Elder Wanda First Rider opened the 2026 Enough for All (E4A) Refresh by grounding us in presence, relationship, and responsibility to one another and our community. Her words set the tone for the work ahead, reminding us that efforts to reduce poverty are not only technical or strategic but also deeply human and relational. This starting point matters. 

First approved by Calgary City Council in 2013, E4A has guided a coordinated, community-driven approach to reducing poverty for more than a decade. It was refreshed in 2018 to reflect changing conditions in the city. Now, in 2026, it’s being updated again to reflect our city's current needs.  

Population growth, rising cost of living, housing pressures, and post-pandemic realities are reshaping how poverty is experienced across the city. Demand for services is increasing, while businesses, community organizations, and public systems are facing new pressures on their own. A strategy built for 2013, or even 2018, needs to keep pace. 

Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) has been the steward of the E4A poverty reduction strategy for over a decade. The Refresh is not about starting over, but rather, identifying what is working, where gaps remain, and how to adjust priorities to better respond to today’s realities. This includes strengthening coordination across systems, improving how information is shared, and clarifying roles between partners. It also means balancing immediate responses to rising need with longer-term efforts that address the root causes of poverty. 

This is community-driven work. The E4A Refresh is a collaborative exercise that will further enhance community well-being. VCC creates opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and input, and ensures that diverse perspectives inform future directions. VCC is engaging the E4A Champion Network, service providers, systems leaders, businesses, Indigenous Elders and leaders, individuals with lived experience of poverty, and researchers to ensure the strategy reflects what is happening on the ground—and where the city needs to go next. 

This approach has always been central to E4A. The strategy continues to adapt and reflect changing conditions in Calgary, including major shocks like the 2015-2016 recession and the 2020 pandemic. That adaptability has helped coordinate the efforts of hundreds of partners, stabilize systems under pressure, and prevent deeper increases in poverty during periods of economic strain. Without a shared, sustained strategy, focused on poverty reduction, Calgary would likely have seen more severe impacts. Keeping E4A relevant ensures it remains a practical tool for increased community well-being. 

 The 2026 E4A Refresh process will continue over the coming months. We will we guided by Blackfoot teachings that remind us that the land provides and that we already have what we need. In her opening, Elder Wanda reminded us of the power of names as both identity and responsibility. iih kanii tai staiiwa, the Blackfoot name for E4A, means ‘everything is there,’ which grounds this work in the understanding that what is needed already exists, within community, within relationships, and within the land. 

 

Stay tuned.