In search of a poverty strategy
Canada needs a game plan to tackle poverty, a Toronto forum heard last night. For too long, Ottawa and Queen's Park have been playing at the edges of poverty, instead of investing in affordable housing, child care and education, said former Ontario premier Bob Rae.

Recycling program will turn fleece jackets into raw fibre
In a first among Canadian retailers, Mountain Equipment Co-op(TM) (MEC) has introduced a garment recycling program for polyester-based clothing into its stores. The program is another step in the outdoor retailer's commitment to sustainability. Under the program, consumers will be able to deposit such things as fleece jackets and pants that contain at least 90 per cent polyester content at one of MEC's eleven stores across Canada.

Clement announces FedNor funding for region
Parry Sound-Muskoka MP and Minister for FedNor Tony Clement ducked out of Ottawa early last week to announce $434,219 in funding in support of 11 local initiatives on Friday. Clement made the announcement at Grace & Speed Muskoka Boat & Heritage Centre in Gravenhurst, following a lengthy introduction and bio that Clement himself said should be amended since it was longer than the funding announcement itself.

Business professor finds solutions for the poor: Her own expertise was shaped by life in the Peruvian culture
Ana Maria Peredo saw what others didn't when she spotted indigenous children begging together in a plaza in Peru in January. To her knowing eyes, these youngsters were out of place in the busy tourist centre of Cuzco, near the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. "They didn't even speak Spanish. They were from the high mountains. They were so scared.

Literacy centre opens
Literacy advocates had a goal of having a literacy centre in the community. The chance to make that a reality came sooner than they expected and the Literacy and Youth Centre run by the Literacy and Youth Initiatives Society of the North Okanagan opened April 30.

Vancouver car co-op could lose out at city hall
A pioneering Vancouver car-sharing co-op is raising concerns about the possibility that a city car-sharing contract may go to an American-based firm. Officials at Vancouver city hall recently put out a call for bids to run a car-sharing service for a fleet of 40 vehicles. So far, two private American companies, ZipCar and Flexcar, have expressed interest.

Beyond profits: They're businesses, not social agencies, but their bottom line is geared to helping the needy
Miodrag Mialevic likes most of what comes with working in a kitchen – the smells, the sounds, the creativity, the chance to taste different foods every day. But there are things he doesn't like, things made all the worse by his clinical depression, such as teasing about his condition or bosses who don't seem to care.

Economist's team finds casual work `toxic' to society and to employees
Part-time, casual and contract employment is "toxic" to workers' health and has broader societal costs we ignore at our peril, says a McMaster University economist who is writing a book on the subject. "These jobs are really about insecurity," said Wayne Lewchuk, who leads a team of researchers examining the impact of insecure employment on health. He's found it's not just immigrants and low-skilled workers who suffer.

City lacks affordable housing, report says
Affordable housing in Toronto is becoming desperately hard to find, two housing groups said yesterday after a statistical report showed the number of rental units in the city and the province has been in decline over the past decade. The report, titled Where's Home?

Contract job workers left without hope
A pizza deliveryman is told he is a "contract driver," not an employee, then his franchise boss assigns him to work 10 hours straight with no overtime pay. A home-care worker, on 24-hour shifts looking after a man with Alzheimer's disease, signs a contract with a temp agency saying she is "self-employed" and therefore not entitled to the minimum wage. And then there's Boen Hauw Tjoa.