Tuesday, 16 July 2024

Search Results for: where the poor people live

How dare you! Brenda Thompson on welfare activism in the eighties

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Brenda Thompson was a welfare activist in Halifax in the eighties. Being a single mom who spoke her mind rather than know her place, she became the target of vicious attacks by the then minister of social services Edmund Morris. But Morris went too far, she took him to court, and won. We talk to Thompson about an especially vibrant period in Nova Scotia welfare activism, the strong support of the feminist movement, Alexa, journalism, slut shaming, and lots more.

Kendall Worth on fidgeting, talking to yourself, and other involuntary body behaviours

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Kendall Worth investigates involuntary and so-called inappropriate body language, things like fidgeting in public, talking to yourself (in some cases out loud), making big hand movements that make a person look like they are trying to start a fight with someone, or engage in evil-looking facial expressions. He talks to middle and upper class people who don’t really understand, a police officer and the people who actually do those types of things.

Halifax bus pass discount program expands, but is it enough?

Councillors on the Halifax Transportation Committee are recommending that the bus pass discount pilot project be expanded. The program allows low income Haligonians to buy a bus pass for half the price. Some say access to transportation is a basic necessity, and the City could do much better.

Kendall Worth: All I want from minister Joanne Bernard for Christmas is $2 million

Another inventive suggestion by our regular contributor Kendall Worth. Why not give that $2 million Community Services spends on consultants to the group he chairs? They are better qualified to make recommendations on how to fix social assistance than anybody. After all, it’s the life they live. And they could use the money.

Weekend video: In whose backyard?

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This weekend’s featured video is In Whose Backyard?, a documentary about people dealing with environmental racism all over Nova Scotia. The documentary came out of Ingrid Waldron’s ENRICH project. It premiered in 2014, and that’s also when I wrote this article. Check it out.

All alone. Kendall Worth on the roots of isolation

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Frequent contributor Kendall Worth tackles the serious topic of social isolation. He looks at causes for isolation other than poverty, and particularly puts alcoholism under the loop. But poverty can certainly add to the problem, Kendall explains. He ends with a list of suggestions anybody can try, from joining a book club to becoming an activist.

Being on income assistance is work experience

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Kendall Worth on the hard work that being on social assistance entails, and how you gain an assortment of valuable experiences that you should be able to list on your resume. We’re talking about skills like economical shopping, policy research and building community. And you have to be a real mathematical genius to make ends meet.