CSPC-T January Research Forum

Please join us for our January forum with: 

• Yutaka Dirks, Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario 
• Elinor Mahoney, Parkdale Community Legal Services 
• Michael Shapcott, Wellesley Institute 

Torontoist.com, one of Toronto's premier newsblogs,  interviewed John last week about the need for investment in poverty reduction.

"With unemployment rates rising rapidly, Campey says that this is the perfect time for government to address the issue of poverty head-on. "The current economic downturn presents an opportunity for the province to take really bold leadership in terms of using the need to stimulate the economy to bring in a really comprehensive and robust poverty reduction strategy," he said."

Read the complete article here.

The Ontario government has released its poverty reduction strategy, called Breaking the Cycle. The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction response is available on their website.

Toronto Community Housing has laid out its 10-year plan to repair and sustain its housing portfolio with the release today of a comprehensive Real Estate Asset Investment Strategy.

Bordered by Dundas and Queen on the north and south and Cameron and Augusta on the east and west, Alex-andra Park is an engaging and unique community, struggling with some big questions and challenging contradictions. Composed of two TCHC buildings and the Atkinson Housing Co-operative, this culturally diverse community of more than 2000 residents has a majority of its residents living on a fixed income.

The Community Social Planning Council undertook to conduct a ‘scan' of available information on anticipated inflation rates and changes to income for the coming three years (2008-2011), to support organizations in planning for budgeting and funding proposals.

Poverty is making Canadians sick, robbing hundreds of thousands of their health and leading to widespread preventable illness and huge costs for the health care system, according to powerful new research released today by the Wellesley Institute, the University of Toronto's Social Assistance in the New Economy Project and the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto. 

Creating a populist, grassroots groundswell, involving people at every level of society and civic engagement in dialogue, volunteerism and financial contribution is something most of us only dream of. The recent success of Barack Obama's campaign shows us that it is possible. What if you could make it happen in your organization?

Join us October 20th from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm for a webinar and teleconference with renowned fundraiser and strategist Kim Klein, who will explore how small-sum donations, like those which have moved Obama's campaign, can help us to better identify and engage the people who support our issues.

What is grassroots fundraising?

TDSB’s 2007 Students Without Legal Immigration Status Policy: One Year Later

In May 2007, trustees with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) unanimously passed the Students Without Legal Immigration Status policy. This policy confirms non-status immigrant students' right to education as protected under section 49.1 of the Ontario Education Act. The TDSB policy states that:

"all children who are qualified to be resident pupils to the Board, including those who are without immigration status in Canada, shall be entitled to admission to school" and that "all children shall be welcomed, regardless of immigration status, and information about them or their families shall not be shared with Immigration authorities."

Download the full document here.

Executive Summary

Introduction

While attending schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) in April of 2006, four non-status children were apprehended by immigration officials over a period of 48 hours. These children and their families were subsequently deported. These incidents led to considerable anxiety among non-status immigrant families with school-aged children – fears still in evidence today.