Depth of poverty worse in city: experts

from The Sudbury Star

Posted By Laura Stradiotto

While the number of people living in poverty has decreased in Greater Sudbury, the depth of poverty has worsened, say experts.

At a time when Sudbury's unemployment rate is at its lowest, the number of working poor is on the rise.

Experts say raising the minimum wage immediately from $8 to $10 an hour would help to get working poor families out of poverty.

A report released this week by the Sudbury Community Foundation reveals that in 2005, 14,250 families lived below the poverty level, a seven per cent decrease from 2000.

Despite the decrease in poverty, it seems more Sudburians are turning to food banks to get their daily nutrition.

In March 2006, the number of residents who visited a food bank increased to 13,454 people. This means that 8.3 per cent of the Sudbury population go to food banks - three times higher than the Ontario average.

Janet Gasparini, executive director of the Social Planning Council of Sudbury, said one-third of children who live in poverty in Ontario come from families in which one parent works full time all year round.

Labour market trends point to an increase in retail and call centre jobs, which traditionally pay minimum wage.

During the same period in Sudbury, there was a loss of higher-wage jobs in the manufacturing industry, said Gasparini.

"You got people working full time, full year, but they're not making enough money to keep them out of poverty," she said.

What has changed in last decade is the way mainstream media and some political parties look at Ontario's poor, said Gary Kinsman, social activist and a Laurentian University professor.