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The Inter-City Forum on Social Policy and Family and Community Support Services Alberta held a dialogue about ending poverty in Alberta on Friday, November 26, 2010 in conjunction with their annual convention. I attended the dialogue along with the ESPC Research Coordinator John Kolkman.
As an intergovernmental committee, the Forum acts as a vehicle for information-sharing, networking and advocacy for and among Alberta cities and other major urban areas and the people who live in them. The afternoon session opened with introductory remarks by Edmonton City Council Ben Henderson who co-chairs the Inter-City Forum. Presentations were made by Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement Executive Director Mark Cabaj, Vibrant Communities Edmonton Executive Director Janice Melnychuk, Tricia Haggarty, Director of Business/Development for Safe Harbour Society, Dr. Loreen Gilmour, Director, Poverty Initiatives and Research for Calgary and Area United Way and Shannon Marchand, Assistant Deputy Minister, Workforce Supports Division, Alberta Employment and Immigration.
Before the delegates entered into round table discussions, a brief opportunity was given to address the panel of presenters at an open mike. The overwhelming feedback was directed towards Alberta Employment and Immigration’s Assistant Deputy Minister Shannon Marchand who stoically listened to a number of delegates voice their apprehension and dismay over some of Mr. Marchand’s statements made on behalf of the province, in particular to statements in regards to how government policies were targeting training and full employment as the answer to poverty reduction for Alberta. It seemed incredulous to me how the provincial government could be calling for a balanced budget and promoting pro employment policies knowing full well that many programs were, as he put it, “not working well together” and thus were candidates on the balanced budget chopping block.
As a social work student in my second year at Grant MacEwan University, Mr. Marchand’s statements re training and full employment appear contradictory at best and disheartening at worst. All provincial Alberta Works Learners funding for two year diploma programs at my University have been axed as of 2010. Students desiring to enrol in these programs that are geared towards a fast track entry into a career and full participation in the provincial economy must now put their dreams on hold or consider going into debt to further their hope of a brighter future.
There were many thoughtful questions asked at the open mike. One gentleman in particular stood out. He simply wanted to know why there were no people on the panel of presenters who had had or were currently experiencing poverty. He turned and asked the entire delegation if any one of us had or were living in poverty. Apart from myself, there was only one other person in the room who raised their hand. I thought this odd considering we were a group united in our passion for promoting social justice and eliminating poverty and yet, in that brief moment of personal revelation, the stigma of poverty was a palpable presence in the room.
As always, there wasn’t enough time for question period. With the FCSS’s purpose being to address social policy, program and service issues that are of concern to Alberta urban municipalities, the 120 + delegates were eager to express their heartfelt concerns and were being openly solicited to state them. At every table a facilitator had been appointed to bring a dialogue on ending poverty to closure with each discussion group charged to identify major learnings from the panel of presenters and to share and briefly discuss the group findings.
Like many neighbouring tables, our group was a lively one and we came up with a number of key learnings along with suggestions which hopefully will be considered as the FCSS moves forward with the information and suggestions that came out of the panel presentation and group dialogue forum. In general there was consensus on the need for place-based solutions to Alberta’s poverty reduction strategy along with the importance of social inclusion for everyone at the policy making table. There was a strong sense that we could go on and on with discussions over what the numbers do or do not tell us when in fact we have the lived experience of people whose stories are what should be driving public policy in this matter.
Kory Varlen, Grant MacEwan University Social Work Practicum Student
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Thursday, 17 May 2012 
The ESPC is a member of the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH). ECOHH sent out a three question survey related to housing security to each political party competing in the 2012 Alberta election. So far, the Progressive Conservatives (PC), the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Alberta Party responded to ECOHH's questions. Below are their respective answers.
