Well-paid Workforce is Good For Business

Jan 31 2014

The announcement was made January 30, 2014 by Premier Kathleen Wynne that the Ontario minimum wage will be increased from $10.25 to $11.00 an hour starting June 1, 2014 and furthermore, will be adjusted according to the Canadian Price Index.

Those of us who are earning more, may too easily underestimate the extent to which low wages limit what people are able to do and how well they can take care of their material needs for even basic shelter, food, clothing and health. If we agree that someone working full time full year should not be living in poverty, then we need to agree we either pay adequate wages or we invest our tax dollars to reduce the impact of low wage employment.

VisitAble Housing Initiative In Kitchener-Waterloo

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Jan 30 2014

Visitability Project - Collaborative Knowledge Building and Action for Visitable Housing In Canadian Cities has come to Kitchener-Waterloo. Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo is the local coordinator of the KW Visitability Task Force and will be contributing its longstanding experience and mobilization of knowledge to support the initiative in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Disability Studies. The first planning meeting of the Task Force is held on January 30th and launches a process that will unfold until September 2015.

What Community Means - 1000 Conversations

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Jan 29 2014

After 45 conversations hosted in Waterloo Region, come together with others to hear the wisdom of over 800 of your neighbours who spoke about the present and the future of community. Hear about the things we have learned individually and collectively at the summit What community Means- February 8th, 10 am - 1 pm at Mary's Place Community Room at 84 Frederick street in Kitchener.

Open Government Consultations Still Open

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Jan 28 2014

The Open Government Engagement Team was in Kitchener on January 17th collecting ideas and suggestions from the people in Waterloo Region. "It starts with a government that freely shares information, unlocks the power of data in a digital age and partners with people to spark a new generation of ideas through easier access to informatiom". Many reasonable suggestions are to be found in the highlights from the Kitchener discussion. Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo joins the discussion and puts the Local Framework on Successful Poverty Reduction Outcomes into practice in its submission to the Engagement Team.

Changing The Way We Think About Taxes

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Jan 24 2014

Tax Is Not A Four Letter Word Boook LaunchTax Is Not A Four Letter Word. Tax is Brussels sprouts! Kaylie Tiessen from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ontario says they are not always palatable but they are good for you. An interesting twits. Alex Himelfarb made another one: high taxes are good for business! Strong infrastructure, skilled workforce and good healthcare system are highly valued by businesses and they are all build with tax dollars. Carl Zehr, the Mayor of Kitchener, first asks what the services are that the citizens need and says that balance, sustainability and future legacy are the most important questions when thinking about municipal taxation.

Lists of Warming Centres in the Region

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Jan 21 2014

A list of warming centres across the region will be posted on Public Health’s website whenever an extreme cold media advisory is issued. The expectation is that warming centres will provide a heated space for residents to warm-up in. You can find the list of the warming centres in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and in rural Waterloo Region. Find more information at the Public Health Web Page.

Access Waterloo Region Information Night - February 4, 2014

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Jan 20 2014

Access Waterloo Region 2014 is an information night for persons with disabilities, their families, caregivers and professionals within Waterloo Region. It will feature information about education, advocacy and support, financial assistance, personal care and in-house supports and more!

The Social Planning Council of K-W and Community Information Centre of Waterloo Region will be there with information on our projects, resources, groups and initiatives related to community, advocacy and disability. Hope to see you there!

All Party Committee Pre-Budget Consultation in Kitchener

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Jan 14 2014

Pre-budget consultations are underway across Ontario. Standing Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs and the Ministry of Finance are visiting the Region and opening discussions about the investment needed from both the local and the provincial perspective. The Fair Society has to remain one of the priorities in the 2014 Budget, not only to reduce reliance on social services, build the workforce and strengthen Ontario's economy (2013 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review), but to make life livable for so many hard working Ontarians, in and outside of the labour force.
PFKW pre-budget consultation presentation
Read more about the presentations made by the Poverty Free Kitchener-Waterloo and the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo to the Standing Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs on January 13th 2014.

January E-Neighbour: Whacky Festivities to Celebrate with your Neighbours

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Jan 10 2014

NAT New LookE-Neighbour is out! Break the winter doldrums with a neighbourhood get-to-gether and check out the New Look of our Neighbourhood Activity Trunk! We are collecting registrations for the first Early Bird Draws until January 14th!

Special Regional Budget Input Session January 7th

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Jan 8 2014

Groups and individuals, associated with the Poverty Free Kitchener-Waterloo, participated with dedicated presenters at the special budget public input session at the Waterloo Regional Council. Jan 7 budget sessionMost were supporting the Council in its requests to the Provincial Government for decent funding of social programs to increase access to discretionary benefits, to increase investment in housing and homelessness related programs, and to make sure that most vulnerable citizens of the Region receive free buss passes. You can hear their presentations at the Council Webcast page- hear them and see how you can join them!