VCC speaks about transit safety and root causes

Calgary Transit working to make their services safer

Even as I’m calling to expand transit access, my own husband is choosing to carpool downtown, says Lee Stevens

Get mad at the right things. Why enforcement can't be the only answer for CTrain security

The latest living wage calculations have sparked a discussion about the need to change the National Living Wage Framework

Single people now have higher income needs than a family

In this episode, Jaclyn Silbernagel sits down with Lee Stevens, policy and research specialist with Vibrant Communities Calgary to explore basic income. What a basic income could mean for Canadians and how it could have a positive impact on our social support systems.

In this episode, Jaclyn Silbernagel sits down with Lee Stevens, VCC’s policy and research specialist and this episodes’ co-host alongside Nevena Ivanovic, public policy coordinator with the Women’s Centre of Calgary and Andrea Cox, manager of government relations with YW Calgary. Together they discuss women and the economy, child care in Alberta, and what’s working in regards to policy.

Episode 10: Child Care, Women, and the Economy

On Nov 1, 2021 the Government of Alberta released Stronger Foundations: Alberta's 10-year strategy to improve and expand affordable housing, intending to outline the action needed to provide more affordable and accessible housing options for Albertans. While some aspects of the strategy are supported by VCC and the Edmonton Social Planning Council, there are also elements that pose considerable risks.

Check out their analysis What you need to know about Stronger Foundations: The Government of Alberta’s affordable housing strategy.

Draft analysis_Stronger Foundations_Dec_2021 - Final2.pdf

Analyzing the Government of Alberta’s affordable housing strategy

Since 2008, Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) has been updating the living wage figure for Calgary on an annual basis. The framework for calculating a living wage is adopted from the Living Wage National Framework created by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 

Income from employment that is sufficient to cover the cost of living in a given region is not only vital to reducing poverty but is a necessary component to a resilient city and economy. People need more than the bare minimum, this includes enough income to cover bank fees, education and training, internet costs, and the ability to save for an unexpected event. Other principles identified by Living Wage Canada include a wage that enables working families to have sufficient income to cover reasonable costs, promote social inclusion, and support healthy child development.

Working in collaboration with other municipalities, VCC has adopted the new standardized methodology to calculate the living wage rate for Calgary. The 2021 living wage is $18.60 per hour, a 10% decrease from the 2020 living wage of $20.69, and a difference of 24% from Alberta’s minimum wage of $15 per hour. The primary reason for the decrease in the living wage is attributed to changes made by the provincial government to Alberta’s childcare subsidy program. 

Living Wage Calgary 2021.pdf

VCC has identified areas of opportunity for policy change within Calgary City Council and Administration. There are several roles that the local government can play in creating vibrant communities, including exemplary employer, service provider, investor, leader and champion, convener and partner. 

Vibrant Communities Calgary Policy recommendations for Calgary City Council.pdf

VCC's Policy recommendations for Calgary City Council

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are clear, and few will rebut that in 2020, some were hit harder. Women in Alberta experienced disproportionate job losses, increases to unpaid care work, and greater exposure to the virus working in health care, elder-care, and childcare. Budget 2021 aimed to strike a balance by maintaining previous funding commitments, but it did not address the unequal impacts of the pandemic on women, people of color, or those working in low wage precarious jobs.

Vibrant Communities Calgary's response to the Alberta Budget 2021-Final-FINAL.pdf

Vibrant Communities Calgary’s response to the Alberta Budget 2021: The impact on vulnerable Albertans and Enough for All

Income from employment that is sufficient to cover the cost of living in a given region is not only vital to reducing poverty but is a necessary component to a resilient city and economy. People need more than the bare minimum, this includes enough income to cover bank fees, education and training, internet costs, and the ability to save for an unexpected event. Other principles identified by Living Wage Canada include a wage that enables working families to have sufficient income to cover reasonable costs, promote social inclusion, and support healthy child development.

Working in collaboration with other municipalities, Vibrant Communities Calgary has adopted the new standardized methodology to calculate the living wage rate for Calgary.  The 2020 living wage is $20.69 per hour, a substantial 27% increase from the 2018 rate of $16.45, and a difference of 39% from Alberta’s minimum wage of $15 per hour.  

LivingWage_Brief_2020-Formatted.pdf

Convene stakeholders and provide a platform for collaboration

Leverage advocacy through shared communication 

E4A-Advocacy-Stakeholder-Map.pdf

In this video, hear from members of the Indigenous Advisory Committee who share their thoughts on the following, "What do you think are the biggest accomplishments towards poverty reduction for Indigenous peoples?", and "Where to you think we continue to struggle to have an impact?"

Videography by Trevor Solway (Solway Entertainment) 

Special thanks to Joanne Pinnow, Lee Stevens, and Buddie Dixon.

Enough for All Evaluation 2018: Indigenous Advisory Committee

Calgary’s living wage is not the minimum wage. Minimum wages are legislated by the provincial government and are set so that no employer may pay below the legal minimum. A living wage is a proxy for the cost of living in any given community. It is not an arbitrary number, but is instead determined by calculating average expenses, taxes and government transfers for a given household. A living wage considers the basic needs of an average family of four with two working parents and two children, plus additional costs we all incur from time to time, to allow for a family to fully participate, thrive and build their human and financial assets (e.g., education and savings).

Lee Stevens

What drives Lee to push for a Calgary where there is Enough for All

Articles & events by this contributor

Calgary Transit working to make their services safer

Get mad at the right things. Why enforcement can't be the only answer for CTrain security

Single people now have higher income needs than a family

Resources by this contributor

Analyzing the Government of Alberta’s affordable housing strategy

Living Wage Calgary 2021

VCC's Policy recommendations for Calgary City Council

Vibrant Communities Calgary’s response to the Alberta Budget 2021: The impact on vulnerable Albertans and Enough for All

Living Wage Calgary 2020

E4A Advocacy Stakeholder Map

Enough for All Evaluation 2018: Indigenous Advisory Committee

Living Wage 2018