Ottawa, ON – In a one-day event at homeless shelters
from all regions of Canada, homeless women and men will give their opinions
about solutions to poverty in this country by filling out the National Council
of Welfare’s questionnaire on poverty and income security.
Nine homeless shelters in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal,
Halifax and Iqaluit will take part in the event on Tuesday, December 5. James
Hughes, a member of the Council and director of a Montreal shelter, says, “The
purpose of our questionnaire is to find out what Canadians think about
solutions to poverty in this country. It is important that people living in
poverty participate, including homeless people who live in extreme poverty.”
Karen O’Shannacery, the director of the Lookout Emergency Aid Society in
Vancouver, says that they are participating in this initiative because
governments need to hear from people who are homeless. “It’s not always easy
for homeless people to have their voices heard.” she says. “This is one way to
ensure that they have the opportunity to make their opinions known.”
The National Council of Welfare launched its on-line questionnaire about
poverty and the need for a national anti-poverty strategy in Canada in October
at www.ncwcnbes.net. Thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations
have already participated. The questionnaire will run until December 15 and
the results will be made public. They will also guide the advice the Council
provides to the federal government.
The Council encourages individuals and organizations across Canada to
respond to the questionnaire and tell us what you think.
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Local event spokespeople:

Carol-Anne Scott
Nunavut Salvation Army, Iqaluit NU
(867) 975-2605

Nancy Briand, Shelter Manager
Metro Turning Point, Halifax NS
(902) 420-3282

Christian Durand
Old Brewery Mission, Montréal QC
(514) 866-6591 ext. 22 or (514) 575-8423

Claude Lanoie, Men’s Mission Director
Welcome Hall Mission, Montréal QC
(514) 935-6396

Diane Morrison, Executive Director
The Ottawa Mission, Ottawa ON
(613) 234-1144

Dr. John Rook, CEO
The Salvation Army Centre of Hope, Calgary AB
(403) 410-1118

Louise Gallagher
Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre, Calgary AB
(403) 699-8227

Hope Hunter, Executive Director
Boyle St. Co-op, Edmonton AB
(780) 423-3122 ext. 204

Karen O’Shannacery
Lookout Emergency Aid Society, Vancouver BC
(604) 255-0340

The National Council of Welfare is an independent body established to
advise the federal Minister of Human Resources and Social Development on
issues of importance to low-income Canadians. For more information, please
visit the website www.ncwcnbes.net.