Human Resources committee  Even when you're on ODSP and Ontario Works, you still have to pay $2. People don't think that's very much, but if you have to pay for four prescriptions, that would be $8. You also have to get to that drugstore, you also have to get to that doctor. It can add up to quite a bit of

Human Resources committee  First I'd like to start with how I fell into poverty. I fell into poverty because I was diagnosed with cancer. I had started a new job and I had no private insurance that would cover me. I quickly found out that in this country, we don't have a social safety net. From there, I sp

Human Resources committee  That's correct.

Human Resources committee  Sure. As Mr. Martin said, I'm a director with Canada Without Poverty. It's a national organization that works for the elimination of poverty in Canada. We've started a campaign around the use of the word “dignity” and how that relates to people who are living in poverty. It's o

Human Resources committee  I would just quickly add something about housing. In 2007 I lived on $7,200 a year. Those were my benefits from the Ontario disability support program. In 2008 I became employed after living in poverty for 13 years. Last week I bought a condo here in the city. So there are dif

Human Resources committee  I spend a lot of time talking with people and visiting other communities. Recently I was in Port Dover, which is a small town in southern Ontario, and I spoke to many people there who were not homeless but were living in poverty. When you're living in a rural area, the services a

Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the committee for this opportunity to present my submission to the committee. My name is Michael Creek, and I am the coordinator of Voices from the Street. Over the last few years, Voices from the Street has played an active role