Editor:
I want to congratulate Canmore Town Council for voting unanimously on Tuesday, April 17 to endorse the Action to End Poverty in Alberta Campaign (www.actiontoendpovertyinalberta.org).
This initiative encourages our provincial government to adopt a preventative poverty reduction strategy. And, in doing so, Canmore joins other municipalities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Leduc, Airdrie, Lethbridge and many more.
Poverty exists in every community and Canmore is no exception. We have people with disabilities barely scraping by; single parents struggling with the cost of living; families relying on the foodbank for sustenance while dozens of kids rely on a school food program as their families cannot afford to send them with a lunch; as well as homeless, abused and transients within our community.
However, we cannot fully and compassionately address the situation until we adequately assess the situation. This involves the community gathering to share knowledge and perspectives.
To this end, I also want to congratulate the people at St. Michael’s Anglican Church for deciding to take a leadership role in facilitating a community discussion in Canmore with respect to poverty. On Monday, May 14, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., St. Michael’s will host members from various walks in the community to explore the status of poverty in Canmore. We will share what is being done, what we see that needs to be done, and how we may collaborate with one another.
I am pleased that on April 17, Town council also unanimously voted to appoint a councillor to participate in the May 14 gathering at St. Michael’s. Further, I will facilitate the discussion and Mr. Joe Ceci, co-ordinator for Action to End Poverty in Alberta, will be in attendance to make a presentation kicking off the day.
Working together, the people and organizations of Canmore can identify issues affecting our most vulnerable citizens that need to be addressed. Doing so benefits everyone, as poverty has proven to be a drain on health care and social systems, a source of social problems and taxing on the justice system, as well as affecting the overall economic productivity of a community.
So, recognizing the value of addressing poverty in Canmore, I want to offer my sincere thanks to St. Michael’s and the Town council.
Members of the general public are welcome to attend the gathering on May 14 (at no cost) by sending an RSVP to me at [email protected]
Sean Krausert,
Canmore
