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Poverty in Canada:
The New Reality Facing Canadians

by Scott Fogden
February 20, 2003

It usually takes grim statistics to get poverty into the headlines. This winter, a number of different organizations produced reports that detail Canadian poverty levels. In November, the Canadian Council on Social Development released its figures for child poverty, followed closely by Statistics Canada’s first ever tally of the number of Canadians living in shelters.

The reports highlight the enduring nature of poverty, even in modern, developed societies like Canada’s.

But they also documented some unsettling increases for a number of key poverty indicators. For example, the number of people relying on food banks has escalated, as well as the numbers of Canadians living below the accepted low-income cut-off point.

However, poverty as a policy or political issue remains contentious, divided by different interpretations, priorities, and perspectives. Analysts with different political agendas can drastically reduce or inflate poverty figures, using a calculator to determine who is poor and who is not. Poverty’s seemingly straightforward nature thereby becomes a thorny area of debate. This feature will provide a basic rundown of the issues involved and unravel some of the dynamics that animate the political debate.

What is Poverty?

An Introduction to the Concept

Poverty in Parliament

Where the Parties Stand on Poverty Issues

Poverty from Coast to Coast

Provincial Poverty Numbers

Comparing Poverty: Canada and the World

How Canada Stacks Up Among Similar States

Social Consequences of Poverty

Some of the Ramifications of Poverty for Canadian Society

Progress or Regress

Are Things Getting Better or Worse?

Politics of Poverty

Different Interpretations on the Right and Left

In Perspective

Poverty and Canadian Society

Links to Further Information