A Toronto-based school food program is proving successful in raising academic scores and improving behavior for the students it serves. “Feeding Our Future,” was started after a Toronto student was shot by a fellow student. Some administrators and nutrition experts argued that “hungry kid was an angry kid.” By providing the basics – a meal every morning, administrators and teachers are seeing some dramatic changes. Though the Toronto School Board has done preliminary research through student surveys, more research is needed so that programs like “Feeding Our Future” will have the numbers to prove their success and receive the long-term, stable funding they deserve. Read more in the Globe and Mail.
Centre for Civic Governance
The Centre for Civic Governance works to support community leadership meeting today’s social and environmental challenges: climate change, Canada’s increasing equity gap, and shifting social trends. At the Centre for Civic Governance, our goal is to strengthen Canadian communities through sharing best practices, providing tools for locally elected leaders, and progressive policy analysis. We strive to provide knowledge and information to make real and positive social change.
Where Toronto went wrong
An article in the Walrus talks about the financial decline of Canada’s economic hub. Though Toronto remains a vibrant, diverse and exciting place to live, poor economic and structural decision making have left the city with a crumbling infrastructure, service cuts, and traffic congestion that is creating frustration for everyone. With the current Mayor’s decision to cut several tax-based sources of revenue and to instead further slash programs and infrastructure the solutions to the City’s woes are nowhere in sight. Read “How Toronto Lost Its Groove” here.
BC municipal leaders show strong support for keeping water public
}At the Union of BC Municipalities conference, municipal leaders passed the Blue Communities resolution, “the resolution asks for the federal government to provide funding for public water infrastructure and delivery projects and “unhook” funding for water infrastructure and maintenance projects from public-private partnerships (P3s).” Most BC municipalities have publicly owned water facilities and leaders want to make sure that continues, to be recognized as a “Blue Community, ” a municipality “must recognize water as a human right. Secondly, ban the sales of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events. And lastly, commit to promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and wastewater services.” Read more at CUPE.
French River Ontario passes CETA resolution.
French River, also known as Rivière-des-Français passed a resolution on September 21st to negotiate an exemption for municipalities from the CETA trade agreement. The municipality is concerned that the agreement will disrupt the flow of social services, local jobs, local procurement policies and control over waste and water facilities. The council was motivated to closely examine the trade agreement after a local area resident brought the issue to mayor and council.
To date, 14 municipal resolutions have been passed — Lunenberg (Nova
Scotia), Brantford, Alnwick/Haldimand, Trent Hills, Asphodel-Norwood,
Tecumseh, Windsor-Essex, Brockville, London, French River (Ontario),
Logan Lake, Burnaby, North Vancouver, and Trail (British Columbia).
Read more about CETA resolutions at Council of Canadians.
ICLEI Canada offers assistance to municipalities developing climate change adaptation plans
ICLEI Canada Adaptation Initiative is offering a unique program to municipalities addressing climate change and adaptation. ” Participants have access to exclusive webshops, each focusing on specific areas of a milestone; in-person workshops; networking opportunities with other participants and experts in the field of adaptation; and ongoing technical support from ICLEI Canada Staff.” The Initiative will run from January 2012-December 2013. You can download a copy of the Adaptation Initiative Brochure.
For more information or to become a participant contact Ewa Jackson at ewa.jackson@iclei.org.
Read more at ICLEI Canada
Voting for on-reserve First Nations in Saskatchewan will be easier with new rules
Many on-reserve First Nations don’t have government issued id which has made voting difficult or impossible in the past. Saskatchewan’s chief electoral officer is changing the rules in time for the upcoming election allowing people to vote if they have a witness on hand to vouch for their identity. Read more at the CBC.
High youth unemployment, climbing obesity rates, and a population in debt- the new Canadian Vital Signs Report
The new Vital Signs report is out and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Although Canada’s youth unemployment hasn’t reached the same crisis levels as some European countries, it is still high at 16%. The NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) phenomena could potentially manifest serious social unrest and economic problems if not addressed quickly. The same report shows that obesity rates are climbing due to increased sedentary jobs, and time shortages. The report also shows that consumer debt is on the rise, likely a result of the huge layoffs that have taken place during the recession. Find out more at Vital Signs.
Vancouver’s poverty rate is the highest in Canada
Income inequality is on the rise across the country, but Vancouver, viewed by many as Canada’s most livable city, holds the title of being the “Poverty Capital of Canada.”BC has the lowest income rates and the highest child poverty rates in all of Canada. This combined with a crisis in affordable housing means that Vancouver is a challenging, stressful place to live for many of its citizens. An excellent article in Crosscut, discusses inequality and the affect on society as a whole. According to studies by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett of Equalitytrust, there is no correlation between increased average income and social well-being, whereas there is a strong relationship between levels of inequality and social well-being. Read article in Crosscut.
Supreme Court rules safe injection site can stay open
A unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court should put an end to the Harper Government’s attempts to shut down Vancouver’s safe injection site, Insite. The Supreme Court ruled that safe injection sites receive an exemption from federal drug laws because they are proven to save lives.
“Insite saves lives. Its benefits have been proven. There has been no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada during its eight years of operation,” – Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
The ruling will make it easier for other cities to now open their own safe injection sites. Read more at the CBC.
Increased earthquake activity linked to hydrofracking
Hyrdofracking, the process of extracting natural gas from shale deposits involves injecting a pressurized mix of water and other substances into the rock to release trapped natural gas. In BC’s Horn River area, where there is intensive hydrofracking a noticeable jump in seismic activity has been noted. Over 30 earthquakes have occurred since 2009 when the hydrofracking was first introduced. Several jurisdictions throughout North America have either banned hydrofracking or placed a moratorium on the procedure due to concerns abut water safety, the link to seismic activity is a new one that warrants further investigation. Read more at CBC.
Community Energy Association announces release of “Funding Your Community Energy and Climate Change Initiatives”- a guide for local governments
The Community Energy Association’s latest funding guide for climate change initiatives provides a comprehensive list of programs and grants that offer financial incentives for climate change initiatives. The guide also provides tools and resources for accessing up-to-date information on energy planning. Download the 2011 release of Funding Your Community Energy and Climate Change Initiatives here.
New CCPA report makes recommendations to help reduce “energy poverty”
The CCPA’s report “Fighting Energy Poverty in the Transition to Zero-Emission Housing,” examines the impacts increased energy costs are having on low income households. The term “energy poverty” is used to describe households who are not able to meet their basic energy needs due to rate increases. The report’s recommendations include: keeping a two-tier system in billing, with rate increasing affecting only those with larger incomes, targeting older housing stock and multi-unit dwellings for retrofits, and investing in green jobs training. Read Marc Lee’s op-ed in the Vancouver Sun.
Download Fighting Energy Poverty in the Transition to Zero-Emission Housing here.