Your Rights When Dealing With Collection Agencies

There are many reasons people don't pay their debts — financial setback, poor repayment habits, overspending or sometimes they're just not happy with a product they bought.

Whatever the reason, it's important to communicate with the person who is owed money. When creditors understand the problem, chances are they will work out a reasonable, manageable way for the consumers to repay debts.

The Collection Agencies Act prohibits collection agencies from doing certain things.
A collection agency may not:

• Contact you until six days have passed from sending you written notice of the following:
  • The name of the creditor
  • The balance owing
  • The name of the agency and its authority to demand payment
• Continue to contact you if you did not receive the notice unless a second copy of the written notice is sent to an address provided by you, and then contact may only be made six days after sending notice.
• Contact you if you send a registered letter to the agency saying that you dispute the debt and suggest the matter be taken to court.
• Contact you if you and/or your lawyer notify the agency by registered mail to communicate only with your lawyer, and you provide the lawyer's name, address and telephone number.
• Contact you on Sunday, except between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and on a holiday.
• Contact you other than by ordinary mail more than three times in a seven-day period without your consent, once the agency has actually spoken with you.
• Use threatening, profane, intimidating or coercive language, or use undue, excessive or unreasonable pressure.
• Continue to contact you if you have told them that you are not the person they are looking for unless they take reasonable precautions to ensure you are that person.
• Give false or misleading information to any person.
• Recommend to a creditor that a legal action be commenced against you without first sending you notice.
• Contact your employer except on one occasion to obtain your employment information, unless your employer has guaranteed the debt, the call is in respect of a court order or wage assignment or if you have provided written authorization to contact your employer.
• Contact your spouse, a member of your family or household, or a relative, neighbour or acquaintance except to obtain your address and telephone number unless the person contacted has guaranteed the debt or you have given permission for the person to be contacted.

If a collection agency has engaged in any of these prohibited practices in dealing with you, file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Branch.

Read more about this topic on the Ministry of Consumer Services website.

Saturday's Free Press

Ah, what a beautiful weekend!  I could take a whole summer of weekends like this!  I spent yesterday morning in the bright sunshine, enjoying the company of my squirrel and bird companions reading the Saturday edition of the London Free Press.  I usually turn to the LFP with my coffee for my daily dose of hatred, injustice, and foolishness, but this day -- all the news that was fit to print seemed to jive well with just the kind of weekend this is.

First to the editorials:

Henry Eastabrook, an outreach worker at London InterCommunity Health Centre, and a gentleman I've had the pleasure of meeting on a number of occassions, had a fine letter: "Beg your pardon, but panhandling is legit"

Regarding the article Brakes hit on begging (June 8).

We are deeply concerned about the many local expressions of fear, anger, resentment and confusion that have surfaced regarding the ancient practice of begging or mendicancy in our community.

Mendicancy has been a legitimate form of employment globally for thousands of years, although it has risen significantly since the emergence in the 18th century of industrialization and its cousin, free market capitalism.

With this knowledge of history, we urge those who feel particularly distressed about being asked to give up a few coins to fellow community members who are mendicants to kindly consider the following points.

Given the worsening divide between the wealthiest and the most poverty-stricken in our times, we have no reason to believe bylaws restricting mendicancy will have a positive effect on either side. Joblessness rates in this region have continued to grow. Meanwhile, the social safety net has shrunk to near non-­existence. There is no evidence that cutting provincial welfare rates or eliminating programs that support vulnerable people creates employment opportunities.

The hue and cry for reduced taxes mean the probability of improvements to our social safety net are nil. As we grow increasingly under the influence, politically, economically, socially and culturally of global free markets there is less likelihood that mendicancy will disappear and greater likelihood that more of our fellow citizens will become disabled by chronic joblessness, homelessness and resultant stigma.

Understanding the facts leaves us with two options: support your fellow Londoners who are panhandling (very few of whom are either violent or aggressive and all of whom would prefer a more legitimate means of sustenance) or alter your voting patterns, shop locally and insist politicians and policy makers enhance our social safety net.

Henry Eastabrook

Outreach worker

Poverty, Homelessness and Options Team

London InterCommunity Health Centre

Next up, in response to the last Saturday's front page article by Patrick Maloney, "City hall has bigger issues to fry", and two letters of the 14th which were critical of Coun. Stephen Orser's focus on backyard chickens, there were three very well written arguments which are supportive of permitting urban coops.  Thanks Gina Barber, Roberta Cory, and Larissa Gerow.  I should mention another letter from Friday's issue from Vera van Diepen: "...is shouldn't be a huge surprise that more Londoners want to stay away from buying eggs full of antibiotics from chickens that live tortured lives."

Serena Moro hit the nail right on the head with "Sex editorial got it wrong", responding to John Chambers': Gov't should stay out of our bedrooms.

"This is not, as Chambers suggests, about “consenting adults.” Chambers fails to address — or chooses to ignore — the root causes of prostitution and the socio-economic conditions that force women (and men) into prostitution, often at a young age. Drugs and alcohol are likely involved, as are abuse and male dominance."

Right on Serena!  I invite anyone to look at the facts:

Prostitution - The Facts (The oldest profession - or the oldest oppression? The facts on prostitution speak for themselves)

Normalising prostitution normalises an extreme form of sexual subordination and objectification; it legitimises the existence of an underclass of women and it reinforces male dominance over women.

I also feel the need to give a nod to Sheryl Rooth, who took exception to Joseph Couture's comments in "The add smile wouldn't hurt drivers on LTC". While she agreed with nearly everything that he said, she did take exception to one statement: "Let me fill you in on something. Those of us who ride the bus do so because we are poor and, in case you haven't noticed, we are especially poor in these tough times." Her letter sought to destigmatize bus transit and encourage better treatment of passengers on LTC because it's the right thing to do!

And while we are on the subject of the LTC, isn't it nice to see Deal to make LTC 100% accessible by 2012?(okay, so who was taking a nap and left in the "10%" typo that appeared in the print edition?)  This project is ahead of shedule, and saved $630K!  All good news.

Joe Belanger wrote a kind and thoughtful editorial piece about the situation in his Old East Village neighbourhood: "City's downtrodden deserve help in a more discrete way".  I particularly admired how he appologetically began his column: "I'm about to piss off a lot of people I admire and respect."

I loved the photo of Ryan Craven, et al. illustrating "Exhaust-free fun good for your health".

(This is the second time I've seen his smiling face in the LFP in as many weeks.  I gotta meet this guy!)

Car Free Festival aims to promote the environmental and health benefits of walking, cycling and taking the bus. For more information, go to carfreefest.ca.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CAR FREE FESTIVALS
Kipps Lane community fair, Aug. 20
Old East Village block party, July 16
Wortley Village Car Free, Sept. 11
Summerside Sept. 4

DOWNTOWN CAR FREE FESTIVALS
Where: Dundas St. between Wellington and Ridout streets
When:
June 18-19: Teaming with the Fringe Festival to show snippets of different productions between musical acts.
July 1: Canada Day theme Aug. 6-7: Celebrating the city's diversity.
Sept. 17-18: Teaming with Doors Open London with a focus on Dundas St.

Even the HOMES section had good news!  Dulux Adding Colour to People's Lives program will infuse $1M (the equivalent of about 20,000 gallons of paint) in paint to beautify public structures as well as the buildings of community, charity and non-profit organizations.  www.addingcolour.ca

And finally, I spied a tiny bordered ad in Friday's edition:

AIM HEALTH GROUP WISHES TO

ANNOUNCE THAT

Dr. Emad Henein

Will be relocating his Family Practice to

320 Adelaide Street South, London, ON

as of June 28, 2011

CURRENT AND NEW PATIENTS

WELCOME

Phone: 519-668-3969

TAKE ACTION: Ask Canadian government to support G20 action on food prices to avoid increased hunger

From Make Poverty History:

One in seven people in the world now go to bed hungry every night. Recent food prices could make the crisis even worse.

There is a crucial meeting of Agricultural Ministers from the G20 countries later this month that could take steps to avoid a disaster.

Please join in supporting an online action sponsored by Oxfam Canada by sending an email to Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, calling on him to show leadership at these meetings, and to push for four key policies:

1. Support regional emergency food reserves as a way to build resilience to food price shocks

2. Insist on greater transparency regarding food stocks to curb food price speculation

3. Improve regulation of commodity futures markets to limit excessive speculation  

4. Phase out incentives to use food for fuel

Movement on these four issues could make a real difference to nearly a billion hungry people around the world.

Please click here and send Minister Ritz a message: Canadians want action on world hunger.

For more information on the global food crisis check out the new Oxfam International publication: Growing a Better Future.

Thank you so much for your time and participation.

Dennis Howlett
National Coordinator, Make Poverty History



To read more about this issue, here's a press release from Oxfam:
Rising food prices are changing what we eat

The meeting of G20 Agriculture Ministers is taking place in Paris, France on June 22nd & 23rd
French ag minister outlines plans for G20 meeting

Another news flash on the Commission for Review of Social Assistance in Ontario

Another news flash on the Commission for Review of Social Assistance in Ontario

 

I just got an email from ISARC with the list of 11 cities that will be included in the Commission review this summer: 

 

List of Cities and dates (where known)

 

Windsor (June 28)
Hamilton (July 4)
Niagara (July 5)
Toronto (being negotiated for early-mid July)
Peterborough (July 13)
Peel (July 25)
Kingston
London (which we know is June 29th)Ottawa
Thunder Bay
Timmins

 

Led by Frances Lankin and Munir A. Sheikh, the Commission is charged with examining social assistance in Ontario through engagement, research and analysis to provide the government with a concrete action plan to improve the system for the people who need it.

 

http://www.socialassistancereview.ca/home?language=en_CA

50 Actionable Ideas for Canadian Prosperity

From a recent newsletter from the Tamarack Institute:

Canadians imagine their society as one which allows anyone with drive and ambition to reach his or her potential, regardless of socio-economic, religious or cultural background. But good public policy - grounded in community input - is needed to make this vision a reality. Maytree, a foundation that promotes equity and prosperity through leadership, recently published a report entitled Charting Prosperity: Practical Ideas for a Stronger Canada which outlines more than 50 practical policy proposals developed by its partners and grantees for realizing this vision. The policy ideas it promotes include:

• Making refundable the caregiver and infirm dependant tax credits;
• Creating a $2 million learning fund (over five years) to promote cross-community exchange for poverty reduction;
• Adopting a national action plan to combat human trafficking;
• Ending the low-skilled temporary foreign worker program; and
• Eliminating processing fees for refugees

Using an approach that Alan Broadbent, Chairman of Maytree, calls the “essential I’s” of public policy: Ideas, Investments and Instruments, these practical proposals are ready to be implemented by policymakers. Each recommendation includes details about why it is important, what specific investments should be made and what needs to happen for the change to be implemented.

Related Links:

• Download and read Charting Prosperity: Practical Ideas for a Stronger Canada
• Watch the Charting Prosperity webinar with Alan Brodbent, Chairman, Maytree and Sherri Torjman, VP, Caledon Institute of Social Policy
• Visit the Maytree Foundation website
• Find more ideas for creating a civil society

Salvation Army Report Reveals Public Perceptions about the Nation’s Homeless

Salvation Army Report Reveals Public Perceptions about the Nation’s Homeless


Here's a link to the 12 page PDF file of the report

The Salvation Army is highlighting the issue of homelessness this month as part of its annual May Red Shield Campaign and the ongoing Dignity Project.

Key findings include:

• Approximately 40 percent of Canadians believe that most homeless people want to live on the street and in shelters.
• Almost 30 percent of Canadians believe that a good work ethic is all you need to escape homelessness.
• Nearly one-fifth of Canadians believe that individuals experiencing homelessness are always to blame for the situation they are in.
• 43 percent of Canadians never give money to a homeless person on the street.
• 40 percent believe that most homeless people are mentally ill.
• More than one-third of Canadians are scared of homeless people.

Also:

• Nearly all of the respondents believe that individuals experiencing homelessness deserve a sense of dignity.
• 93 percent agree that no one in Canada should be homeless.
• 86 percent of Canadians believe that housing is fundamental right for all Canadians.
• 75 percent acknowledge that once you become homeless it is exceptionally difficult to get into housing

“The people of Canada have spoken and revealed much about their attitudes and perceptions about the nation’s homeless,” said Commissioner William Francis, leader of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. “We hope that through this report and the Dignity Project, we can continue to educate and inspire the public and work towards a Canada without homelessness.”

Social Assistance Review Commission invites feedback on first discussion paper

The Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario has now released and invited feedback on its first Discussion Paper. The Discussion Paper: Issues and Ideas, and a short version, Summary and Workbook, are now available on the website: www.socialassistancereview.ca

The Commission will be travelling around Ontario through the summer to meet with groups in formal consultations. They have prepared the Workbook for people to use as a tool to provide input, and a Guide for hosting community conversations on the issues. The deadline for input in this first round of consultations is September 1.

The Commission will be visiting London on June 29th.  I'll share the details as they become available, but consider this your "Hold the Date" notice. 

Good jobs a lifeline for people with mental illness

Good jobs a lifeline for people with mental illness
Dr. Kwame McKenzie
Toronto Star
May 28, 2011

The hightlights:

"Living with the stigma and symptoms of a severe mental health problem is challenging enough. But they have to add to that the social isolation that comes with being jobless. Many people with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses do not work, and many have been told they cannot work. Yet an interesting thing happens when they do find employment — their health improves.

Study after study has confirmed that a good job is good for their health. Their quality of life goes way up. Their use of health services goes way down.

Almost half of provincial government resources are spent on health care. When we find a proven formula for improving health and reducing use of health-care services, we should be doing everything possible to implement it. But this is not what we are doing. We are not doing enough to find jobs for people with serious mental health problems and we penalize those who battle prejudice and actually succeed in finding jobs for themselves."

A related story:

 

Penalized for working? Disabled lose 50 cents on every dollar earned

Laurie Monsebraaten

Toronto Star

May 24th, 2011

 

The highlights:

 

"Like everyone who receives a monthly cheque from Ontario's disability support program, Sharon Burfind loses 50 cents on every dollar she earns in her part-time job.

The meagre amount of earnings she and other disabled people keep then triggers higher costs for other help they receive, such as subsidized rent, child care and student loan repayments.

"The rational person would say 'What’s the point of working?'" says Burfind, 60. "The majority of people work to get ahead, not to get behind."
Earning rules and administrative practices are one of the reasons why those who rely on Ontario's welfare system for the disabled are 11 times more likely to be unemployed than the average Ontarian, says a new report by advocates for the mentally ill."

June 20th is World Refugee Day

Approximately 2500 immigrants arrive in London each year, and of those, about 27% are refugees. I've personally been privileged and profoundly moved by learning about the first hand lived experiences directly from some of London's newest citizens, most recently through the "Linking Cultures" program at Fanshawe College.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

The Central Library is hosting a few events to mark this occassion.  On Friday June 17th, from 6-9:30pm Life as a Refugee: Resilience Awards in the Stevenson & Hunt room.

We will be joined by Special Guests, including our esteemed keynoted speakers, lawyer Barbara Jackman who’s work in the 1985 Singh Decision ensured fundamental rights for refugee claimants in Canada and Dr. Ayman Al-Yassini currently the Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

Help us recognize London’s finest, with the presentation of the 1st Annual Resilience Awards, honouring London’s Refugees and Refugee Allies who have continually dedicated themselves to making London a welcoming home to all.

Please Join Us!
Light Refreshments available.
Child-minding is available, upon request. To request child-minding services, please email us directly at least 3 days before the event.
Event is Free to the Public.

And then on  Saturday June 18^th from 10:00am to 2:00pm Life as a Refugee: Family Day

The partner agencies of the REAL initiative have organized a public event which promises fun for the whole family! In the morning, enjoy arts and cultural performances by local multicultural groups. After a break for a variety of tasty treats representing foods from around the world, join workshops to learn more about “Life as a Refugee” in London, Ontario with panelists from all walks of life.

Children and youth can enjoy games and crafts run by Youth Workers from local agencies and with the support and guidance of local refugee youth. Take the whole family through interactive displays which highlight the various challenges that refugees who resettle in London encounter when trying to start a new life in Canada.

This event is free to the public. More information about the performers, artists and panelists to follow.

Life as a Refugee: Family Day!

Various Rooms, London Public Library’s Central Branch

251 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

Email Us at info@realhub.ca

Settlement Services at Public Libraries

Starting in July, settlement services will be expanded to Stoney Creek, East London, Cherryhill, Pond Mills, and Westmount branches of the public library for the summer, staffed by SWIS (Settlement Workers in Schools) workers.

Year round, Library Settlement Workers are at 4 libraries in London and speak a variety of languages to help newcomers find information and help in London. Call each location to find out their hours.
You can get information about:

• careers, employment and volunteer opportunities such as ERC, Job Connect, WIL, Goodwill Career Centre, Pillar, Access Centre
• language learning and assessment such as ESL classes, LINC classes, conversation circles, TOEFL preparation, ESL book clubs
• library materials in many languages
• basic computer classes
• public library computers
• income tax clinics
• housing
• schools and education, including government programs and continuing education
• health care, incl. doctors, walk-in medical clinics and dentists
• legal issues, incl. lawyers, legal aid, Neighbourhood Legal Services
• immigration issues, incl. family sponsorships, reunification, applying for permanent residency

Beacock Branch 519-451-8140
Central Branch 519-661-4600
Jalna Branch 519-685-6465
Sherwood Branch 519-473-9965



London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership (LMIP) is a one-stop website to help newcomers move to our community, gett settled and start a new life.  The website highlight life in London and Middlesex County and links to programs and services for employment, education, housing, health care, childcare, recreation and culture, and key provincial and federal resources.

Networking for an Inclusive Community (NIC) is a group of representatives and volunteers from organizations who provide service to newcomers in London and Middlesex. NIC was started about 8 years ago and has over 140 organizations in its membership. NIC provides education and networking opportunities through half day and full day workshops.

The London and Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership (LMLIP) is a collaborative community initiative which is designed to strengthen the role of local and regional communities in serving and integrating immigrants.

Mental Health & Addiction Services - An Overlooked Health Crisis

Ontario’s overlooked health crisis
Carol Goar
Toronto Star
June 7, 2011

Some hightlights:

"The best place in the province to get mental health and addiction services is Thunder Bay. Its regional health authority allocates 7.8 per cent of its spending to these services. It takes four days to be assigned a “case manager” who provides one-on-one support (compared with 66 days in Toronto). You can get into supportive housing in 90 days (377 days in Toronto).

The worst place to look for help is Hamilton. Its regional health unit spends just 2.3 per cent of its budget — $56 per capita — on services and support for people with psychiatric problems.

“Treatment for mental health and addiction issues right now is determined by your postal code,” says Mary Alberti, who heads the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario. She doesn’t think that’s right. She doesn’t think most Ontarians would tolerate this level of disparity, if they knew.

But they don’t. The public is unaware of the gaps and inequities in the province’s mental health system. The average citizen has no idea what services are available in his or her community, let alone others."



Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Alliance launches election campaign
CMHA Mental Health Notes
June 2, 2011

Briefly:

The new Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Alliance (the Alliance) launched its provincial election campaign this week with the release of four key recommendations for Ontario's political parties, which include:

1. Ensure a comprehensive core basket of mental health and addictions services, equally available to all Ontarians;
2. Focus on those at greatest risk, starting with children and youth;
3. Ensure individuals with serious mental illness and addictions have access to supportive housing to support their recovery;
4. Mobilize leadership to ensure Ontario's addictions and mental health strategy is effective.

To learn more about the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Alliance, and their provincial election campaign, go to their website http://www.vote4mha.ca/

Download the Full Report

Joe Fontana: Pulling the plug on panhandling

An article in the June 9th London Metro: Pulling the plug on panhandling

Mayor pledges to crack down on street panhandlers

Debate stirs over usefulness of fining them

“These people need help, and you don’t do it by essentially being forced to give.”

mayor Joe Fontana

Blogger Aaron Robb recently posted about an act of compassion to a median man begging for help.

London Free Press June 8, 2011 Brakes hit on begging
SOLICITING: Charges are up against London street panhandlers, who - besides the threat of fines and even jail - risk traffic dangers.
I thought this article was interesting because the reporter went and talked to median man Brian Simpson.  The video is well worth a watch.

You know, I'm not sure about how I feel about this issue.  I listened to a news story on CBC radio, interviewing a London Police officer regarding ticketing panhandlers who beg from intersection medians.  My knee jerk reaction was to be angry that this is even a necessary part of anyone's life in a country as wealthy as Canada.  However, I felt the police officer carefully explained the risks to the both the panhandler and other drivers -- just as Aaron described in his blog, the man in the van sat through part of a green light.  If you have one or more drivers behind you anxious to get through the light, then I can see where it is an accident waiting to happen.  (I've witnessed quite a few impatient drivers in London -- heck, I married to one!).  Furthermore, I was impressed that the police officer was sensitive to the issues of poverty and homelessness, and suggested that if you wanted to help a person, then you should pull off the road safely first. 

Here's what OCAP has to say about Ontario's Safe Streets Act.

Free Chronic Pain Forum Tomorrow

I read about this is the June 9th issue of London Metro.

A free public chronic pain forum will be held in London on Monday night. 

The Canadian Pain Coalition is hosting the event.  Physiotherapist Gloria Gilbert of The Downtown Clinic will be the speaker. 

She will discuss the importance of exercise and provide suggestions on how to incorporate movement into daily life.

The forum will be held at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn Conference Centre at 591 Wellington Road from 6:45pm to 8:15pm.

For further information and to register, call 1-800-387-8781 ext 2857. Please leave your name, the number of guests who will attend the session and a call back number.

Download the flyer.

Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities provides funding for national, regional and local projects that assist people with disabilities in preparing for and finding employment or self-employment, as well as acquiring the skills necessary to maintain that new employment.
The Opportunities Fund supports a variety of activities to help people with disabilities.  These activities may include:

• helping individuals start their own business;
• helping individuals increase their job skills;
• helping individuals to integrate into the workplace through services that meet their special needs; and
• encouraging employers to provide individuals with work opportunities and experience.

Delivered by: Service Canada on behalf of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

Types of funding

The Opportunities Fund offers three categories of funding for projects involving eligible activities:

• Financial Assistance for Individuals
• Funding for Employers and Organizations for Local and Regional Projects
• Funding for Organizations for National Projects

How funding works

Financial assistance for individuals as well as funding for local and regional projects are delivered through local Service Canada Centres, or through a service provider contracted by the local office. Service Canada offices determine the types of funding that best meet the needs of local communities, and may offer different mixes of eligible activities, which may change from year to year.
Funding for National Projects is distributed by means of a Call for Proposals.

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/of/index.shtml

I got  the information about this program while at the OMSSA Conference this week.  I specifically asked the Service Canada reps if the applicant had to provide medical evidence of disability, and they said no, that it was a matter of self-identifying.

I'll be doing more research on this puppy -- stay tuned!

Community Harvest London

Community Harvest London is a joint program of the London Food Bank and the Ontario Association of Food Banks. The London Food Bank, now in its 24th year continues to look for new and innovative way to help a caring community share its food resources.

With the addition of Community Harvest London the London Food Bank is able to enhance the variety and nutritional value of the food provided to clients.

	Community Harvest Ontario is a province wide initiative that seeks to increase access to fresh, local, nutritious produce for the most vulnerable members of our community. By working together with local farms and volunteer groups, they hope to be able to provide our neighbours facing hunger with healthy food options, in the continuing efforts to create a healthier, hunger-free Ontario.

Volunteers are needed!

If you or your group is interested in becoming involved with Community Harvest London, Please contact Josh at the London Food bank. Volunteers are needed on an ongoing basis to assist with the harvest of various fruits, vegetables, and berries as they become available.

Some links:

"Like" Community Harvest on Facebook

Community Harvest Ontario

www.LostMyJob.ca

I picked up a postcard advertising this website recently.  It's amazing!  If you are looking for work, or work at helping others find work, it's well worth a visit.

From the "About Us" page:

"During the past months, many people have experienced the devastating experience of losing their job as a result of tough economic times, and they are struggling to cope with the emotional and financial impact of unemployment.  LostMyJob.ca is an interactive, peer support site that allows people to share their experience, learn from each other, and ask the advice of experts about job searching, finances, health, and family as they wind their way back into employment.  

LostMyJob.ca will operate with the highest level of integrity and promises all visitors complete confidentiality and respect.

We thank you for visiting LostMyJob.ca and encourage you connect to the site daily for continued support as you travel your journey."

The Tenant’s Guide to Mould

Mould is a HUGE problem in many of the rental units in London.  I came across this comprehensive article about this issue here: The Tenant’s Guide to Mould. At the end of this article, there's a list of more helpful links on the same topic.  Knowledge is power!

If you, or a tenant you know is having a mould problem, here is a fantastic article about how to ask your landlord to look after this problem. How to Ask Your Landlord to Fix a Mould Problem

Finally, for everything you need to know about the law which applies to rental properties, you can check out the CLEO website.  Here's the link about Maintenance and Repairs.



I discovered the first link on http://www.shscorp.ca/ - The Social Housing Services Corporation.  Check out the Resources link for more helpful informotion.

Conferences, Training, Classes, Meetings -- OH MY!

This past six weeks or so has been a blur for me.  My calendar has been jam packed with all sorts of events where I've met many great people, and learned very valuable information.  I feel privileged to have had all of these opportunities given to me. 

I'm committing today to sorting through the pounds of reference materials, gleaning the choicest bits, and organizing it all into a useable state.  I want to review my notes, check into all the websites that I have been told are "must see", write some thank you notes to some of the good folks who inspired me with their ideas, and  fulfill my obligations to the people I promised to forward resources to.  (Networking ROCKS!)

While I'm doing this -- you can expect to see numerous and frequent updates to this blog.  Prepare yourself!

Evidence rules leave disabled Canadian girls open to sex abuse

From a Vancouver Sun article, here are the highlights:

"Canadian girls and women with disabilities are up to 10 times more likely to be sexually assaulted or exploited than other girls and women. Overwhelmingly, their attackers are the people they trust most.

During their lifetimes, research suggests, 83 per cent of women with disabilities are sexually abused; 80 per cent of female psychiatric in-patients will be physically or sexually assaulted.

Before they turn 18, 40 to 70 per cent of girls with intellectual disabilities will be sexually exploited.

In three out of four cases, the assailants are doctors, teachers, parents and caregivers, or the friends of those trusted individuals."

Click this link for the full article.

OW cheques and the Rotating Postal Strike

Make no mistake -- this blog writer is PRO-union and I support my CUPW Brothers and Sisters!

In anticipation of a national postal strike, the City of London has mailed out June Ontario Works cheques. For people who receive their Ontario Works payments through direct bank deposit, payments will continue as usual.

In the event of a strike, Ontario Works recipients are still required to report income and changes to their circumstances. Recipients can pick up and drop off the necessary reporting forms at the Ontario Works Office.

Information can also be dropped off at the following locations:
     -- Market Tower, 151 Dundas St.;
     -- South London Community Resource Centre, 1119  Jalna Blvd.;
     -- Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre, 150 King Edward Ave.;
     -- Carling Heights Community Centre, 656 Elizabeth St.;
     -- North London Optimist Centre, 1345 Cheapside St.;
     -- Canada Games Aquatic Centre, 1045 Wonderland Rd. North

Ontario Works clients with questions or concerns can contact their caseworker or phone 519-661-4520.

Department Of Community Services Ontario Works - London

FAQs: 8 things to know about the postal strike

ISARC's new 2011 Election Kit

ISARC Executive Director Michael Skaljin is pleased to make available  a copy of the newly written Provincial Election Kit 2011.

The kit consists of the following sections:

Introduction
Backgrounder on Poverty Issues
Livable Incomes: 
   Real opportunity to get ahead
Sustainable Employment: 
    Making work pay for everyone
A Place to Live, A Place to Call Home
Strong and Supportive Communities
Meeting with Your Provincial Candidate
All Candidates Meetings
Using the Media
Candidate Report Card
Introductory Letter to MPP Thank You Letter to MPP

The kit is in a pdf version for your download and use.

The long view: Frances Lankin co-chairs a massive review of Ontario's social support structure

The highlights:

"Public policy," says Frances Lankin, "is not an exercise in sheer logic."

So call it an exercise in endurance, or an experiment in stamina. Lankin brings both qualities to her new role as co-commissioner of Ontario's Social Assistance Review Committee, a massive policy meditation spelled out in the province's 2008 Poverty Reduction Strategy. Lankin -- erstwhile provincial NDP cabinet minister and the former head of United Way Toronto who oversaw publication of the organization's seminal Poverty by Postal Code -- is joined by Dr. Munir Sheik, an economist and the former head of Statistics Canada.

The two of them will be mining programs like Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). They'll examine the policy interface between different levels of government. They'll cut through the reams of red tape embodied in the approximately 800 rules bureaucrats and applicants have to navigate to access or disseminate benefits. Meetings have been ramping up in the past couple months. Come June 2012, the commission will deliver a set of recommendations, possibly to a government of a different political stripe than the one that commissioned their work."

Click here to see the full article.

CLEO launches Services Map: Helping you find legal and community services in Ontario

CLEO is launching a Services Map, an interactive map of contact information for key legal and social service organizations across Ontario.

CLEO is launching this pilot version of our Services Map on CLEONet to gather user feedback as they work to integrate it into "Your Legal Rights". Launching in the fall of 2011, the "Your Legal Rights" website will include CLEONet's extensive collection of legal information resources, breaking news, public legal education training webinars, as well as new features, including:

• Services Map: An interactive map of contact information for key legal and social service organizations across Ontario.
• Common Questions: Questions and answers to everyday legal problems that guide users to more in-depth resources on the web site.

In the coming months CLEO will continue to contact organizations across Ontario to confirm that the information on the Services Map is correct and to gather information about services to add to the growing database.

http://www.cleonet.ca/services/

Transforming Ontario Works: An Information Symposium

Income Security Advocacy Centre and the Toronto legal aid clinic system's Social Assistance Action Committee (SAAC) recently partnered to host two information sessions on critical issues that will arise in the course of the Social Assistance Review.

The first session, "Transforming Ontario Works", was held in March 2011 to explore issues around the transition "from welfare to work".
The presentations were video taped, and these can be viewed on the ISAC website. Use this link to view Power Point presentations from each of the speakers - Michael Mendelson, of the Caledon Institute, John Stapleton, of Open Policy Ontario, and Lisa Philipps, of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.

Anti-Hate Resources in London : Police-reported hate crimes up 42 per cent in 2009

The highlights:

"Because not all victims come forward to police, StatsCan said the 2009 police-reported total "likely undercuts" the true number of hate crimes that occurred across the country that year.

Statistics Canada said 54 per cent of the hate crimes reported to police in 2009 were motivated by race or ethnicity, which was more than cases in which victims were targeted because of their religion (29 per cent) or sexual orientation (13 per cent).

Four in 10 police-reported hate crimes were violent in nature, while 54 per cent involved mischief offences, such as graffiti or vandalism."

Here's a link to the full article.

LUSO Community Services offers programs to community groups, organizations and schools to address issues of racism, bullying, hate and bias activity and discrimination. 

London Police Service Youth Crime Unit are responsible for the investigation of hate-motivated crimes. These officers liaise regularly with community organizations, including the London Urban Alliance, in their efforts to eradicate hate-crime. The philosophy of the Unit has been to thoroughly investigate all reports of hate-motivated crime, with the understanding that even seemingly isolated incidents of criminal activity can have broader implications for the community at large.

Anti-Hate, Anti-Bias Hotline The Hate Helpline is a confidential service that offers support in the form of informationfi dential service that offers support in the form of information and referrals to people who have experienced or witnessed hate-motivated activity, bias, or discrimination due to factors such as gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, ethnicity, family status, and race. If you or someone you know has experienced prejudice or hate, please call the Hate Helpline to make a report and/or access support.
Hate Helpline: (519) 951-1584

London’s Diversity and Race Relations Advisory Committee (LDRRAC) is dedicated to making London an inclusive, safe, and equitable community for the benefit of all community members. As a committee of individuals appointed by City Council, to provide leadership on matters related to diversity, inclusivity, equity and the elimination of discrimination in the City of London.

Hennessy's Index: A number is never just a number : June 2011: Minimum vs Living Wage

• $8.75

  Minimum hourly wage in B.C. Lowest in Canada, but scheduled to rise to $10.25 in May 2012. (Source)

• $18.81

  Hourly pay needed to make a living family wage in Vancouver. (Source)

• 25

  Percentage of couples with children in Greater Vancouver who earn less than the living wage income. (Source)

• Three

  Number of financial institutions in Canada that pay a living wage: VanCity Credit Union, Community Savings Credit Union and CCEC Credit Union. (Source)

• One

  Number of municipalities in Canada to adopt a living wage policy for all city staff: New Westminster, B.C. Other municipalities are considering following suit. (Source)

• $11
  

  Minimum hourly wage in Nunavut. The highest in Canada. (Source)

• $10.25

  Ontario’s minimum hourly wage. The second highest in Canada. (Source)

• $16.60

  Hourly wage needed in 2008 for couples with two young children living in the Greater Toronto Area to earn a living wage. (Source)

• 140

  Number of municipal living wage policy/bylaws passed in the U.S. since 1994. (Source)

• One

  Number of Olympic games committed to pay a living wage: the London Olympics 2012. (Source)

• One

  Number of provinces or territories that index minimum wage to inflation every year: Yukon, for the city of Whitehorse. (Source)

 

Here's the much more esthetically pleasing pdf:

http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office/2011/06/HENNESSY%20INDEX%20JUNE%202011.pdf

Can it be true that so few financial institutions pay a living wage?  It's well worth a look at the source material:

May 24, 2011 12:30 ET

Vancity Becomes the Largest Organization in Canada to Adopt Living Wage Policy

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - May 24, 2011) - As Canada's largest credit union celebrates its 65th anniversary, it is timely that Vancity sets a precedent as the largest organization in Canada to become a Living Wage Employer. A living wage is different than the minimum wage; it reflects an income a family provider must bring home in order to meet their basic living needs.

Vancity announced today that all of its employees and service providers will benefit from their commitment to the Living Wage policy. Vancity is joining a growing number of employers being certified under Metro Vancouver's Living Wage Employer Program who have recognized the social and economic benefits of paying a living wage.

Approximately 25% of couples with children in Greater Vancouver live below the Living Wage level. The current minimum wage in British Columbia is $8.75 per hour, the current hourly living wage for Metro Vancouver is $18.81 per hour.

"Paying a living wage to our employees and service providers will help make families stronger and communities healthier. British Columbia has the highest cost of living yet the lowest minimum wage in Canada," said Tamara Vrooman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vancity. "We want to be part of a community that invests in the long-term prosperity of individuals and the economy."