Shades of Edmonton: My Neighbours Outside

In Edmonton…

One out of every 8 Edmontonians live in poverty

Aboriginal people, recent immigrant/refugees, low income workers, women, children and the youth are the most at risk of poverty.

You are more likely to live in poverty if you are of African descent, followed by people of West Asian, and Middle Eastern origins.

My Neighbours Outside

It was a Thursday, freezing cold outside, in the fantastic city of Edmonton, on a busy day at work. It was noon, I had to go downstairs to pickup the mails. I opened the door and was greeted by the words, “we are not doing anything, just warming up”. I looked down and saw a man clinging to the wall to make way for me. He is my nieghbour outside, looking for warmth inside, or call him homeless. I squeezed by, picked up my mails and went back to my office without saying a word. For sure I appreciated the warmth of my office more than ever, seeing others outside in freezing conditions. Minutes later, a Diversity Centre tenant bumped in, “…Frankline have you seen the man on the stairs…,” I interrupted, “Yes…let me use the washroom I will be back”. I went back to my office after she was gone but a team member of mine welcomed me back with, “…as I was climbing up the stairs, I saw a man…”. Instantly I knew she was going there again and I interrupted, “…yes I saw him…we have to start sharing this flier let me take one last look…”. Every day that it is freezing cold outside, I go through this routine. I squeezed pass these neighbours of mine all the time as I go out to write about the stories of others, far and near, even in different cities, but not theirs.

Today I want to share their stories.  I now begin to recognize them and occasionally they come in asking for food, drinks, money, or a place to warm up, and sometimes asked for work to earn some money to buy food. I do understand that their situation is a mix of homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health. What I don’t understand is why people will be out in below 35 degrees Celsius in a city I have come to know as fantastic Edmonton, with one of the best economy in Canada, some of the most friendly and supportive people in the world, in one of the richest countries on the planet, but have people lining the streets in temperatures under 35. I do know of the fantastic work that the Hope Mission, the Mustard Seed, Boyle Street and many others do in tough conditions, but seeing this people on the street mean that a fast growing Edmonton as a community, still has some work to do on the worst forms of poverty. Edmonton’s rapid growth has been driven by a strong economy. According to Statistics Canada, since 2000, metro Edmonton has added 248,400 jobs, an increase of 50.6%. With a median age of 36.0 in 2011, Edmonton is Canada’s youngest major city. Despite a rapidly aging national population, Edmonton is the only major city that actually got younger between 2006 (median age 36.1).

My neighbours outside are the faces of poverty in an economic progressive Edmonton. They are at the very bottom of the poverty ladder, complexed by drugs addiction, and mental health. Above that level, are those with no skills or talents, do low paying jobs and struggle to go by. Also overlooking this category are those with talents and skills but either cannot find jobs or their talents, skills, experiences, and accomplishments are not recognized in Canada for one and only one reason, because they did that abroad. Today, I will not talk about those who have good paying jobs, successful people, and those who manage them, and those who create these jobs. These are the shades of Edmonton.

At an event to end homelessness that I attended in Fort McMurray, I stopped by a table with two lovely ladies and asked what brought them to the event. I expected to hear something  like they were bored or just want to keep busy and came out to the event. But they shocked me by saying, “…we were ones homeless…”. Curious to know what made them homeless, they said they lost their jobs and could not find support and landed on the streets. They ask for their identity to be concealed such that their families will not know. Now they have full time employment, supporting other homeless. That brought memories of one of my neighbours outside who told me that he used to be a carpenter and when there was no work, he picked bottles to survive with his girlfriend, and since that is just for food, he became homeless.

Some Poverty Research in Edmonton

The lower you are down the poverty ladder, the easier it is to slide into homelessness and related ills. According to a report by the Edmonton Social Planning Council on the Profile of Poverty in Edmonton, published in 2015, the city of Edmonton has a disproportionately high low income rate compared to suburban communities within metro Edmonton. In 2012, 100,870 persons lived in low income in the city of Edmonton, a rate of 12.3%. This included 44,200 persons in low income couple families, 30,600 persons in lone-parent families and 26,070 single adults. The highest poverty rate is experienced by lone-parent families, followed by single adults and then couple families. Since 2000, there has been a modest reduction in poverty rates across all family types.

The Edmonton Social Planning Council Report also shared that; Aboriginal people, recent immigrant/refugees, low income workers, women, children and youth are the most at risk of poverty. The report added, “…Reflecting Edmonton’s strong economy, recent immigrants who have settled here in the last five years have employment rates almost as high as non-immigrants (Canadian born). Yet they earn significantly lower incomes. Finding a job is less of a problem for recent immigrants than finding a job that pays well and matches their qualifications and abilities. At 28.6%, people of ethnic origins from African countries have the highest prevalence of low income (poverty) followed by those with West Asian and Middle Eastern origins at 21.2%”.

The Report outlined that, “The City of Edmonton’s ability to significantly move the needle on ending poverty is limited. Most of the required investment needs to be made by other orders of government. Yet there are three specific measures that can be taken in the short-term as a demonstration of leadership in ending poverty. These are: Implementing a discounted transit pass priced at the same level as the existing; assured income for the severely handicapped (AISH ); transit pass for all low income Edmontonians regardless of income source; ensuring sufficient land and suitable sites for affordable housing including designating some of the surplus school sites and reserving land in all new neighbourhoods for this purpose; and implementing a living wage for City contracted services to ensure someone working full-time for the entire year does not live in poverty.

Increased Public Transport Fares Could Further Sparks Poverty

Currently, Edmonton City Council is deliberating on fares for buses and LRT. If City Council approves proposed  raises in the fares of bus and LRT, a single trip on the bus or LRT will cost $4 by 2021, the highest in Canada. The Social Planning Council Report was very clear that many of Edmonton’s low income residents rely on public transit. They are challenged in their ability to affordably get to and from places of employment.

This week, nine Edmonton’s Civic Boards are recruiting 22 new volunteer members to bring their experience, share their passion, and shape Edmonton’s future. Guess what? One of those Boards is the Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board (ETSAB). It provides advice to City Council and City Administration on issues relating to public transit; Council support for implemented ETS airport service, proposal to introduce a low-income transit passes, recommendations to City Council on the budget, input on the development of a Transit Strategy and ETSAB continues to monitor progress on significant developments such as the expansion of the LRT and work of the Greater Capital Region.

What Can You Do for Neighbours Outside

I could only see the Civic Boards volunteer opportunities on the City website, Facebook, LinkeIn and Twitter pages, very limited in reaching out to minorities and the poorer shades of fantastic Edmonton, who may be affected by the decisions of some of the Boards. What ever help we can get to neighbours outside, will be similar to the help we get ourselves each day as every human need is the same. It comes down to; food, shelter, clothing and in a modern society, I will add a mode of transport. It can only vary in quality or affordability, depending on your shade, no more; what ever car you drive, food you eat, drink you take, or house you live in.