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B.C. poverty reduction starts with committee

28 members, budget of $1.2 million for consultation
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MLA Mable Elmore, Social Development Minister Shane Simpson and UNBC social work professor Dawn Hemingway announce public consultation on a poverty reduction plan, Oct. 30, 2017. (Black Press)

The B.C. NDP government has launched its long-promised project to create a poverty reduction plan with annual targets, announcing a 28-member advisory committee to gather input around the province.

Social Development Minister Shane Simpson announced that the committee is co-chaired by Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore and Dawn Hemingway, chair of the social work department at the University of Northern B.C. Simpson said the committee has 28 members and a budget of $1.2 million to conduct forums and consultation across the province.

Social Development Minister Shane Simpson announced that the committee is co-chaired by Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore and Dawn Hemingway, chair of the social work department at the University of Northern B.C. Simpson said the committee has 28 members and a budget of $1.8 million to conduct forums and consultation across the province.

The committee has a website at and will gather input until March 2018.

The NDP governmentÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s first move to tackle poverty was a $100-a-month increase to social assistance rates that took effect in September. Simpson other steps were removing fees for adult basic education and English language courses, and making post-secondary tuition free for young people coming out of B.C.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s foster care system.

Committee members include:

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Cheryl Casimir a member of the Ktunaxa Nation near Cranbrook and former director of treaty, lands and resources for the Ktunaxa Tribal Council

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Queenie Choo, CEO of SUCCESS, the largest non-profit social service organization in B.C.

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Trish Garner, an employee of the B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition and a supporter of Raise the Rates, an an anti-poverty activist group in East Vancouver

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Wes Hewittt, executive director of the Port Alberni Shelter Society

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Murry Krause, a former city councillor in Prince George and past president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Hillary Marks, a peer-support worker for the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness and a shelter worker at Our Place Society

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Rosanna McGregor, executive director of the Cariboo Friendship Society in Williams Lake

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ John Millar, a retired physician and former vice-president of the Canadian Institute for Health Information

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Tabitha Naismith, a national board member at ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Stephanie Smith, president of the B.C. Government and Services EmployeesÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™ Union

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Stacey Tyers, a poverty law advocate and city councillor from Terrace

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Leslie Varley, a member of the NisgaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™a Nation and former Indigenous health specialist at Provincial Health Services Authority





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