Poverty

This is a community that has always looked for new opportunities, but it is also one that has embraced the barn-raising spirit of helping our neighbours. I believe the City needs to help those who have been left behind in coordination with its community partners.

In the recent recession, too many of our friends and neighbours lost their jobs, many in the manufacturing industry. Many of these jobs may never come back. Though we boast about being an Intelligent Community with a thriving technology sector, major insurance company offices, and top universities, there are many people whose experiences in our community have changed for the worse because of the recession. Poverty also continues to be far too high among new Canadians, women, and those from minority groups, leading to isolation and further vulnerability that makes it harder, not easier, to get ahead.

This is a community that has always looked for new opportunities, but it is also one that has embraced the Mennonite barn-raising spirit of helping our neighbours. I believe the City needs to help those who are being left behind, but that it cannot do it alone. The Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network and the Local Immigration Partnership Council are some examples of the partnerships that we can build across public, non-profit, and private sectors, while Awareness of Low Income Voices is giving those on the margins a voice.

In collaboration with our business community, our neighbourhood associations, our non-profit community, and our partners at other levels of government, I will work hard to ensure that Council prioritizes building a more inclusive community together: a community that supports diverse job creation and training opportunities, affordable housing and child care, vibrant and accessible arts and culture, and welcoming public spaces that bring our whole community together.