Poverty Awareness in York Region

Seems 'tis the season for all things poverty lately and the most recent thing being a report released by York University, which was researched by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. Like anything report (follow the money) related it has truth mixed with supposition and ideology and conclusion finding solutions based on those, so you get what you get which is a mixed bag.

On one hand, it points out the obvious, on the other, it's solutions are slanted towards creating a two tiered rental market, or even three or four, with the end result being landlords creating slums and exclusive areas. And it's actual definition of 'affordable" housing I also have issue with, although they do use the term " at risk of " a fair number of times to confuse one would suppose, leading me to believe they are really branding this point home for some reason. To me, second suite apartments are not affordable either, whereas to them, they are.

Formerly Homeless. With supports, now a Poet

Some bullet points I took from the report, to highlight some previous rants of mine that I'm often maligned for locally by those on the peripherals, include the fact that about 75% of all those using shelters are single men age 26 and over. I ask, of the 7 existing full time shelters in York Region that we have, how many full time beds do we house these homeless men in - bearing in mind a population of 1.1 million people? Guess?.....try one shelter with 26 beds. Instead, 75% of our shelters house women - so the national numbers show we've obviously missed the mark in York Region. I've chirped it for years, but it's certainly nice to get some more supportive stats to back me. Meanwhile Y.R. boasts the least amount of rental housing  / owned houses ratios in the country and rates among the lowest percentile of occupancy availability rates in all of Canada already. Housing is but one element for what ails anyway, especially if they plan to roll out everything based on current broken models, and, in the case of rent subsidies, an experimental one.

YR Councilor given another chance

For example Dan Philion has subsidized housing and is confined to a wheelchair with limited mobility. In winter he suffers more-so and is naturally less mobile outside his home, but even if he wishes to, it is always a stress. Is the snow shoveled? Can I afford it? Do I have the energy today - but they'll charge me for cancelling a fare? Each trip out is calculated in worth vs value. Each month he begins it knowing he has only $100 plus dollars for after bills disposable income, regardless if he managed to earn more money somehow, as they simply adjust his check amount - first should he make "too much", then also adjust his apartment rental amount, either way he can't get ahead, and having trouble writing makes it more unlikely for him to try and get through it all anyway. None of their
solutions eliminate or address this reality, and it is a loophole that needs correcting, adjustments if you will, and believe it is within the resolve and power of the current Ontario government and York Region to make such adjustments, and should do so.


Out of desperation, Dan, who is also Vice-Chair of the Poverty Action for Change Coalition of York Region, the group responsible for bringing York Region its first ever social audit in 2011, "Behind The Masks", has spearheaded an idea for a type of march, to be held in the spring of 2015, to draw attention to the plight of those already housed but living lives of misery. Dan hopes others afflicted by similar circumstances propelled by poverty, and individuals or groups who support their right to a better existence, will come out.

Oct 17 event drew awareness

Says Dan, when informed of the recent 1% raise for those on O.D.S.P., announced by the Ontario government to be added on his check,

" 1%, are they serious? What are we supposed to do with that? That's 3 bus rides."

And with that being the catalyst, the idea for an event that would raise awareness to his / this issue began, the end result being  

Stroll and Roll for freedom.



Dan is tired of living like he's just existing, and says he didn't ask to live in a wheelchair and to have limited abilities and adds why shouldn't he have more money? Good question Dan, especially from many of the same group who voted themselves 30% raises not so long ago... And he's not shy, asking for a 50%  increase in his monthly disability support check, up from the current ceiling of about $1200 per individual. The hope action event will start at one destination - tentatively the York Region headquarters on Yonge St - and would peacefully roll and stroll down Yonge St, ending at the M.P.P.'s office in Aurora where the Liberal M.P.P. Chris Ballard would greet us and agree to take something to parliament on behalf. Something tangible. TBD& A'd.

Dan Philon wants a life!

Dan feels he deserves to live each day, not worrying about if he'll have enough to last the month and feeling a real pinch from mid month on. We believe he also has a right. A penny pincher as is, he doesn't smoke and has an occasional beer, mostly at home if he does unable to afford much more than cheap karaoke night out once in awhile should he choose to, and even then, his home table-menu then suffers later on in the month.

As we "speak", we're having logo design's looked at so Watch for Stroll and Roll for freedom online and on FaceBook!

Glenn in action

When asked by my buddy Glenn to accompany him along to a kick off for a Newmarket mayoral candidate, I wanted to say no, but, instead, the polite Glenn to "olive branched" me an out before replying by offering to call me the following day just prior to him going, and, if at that time I wanted to go with, we'd do so. Always the procrastinator, I agreed.

Mayoral Candidate Chris Campbell listens

As I say, my first reaction was no, mainly because I'd heard the candidate running against him was doing so only because no one else was, and that he did not expect to win. Also because I love politics but I hate the politics of politics, if you will. If I have no reason to be around it, I certainly don't want to just for the sake of it, but complacency in a mayor or council is the worst thing you can have in politics, and the need for adding "new blood" essential to maintaining civic order.

Obviously I chose to go, and was mildly surprised to see a fairly full room of would be supporters of this candidate a local lad come home to roost, but, always the skeptic, especially when it comes to politics, I arrived with both guards up.

Maple Bacon Flavoured Chips eh? Lol

As Glenn dashed off to take his myriad of a million great pics, I asked some questions, wanting to know about this Chris Campbell who dared challenge the almighty municipal Lord Mayor Van Bynen for the town's mantle-head, and came away impressed.

Firstly, him being a local boy, to me anyway, shows he has some invested emotional interest in the town. As I explain it, someone who grew up around a special tree has an attachment that someone not growing up in the area may know enough about to appreciate. But I certainly needed more than that from anyone running, and, as I learned more, liked what I heard.

Watch Chris Campbell's campaign launch highlights here

Here was a mayoral candidate, actually talking about jobs and acknowledging that at 8 %, Newmarket is running unemployment a full percentage point above the national average - in one of the most prosperous areas in the country. Someone who dared say that Newmarket should be demanding a better deal from the Region, instead of rambling off googly gok, and understanding that businesses are hurting! He's also someone who is well schooled - specifically for politics too - so understands its complexities as well as the business side, through spending years as a successful business person and who is now willing to invest himself back into this town.

Newmarket Mayoral Candidate Chris Campbell

To me his words were a beacon of hope - someone who gets that it's a town full of people, and not a small group, who should be benefiting from everything this town has to offer. He even spoke about some hockey and soccer players having to play in other towns to afford it, something he found appalling - whereas Tony Van Bynen attended the grand opening of a car dealership last Oct 17, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, ignoring for a third year in a row the invitation to attend, even to say hello. Asked if he'd be attending our youth road hockey event in 2014 he said to send his office an invite. I did. No reply. Complacent.

Diane Humeniuk, greeting people like old times!

So when Diane Humeniuk, a former Regional / Councilor herself, and long time personal acquaintance of mine, whom I had no idea was involved, spoke of Chris returning e-mails in her introduction of this candidate, I knew what she meant.

At this point, Campbell seemed far from just a guy  running for the sake of it, but instead a guy with substance, some smarts and maybe indeed the change this town needs to keep it from turning into whatever the region, province, feds, and corporate friends of the mayor tell it to be. He certainly impressed me in that regard and comes with much more credentials for the job of managing, a now small city than the former bank manager Van Bynen ever did. And photo ops of VB hob-knobbing with C.E.O.'s scare, not impress me.

Curious Newmarket residents attend

This is still our town. Other people than the status-quo can run it. Better. And before it's gone, and before council become too complacent, we best find someone else to lead - a leader, which Chris Campbell also spoke of - leadership - and this guy seems worth a look see. Don't take my word for it though check out his website for yourself - but he seems certainly qualified and genuinely seems to care, and that my friends makes him a serious candidate that I believe we can trust to tend for our town. More at least.Lol.

End of night shot!

Also on hand this night was Regional Councilor candidate Darryl Wolk whom I first met some years ago in relation to a sponsorship for our community youth award. The jixt of what I hammered home with Darryl, was that when it comes to municipal politics, I actually don't care what party you support provincially and federally, I want someone who is willing to work with anyone. That what I liked about municipal politics, is those party's flags are not needed, and, in fact, should not be paraded out at all in my opinion. Darryl agrees. Yay. Lol.

There was another person there I didn't so much agree with (surprise of all surprises! lol) - As I believing council members should be full time, especially now as the town grows out of control, we need full time conentration - and him believing otherwise...Arggg..politics again..Don't get me started! Gle-e-e-enn! Let's go!

Tom Out!