Poverty affecting far too many Albertans, says new study

Andrew Hanon, Edmonton SUN
November 25, 2009

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When Gyslaine Clarke fled an "unhealthy" marriage with her six children a year or so ago, she was plunged into the swelling ranks of Alberta's poor.

"At first I was terrified," the 35-year-old says, as she watches her three preschoolers play in the Bissell Centre's early childhood development centre.

"I don't know what I'd do without this program."

Clarke's a single parent struggling to get by, but she considers herself one of the lucky ones.

At least she's been able to get some support.

The recession has slammed Alberta.

The number of people collecting welfare skyrocketed 36% in 2009.

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reports that the number of Edmontonians collecting employment insurance nearly tripled between September 2008 and September 2009.

Food banks across the province have seen a 61% increase in clientele this year.

At the height of Alberta's boom in 2007, StatsCan reported that 59,000 Alberta children lived below the poverty line. That figure is expected to have increased substantially since then.

That's why Public Interest Alberta, the Edmonton Social Planning Council and the Bissell Centre are calling for the provincial government to come up with an anti-poverty strategy, like six other provinces have already done.

The groups have put together a report entitled "We Must Do Better," which, among other things, calls for Alberta to institute a provincial child tax credit on top of the federal credit.

Ontario has one that pays up to $1,100 annually for each child, depending on the family income.

"Poverty is a complex, troubling issue that affects far too many people in this province," said Jim Gurnett, the report's author.

"There are many aspects of it that affect each other and cause these kinds of domino sequences that are so dangerous for people's lives."

The report also calls for increasing the welfare budget to keep up with growing demand, more help with child care, recreation programs for kids, stay-in-school programs and literacy training. And there must be more support for the non-profit groups already working on this.

Bissell head Shelley Williams said her organization is one of "thousands" of agencies working with the poor in Alberta.

Even though her organization has seen its clientele increase threefold in the last decade, it receives no government funding.

"You just don't have financial security when you're dependent on donations," she said.

The social planning council's Bill Kolkman said they'll lobby churches, businesses, labour and others to pressure the government to come up with a strategy.

"We need to make this a reality," he said.

Gurnett acknowledged that convincing a deficit-plagued government to spend more money on social programs will be a tough sell, but said they'll be trying to convince politicians that eliminating poverty will benefit all Albertans.

"Besides, it's the moral, correct thing to do," he said.

Clarke said it's a constant struggle to provide for her kids, aged, 16, 14, 8, 3, 2 and 11 months.

"It's not just about putting food on the table," she explained.

"They grow out of clothes, go on school trips, have birthdays.

"There's always something coming up."

She brings her toddlers to the Bissell one day a week.

"I cannot stress enough how much of a difference something like this has made in our lives," she said, "knowing that there's somebody out there who cares, and that we do matter."

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