An Open Letter to
the Government and the People of Ontario
from Catholic Religious Orders in Ontario

It is very fitting that, during this time of economic turbulence, the Ontario government is set to release its Poverty Reduction Strategy. Indeed, it belongs to the role of government to manage the economy so that it works well for all.

We urge the government to seize this opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people who live in poverty by providing adequate funds for a strong comprehensive strategy for reducing poverty in our Province.

Poverty has become entrenched:

• In 1981 there were no food banks in Ontario. Today there are over four hundred places where our most vulnerable neighbours are forced to seek charity so they can feed their families.

• One in every eight Ontario children live in poverty when income is measured after taxes.

• The income gap between the richest and the poorest Ontarians has grown substantially in the past generation.

• Ontario is moving from a “good jobs”to a “bad jobs” economy. Full-time jobs in well-paying, benefit providing, industrial and resource sectors are giving way to service sector minimum wage, part-time jobs with few or no benefits. Hard work – even on a full time basis – is not longer a ticket out of poverty.

• Social assistance incomes are far below the poverty line. Furthermore, some of our public policies in dealing with recipients of social assistance actually penalize them for wanting to return to the workforce.

Investment in poverty reduction offer huge social and economic dividends. Effective strategies can reduce the gap between rich and poor, strengthen communities through increased levels of participation and reach out to social groups that have been excluded – from new comers to Ontario, to single mothers to migrant workers and First Nations’ peoples.

Ontario needs measurable targets for poverty reduction with specific timelines. Reporting on progress in the Legislature at regular intervals will allow Ontarians to reflect on our progress. Enshrining Ontario’s commitment to poverty reduction in a new law, as was done in Quebec, will commit future governments to this task and keep poverty on the political agenda.

Strong communities are formed through the sharing of God’s bountiful gifts. A strong Poverty Reduction Strategy is an essential step in realizing this vision for Ontario.

Respectfully submitted,

• Sisters of St. Joseph of London

• Franciscaines Missionaires de Marie

• Sisters of St. Joseph of Peterborough

• Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

• Faithful Companions of Jesus

• Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

• Our Lady’s Missionaries

• Sisters of Providence

• Scarboro Foreign Missions

• Basilian Fathers

• School Sisters of Notre Dame

• Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

• Filles de la Sagesse

• Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

• Felician Sisters

• Ursuline Sisers

• Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd

• Sisters of Service

• Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto

• Sisters of Social Service