While lone voices from the business sector still oppose a minimum wage increase (as in this article in The Province), the minimum wage debate in BC has now firmly shifted past the question of whether we should raise it or not. Virtually all leadership contenders for both the BC Liberals…
The Alternative Municipal Budget (AMB) is the tool we use to engage citizen groups on the Winnipeg budget. Part of our message is that the City budget is not just an assortment of seemingly meaningless numbers. It is a means for implementing a plan, which is hopefully working for a…
A glimmer of hope and a healthy dose of skepticism On April 17th Minister Stan Struthers will release details of how the Province will manage our money this year. Here is how the process will unfold. A few pre-budget day announcements will be, or have been, made to manage expectations…
I was excited to see one of the two main political parties in BC — the BC NDP — promise to raise the minimum wage to $15 if elected next spring. This puts the idea of a $15 minimum wage squarely on the political agenda. I’ve long argued for the need to significantly…
Manitobans call for a poverty reduction plan Download 558.55 KB76 pages Governments across Canada are implementing comprehensive plans with targets and timelines aimed at reducing poverty and social exclusion. The Province of Manitoba has taken important steps to address poverty and social exclusion in recent years, however, much more remains…
Income inequality not sustainable economically for any of us The story of how we got into this global economic mess, and how we will get out, is inextricably bound up with the story of rising income inequality. After all, it was triggered by the interlocking fates of sub-prime mortgage holders…
Public libraries in British Columbia are evolving beyond spaces of quiet contemplation, equipped with card catalogues and encyclopaedias. In a time of increased Internet use and communication via social media, the way we access knowledge and use the library is changing. We are seeing digital storytelling and inspiration labs, access…
Our content is fiercely open source and we never paywall our website. The support of our community makes this possible.
A Framework for BC Download 2.66 MB37 pages
Last summer, Gabrielle Giroday wrote an article for the Winnipeg Free Press called “Stores can’t stop carts vanishing: Shoppers wheeling thousands away.” This article raised concerns about shopping carts being removed from store property to be used for other purposes. Giroday’s article inspired me to look more closely at the…
Our content is fiercely open source and we never paywall our website. The support of our community makes this possible.
With the 2017-18 Ontario budget officially tabled, the terms of the June 2018 provincial election have now been set — and it’s both a good and bad news story. The good news is that Ontario will go into the election with a balanced budget, which opens the door to a…