The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) has just released a living wage calculation that includes “basic expenses for a two-earner family with two young children (such as housing, childcare, food and transportation), and government taxes, credits, deductions and subsidies. It finds that each parent would need to work full-time at an hourly wage of $16.74 in Metro Vancouver and $16.39 in Greater Victoria in order to pay for necessities, support the healthy development of their children and participate in the social and civil life of their communities. Currently the minimum wage in BC is $8/hour, a rate that was established in 2001. Read full report here.
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.
Berkely CA May Allow Homeowners to Pay for Solar Energy Sytsems Through Property Taxes
In 2006, Berkley California passed "Measure G,"mandating the city to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. In order to meet this ambitious target the city has adopted several innovative approaches to reducing emissions. Tomorrow council will vote on a plan to allow homeowners to pay for solar energy conversions for their homes through property taxes.One of the advantages to this plan is the city’s ability to offer much lower interest rates than any other financial institution. Read more here.
Campus Report: Disappearing Water Fountains
As more municipalities consider banning bottled water from municipal facilities, Canadian university and college campuses are moving in the opposite direction. A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) titled “Corporate Initiatives on Campus: A Snapshot” reveals that since the implementation of beverage exclusivity contracts with Coke and Pepsi, drinking fountains are on the decline.
Canadians Want More Public Transit
A combination of high gas prices and greater awareness of climate change issues is motivating Canadians to change their commuting habits and leave the car at home. As a result, buses and subways are full to capacity. A recent Angus Reid Poll reveals that 81% of Canadians believe more money from the Federal Gas Tax should be invested in transit. Read more here.
Childcare in BC: Inaccessible and Unaffordable
As children head back to school today, many BC parents are scrambling to make arrangements for their after school care. A lack of funding, space and providers has left many parents with little choice but to be available at 3pm to pick their children up from school. Read more here.
Toronto’s First Pedestrian Scramble
Imagine an intersection where cars in all four directions are stopped and hundreds of people fill the intersection, moving in every direction. This pedestrian free-for-all is now an established and regulated traffic pattern at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas Streets in Toronto. City officials hope this new system will decrease accidents. Read more here.
Geography an Influence on Poverty
Poverty in North America has historically been measured in household income, but in New York City a new determinent is being added, geography. This new measurement accounts for the high cost of living and transportation in the city and will result in more people qualifying for assistance programs. Read more here.
More Companies are Adopting the Four Day Work Week
In an effort to counter soaring gas prices and to keep employees happy, companies across North America are adopting the four day work week. The benefits to this restructuring of hours include more time for employees to be with their families, and less time spent commuting. Read more here.
Toronto’s Waste Reduction Plan
Toronto is currently devising a waste reduction plan that targets more than just plastic bottles. Also on the list are disposable coffee cups, polysyream food containers and plastic bags. The city is considering introducing a combination of measures including, a ban on some forms of packaging, a tax on plastic bags, and the indroducition of deposits on items such as batteries. The city intends to divert 70% of the city’s waste from the landfill by 2010. Read more here.
California on the Verge of Passing Smart Growth Bill
A new bill has been introduced in the California legislature that establishes "Smart Growth" as a key strategy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would require regions throughout the state to adopt a "sustainable community strategy" to encourage compact development. In return, the state would lighten beuracratic red tape and ease up zoning regulations, but the real incentive is access to a $5 billion transportation fund. Read article here.
Foreign Farm Workers Join Union, a First in BC
The BC Labour Relations Board recently made a historic decision allowing foreign workers at Surrey’s Greenway farms to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) of Canada. The UFCW has helped farm workers in Manitoba get contracts and is currently working on unionizing four farms in Quebec. Currently forign farm workers are brought to Canada under the the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP), a program that does little to monitor or enforce conditions for workers. Because workers are brought in by the company that hires them and are not allowed to seek employment elsewhere, they are often forced to endure poor working conditions. Union representation will help ensure respect and protection for foreign farm workers. Read article here.
Environment Canada Report Indicates Water Supply at Risk
An internal report by Environment Canada, accessed through the Access to Information Act, reveals that Canada’s water supply is in need of further study and protection. While Canada holds one fifth of the world’s water supply, only seven per cent of it is renewable. Despite the assurance that Canada’s water supply "is not for sale," the fact that we share many aquifers with the United States puts our supply at risk. Read more here