Liberals pledge to reduce poverty; Ken Dryden part of community forum

from the Chatham Daily News

Posted By Trevor Terfloth
Updated 23 hours ago

A massive geographic area is one of the key challenges to tackling poverty in Chatham-Kent, said a prominent Liberal on Thursday.

York Centre MP Ken Dryden took part in a community forum with local officials on the issue, which he stated was a key priority for the federal party.

"There are too many Canadians that live in our communities that don't live in a way we believe Canadians should live," he said to the gathering at the Portuguese Canadian Club.

The Liberals - currently in opposition to the ruling Conservatives - said their plan is to reduce poverty by 30 per cent and child poverty by 50 per cent.

Dryden said he's heard stories similar to Chatham-Kent's, given the downturn of the manufacturing sector and resulting job losses.

He said the sheer size of the municipality only increases the difficulty.

"It represents a real challenge for how you provide a service," he said.

The former Liberal leadership candidate said measures such as income support and housing are crucial to help give people a chance.

However, forum participants also stressed the importance of sports and recreation to the less fortunate.

"Municipalities are feeling the squeeze," said Lucy Brown, Chatham-Kent's general manager of health and family services. "And parents can't afford to pay those user fees."

Dryden said poverty in Canada is often more subtle and doesn't necessarily lead to homelessness or starvation.