In the lead-up to releasing our Beneath the Surface report earlier this year, our collaborators knew that the report was more than just an opportunity to share and report on data. It was a springboard to a conversation about solutions and innovative approaches to achieving a city where poverty can’t exist.

This week we had this conversation, hearing from six dynamic community leaders who challenged us to explore where we are and where we need to go to get to a city where there is enough for all.

First, we heard from Elder Wanda First Rider who started our event off in a good way with her reflections, a blessing and a smudge. She emphasized the need to recognize the natural world around us and the gifts that it offers. And, that our source of well-being comes from the connection to the land and to each other.

Then we heard from Jeny Mathews Thusoo, Lead of Inclusive Futures with Resilient Calgary about transformational change and beyond-the-box thinking. She was then joined by CBC Producer Elise Stolte and system change advocate Karen Gosbee, who gave the audience fresh insights on how we can co-create a different future that leads with the voice of lived experience and challenges us to think about our complex challenges in new ways.

Poet Erin Dingle wrapped up the event. We always ‘end with Erin’ because she leaves us challenging our paradigms and inspires us to use our experience as an accelerator for our passion.

At an event focused on the future, the VCC team also spent the day reflecting on last year with the release of our 2022 Report to Community. “2022 was another year of record inflation and really high food and energy costs, limited rental vacancies and the lack of affordable housing pushed more and more people to desperate situations. With all it's challenges, 2022 was also a year of renewed connection and along with that, progress.” Take a look at our collective progress towards Enough for All in 2022.