 2008, Submission to the Senate Special Committee on Aging; Second Interim Report: Issues and Options for an Aging Population.
• 2008, Position Statement on a Working Strategy to End Poverty in Canada
• 2009, Commentary on the Status Report on the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy: A Prescription Unfulfilled, by the Health Council of Canada, January 2009.

Important research and publication projects carried out include the following:
• 1982, The Directory: Programs for Senior Citizens across Canada
• 1977-1987, Older Persons and the Law (booklet). Several editions produced in collaboration with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE)
• 1987, It Works for Us: A Guide to Healthful Eating for Older Adults (booklet)
• 1991, Workshop and resulting pamphlet on elder abuse
• 1994, Aging, The New Frontier; a series of 8 radio programs based on interviews with seniors across Canada
• 1999, International Year of Older Persons. Co-sponsored Workshop on Aging: Barrier or Challenge. Attendance at the 4th Global Conference on Aging in Montreal, contributing to the ensuing Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities for Older Persons
• 2001, International Year of the Volunteer; Member of Steering Committee for the Provincial Seniors Volunteer-IYV Project
• 2004, Together with the National CPC: published Diabetes: A Tool Kit for Seniors Helping Seniors and presented a workshop for seniors on dealing with diabetes
• 2006, Research on Housing and Homelessness in Simcoe County, in collaboration with the Older Women's Network, Ontario Community Support Association, and United Senior Citizens Association and publication of Holding on to Housing.
• 2008 and ongoing: expansion of housing research into a network that includes Simcoe County, Haliburton, City of Kawartha, Peterborough,and North Durham.

Today we have an international financial crisis attributed variously: to unfettered free enterprise, to irresponsible management, and to a lack of necessary legislated control. Little has been said in the uproar about the present condition and future prospects of our civil society or social justice, these being basic elements underlying CPC's promotion of safe and healthy communities that we hold so dear. It seems unlikely that we can return to much of the social welfare sys-tem we have known; the present international crisis has shown how imperfect and shaky its foundations have been.

CPC's special contributions on behalf of seniors have been in health, the environment, pensions and issues of poverty, and affordable housing. The presentations that follow in this Annual General Meeting should help us to begin thinking seriously about our future directions in working for social justice. This starts with the promises of local initiative and cooperative action and how best to succeed. Added to their difficult role in crisis management at this time, our senior levels of government do have key roles in inducing change at all levels and providing scarce financial resources. Meanwhile CPC must continue its important work in advocacy. We must strive at all levels with our partners to realize social justice for a caring and compassionate society. This has been its commitment for the past 40 years and it must continue. Innovation too is absolutely essential now in the face of changing needs and retrenchment of many of our social programs. This is now more necessary than ever when what we do in the field can surely foster changes in government policy.

Picture caption: John Argue, recipient of the 2009 Woodsworth Award, cuts the anniversary cake at the AGM. With Mr. Argue are past and present presidents. Left to right: Christine Mountsteven, Sylvia Hall, Barbara Kilbourn, Gerda Kaegi, Don Bellamy.