Mayor Nenshi recently announced plans for a concerted Public Engagement process for the next budget cycle. With assistance from professional facilitators, Dialogue Partners, Calgarians will be asked what’s important to them through face-to-face opportunities, resources to host conversations, and online media. This engagement process is a way for all Calgarians to act as problem solvers by having their ideas heard and discussed by decision-makers in the city.

Low-income Calgarians already have a number of ideas laid out and ready to share. Thanks to some very dedicated people from a coalition known as Poverty Talks!, hundreds of low-income Calgarians have been asked about what would make a difference in their lives and they have offered solutions.  It’s good to know that the city is not only listening but providing venues for this kind of conversation. Here are a few examples of the kinds of solutions that low-income Calgarians want to see from the city:

• Support the public libraries with more money
• Create universal and affordable childcare
• Create universal and affordable out-of-school care

• Pay childcare workers a living wage
• Lower the cost of the low-income transit pass
• Ensure all areas have sidewalks and wheel-chair accessible sidewalk curves and buses with lifts/ramps
• Create an effective process for government to receive input from people living in poverty, and to report their progress in eliminating poverty
• Put money into advertising and education on why poverty exists in Calgary and Alberta

There is a copy of the full list of recommendations from the Poverty Talks! consultations here and to get involved with Poverty Talks! call (403) 283-2193 or email info@vibrantcalgary.com.

VCC plans to be actively involved in making sure that the city continues to hear messages from low-income Calgarians about what is important to them. We encourage all Calgarians to participate in this process and to become active, civic problem-solvers.