The Chronicle Herald: Searching for a better way
Business, society open to new strategies of tackling poverty.
September 15, 2008
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Say yes to a living wage, Calgary Herald
One week from today, city council will debate whether to develop a living wage policy applicable to all city employees and employees of city service suppliers. Why is this an issue in Calgary’s booming economy?
April 21, 2008
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Pittance, Calgary Herald
This Letter to the Editor from a concerned Calgarian,was sent in response to an opinion piece published earlier in the week.
April 14, 2008
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No one should be left behind, Calgary Sun
Calgary Chamber of Commerce editorial: The most successful organizations pay a living wage, not for recompense in the afterlife but for the economic returns. The only way we can build Calgary into a renaissance city is to ensure no one is left behind.
April 10, 2008
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Try to get by, Calgary Herald
This Letter to the Editor from a concerned Calgarian,was sent in response to an opinion piece published earlier in the week.
April 10, 2008
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City committee approves 'living wage' proposal, Calgary Herald
A bid to make sure anyone who works for the city -- even through an outside contractor -- earns at least $12
an hour narrowly passed a civic committee Wednesday but could face a tougher ride when it goes to council.
April 10, 2008
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Opinion Piece against Living Wage, Calgary Herald
We have posted this opinion piece as a reference to letters written in response.
April 8, 2008
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City pondering 'living wage' policy, Calgary Sun
The city's finance committee next week will be asked to move forward with a living wage policy that would
require all city staff and its suppliers to earn a salary that allows them to at least reach the poverty line.
April 4, 2008
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Visible minority population grows in Calgary, CBC
Jordan Hamilton, an analyst with Vibrant Communities Calgary, an anti-poverty group, said most
newcomers are struggling even though most are working.
April 2, 2008
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A Living Wage City, Engage!
The City of Calgary may soon require employers who deal with the City to pay a wage that meets its booming living costs.
March 13, 2008
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Lowest bids not always the best policy, Calgary Herald
With annual purchases of almost a billion dollars, the City of Calgary could become a leader among Canadian municipalities by implementing an expanded sustainable environmental and ethical purchasing policy on March 12, 2008
March 9, 2008
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What Would Adam Smith Do? FFWD Magazine
David Wilson let's us know how the free market philosophy supports paying a living wage.
March 6, 2008
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Are Calgarians Happy? Radio Canada International
According to a national study on happiness, Calgary is the second most miserable city in Canada. Jordan Hamilton, VCC Research & Policy Analyst took part in a panel discussion on workers in Calgary. Listen to hour one of the archived program to hear the discussion.
February 8, 2008
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City reviews fee subsidies, Calgary Herald
A move by the city to use income as the sole criterion for reduced user fees was applauded by those asking for a more accessible system.
February 8, 2008
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Minimum wage laws – The state of pay in Canada, CBC News
Minimum wage employment is still the reality for many in this country.
February 7, 2008
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Forget policy makers, civic leaders are spearheading the fight to end poverty, Globe and Mail
Slowly but surely, civil society leaders in this country are taking over what used to be the preserve of public servants and politicians.
January 28, 2008
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Why do so many people work for low wages?, CBC Calgary Eyeopener
Jim Brown interviewed Jordan Hamilton, Research and Policy Analyst, on trends in Calgary's labour market gleaned from the results of the "Low Wages In Boomtown" study.
To hear the interview with real player click below.
January 24, 2008
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Petro-prosperity leaves many Calgarians behind, Calgary Herald
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce says the labour market needs an influx of 100,000 people. Calgarians earning less than a living wage struggle to deal with the high cost of living, lack of affordable housing, adequate childcare and knowledge of the increase in disparity between the rich and poor. For some Calgarians like Kerry the only choice left, is to leave.
January 4, 2008
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Pro Bono program helps the underdog, Calgary Herald
We're enjoying a boom, yet not everyone is revelling in prosperity. Vibrant Communities Calgary's September fact sheet on poverty shows that 94,689 Calgarians received assistance from the food bank in 2006 -- an increase of 50,091 people since 2004.
September 28, 2007
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The Difference Between Food and Rent, Calgary Herald, Letters to the Editor
The government deserves to be thanked for increasing minimum wage; it is a small step in the right direction.
September 7, 2007
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Ramona Johnston, Director of Vibrant Communities Calgary, named one of CalgaryInc. Magazine's Top 40 Under 40
VCC Director Ramona Johnston, currently on maternity leave, is among the class of this year's recipients.

About the Top 40 Under 40: CalgaryInc Magazine's annual list of the Top 40 Calgarians under the age of 40 features young business and community leaders who are excelling in their careers, are giving back to the community, and who, through personal and professional efforts, are raising the profile of Calgary. Each year, CalgaryInc receives hundreds of amazing nominations for this special issue, published each September. Since the program's inception in 1998, over 350 Calgarians have been named to the list, which has become well-known for recognizing the next generation of Calgary's young leaders.

September 1, 2007
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Making Calgary Great: Vibrant Communities, Labour Market News
The slogan of the Calgary and Area United Way says “For a city to be truly great, it must be great for everyone.” And the members of Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC), a non-profit organization that began as a United Way special project and now
operates independently, are determined to make Calgary great.
July 1, 2007
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A Day Late and Four Dollars Short: Critics of Minimum Wage Hike Say $8 Inadequate in Booming economy, Fast Forward Weekly
A minimum wage hike this year will still leave nearly 100,000 Calgarians below the poverty line.
June 28, 2007
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Downside of the Boom, Gauntlet
Only 10 per cent of Albertans have seen direct personal benefits from Alberta's boom, according to a Parkland Institute report.
June 21, 2007
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Boom gone bad?, Fast Forward Weekly
There’s no question the boom has been good for some Calgarians. However, an increasing number of people are in danger of being flattened by the city’s racing economic vehicle, and some have already been run over.
November 2, 2006
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City on track to fund more transit passes, Calgary Herald
The city will look at funding low-income transit passes next year through a special reserve fund, using unbudgeted Calgary Transit revenue driven up by increased ridership.
September 21, 2006
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Council looks for transit fixes, Calgary Herald
With commuters continuing to clamour for more buses and C-Trains, aldermen voted Monday to search for improvements to Calgary's transit service without steep hikes in property taxes.
April 12, 2006
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Minister urged to back cheap transit, Calgary Sun
Backers for affordable public transportation are trying to pave the way to provide provincially subsidized transport for low-income Albertans.
April 12, 2006
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Group wants province to fund city’s low-income transit pass, Fast Forward Weekly
Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC), a non-profit organization aimed at reducing poverty in the city, says it’s concerned about the fate of the city’s new low-income transit pass. The pass came into effect in January and has funding for a year. However, Ramona Johnston, manager of VCC, says the city hasn’t committed to funding after that date.
March 16, 2006
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Employers Desperately Seek Workers At Job Fair, City TV
It's no secret that Calgary is booming and jobs are aplenty. Some employers are so desperate for workers that at a big job and career fair in the city on Saturday, they were hiring people on the spot. But in spite of an abundance of work, it's still a struggle for some to make a living.
October 29, 2005
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Poverty affects us all, Calgary Herald
The meeting place is modest: a room on the upper floor of a Kensington area church.
October 27, 2005
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Pros and cons, Calgary Herald
Re: "Minimum wage hike may have perverse result," Sylvia Leroy, Opinion, Oct. 11. Sylvia Leroy raises some interesting points. Chief among these are that poverty is simply about basic necessities, and that raising low wages would only increase economic hardship for those we intend to help.
October 17, 2005
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Low Income Transit Pass, Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun
A proposal to subsidize transit passes for low-income people with annual grants intended for social agencies is being criticized by those groups.
October 15, 2005
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Trapped, Calgary Herald
Abused Women - New data show 62 per cent of low-wage earners in Calgary over age 25 are women. Imagine you are an abused woman, perhaps not currently living in poverty because of your spouse's income, but knowing that fleeing an abusive home will plunge you and your children into poverty.
October 2, 2005
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Subterfuge, Calgary Herald
Debate - It seems the way to avoid actually addressing the issue of poverty is to debate endlessly the definition.
September 29, 2005
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Lobbying for a living wage, Fast Forward Weekly
A surprisingly high number of Calgarians are struggling to make ends meet in the midst of a major economic boom and it's time to do something about it, says Ramona Johnston, manager of Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC).
September 29, 2005
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Can't be done, Calgary Herald
Low income - Re: "One-quarter with jobs live in poverty," Sept. 26. Recent low wage statistics show that 24 per cent of Calgarians are earning $10 an hour or less and that nearly 55,000 are over the age of 25.
September 28, 2005
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One-quarter with jobs live in poverty, says StatsCan report, Calgary Herald
Nearly one in four employed Calgarians live in poverty, say Statistics Canada figures that debunk accepted beliefs about who the working poor are.
September 26, 2005
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AISH recipients get transit break: City OKs reduced prices in bus passes, Calgary Herald
Calgarians relying on AISH payments to make ends meet will get a break on bus passes starting in August after city council approved $800,000 to pay for the program until the end of the year. However, other low-income residents will have to wait until January while the city figures out how to cover the $2.5-million cost.
June 28, 2005
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City Approves Cut-Rate Passes, Calgary Sun
Low-income bus passes are a go for the city's neediest riders, but other income-challenged citizens will have to wait until next year for a transit price break.
June 28, 2005
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Reduced bus pass needs city top-up: Transit appeals for funding from reserve, Calgary Herald
Calgary Transit is expected to ask council for a one-time top-up from the city's rainy day fund to subsidize low-income transit passes -- a $2.5-million program to help Calgary's working poor.
June 27, 2005
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Low Income Transit Fares, Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun
Six stories appearing between June 10, 2005 and June 20, 2005
June 10, 2005
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City looks at $3.7 million transit break for disabled, Calgary Herald
A proposal to reduce transit passes for AISH recipients to $15 a year would cost the city approximately $3.7 million, say transit officials.
March 17, 2005
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Low-Income Riders Seek Fare Shake, Calgary Sun
An ongoing study of low-income bus passes brought a crowd of cash-strapped Calgarians to city hall yesterday, where they implored aldermen to approve cheap fares.
March 17, 2005
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