Despite having strict anti-graffiti laws, including a $26,000 fine and sentences up to two years, Melbourne’s alley are continually renewed with graffiti art. Artists from around the world flock to Melbourne to display their talent and the crowds follow. The city’s cleaning crews make sure the art is transient, fleeting and always fresh. Read more in the BBC.
Hoping to call international attention to the child poverty in Canada, the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC joined other Canadian advocacy groups and made presentations to the UN working group on Convention in the Rights of the Child. The organization is focusing much of their work on child poverty and the lack of childcare funding. The organization has recommended increasing the minimum wage and income assistance rates as well as creating more quality childcare spaces.
The Workers Action Centre based in Ontario has released a survey describing wage theft in Ontario.
The Workers' Action Centre survey of low-wage workers found:
• 20% earned less than minimum wage
• 39% failed to receive earned overtime pay
• 36% were fired or laid off without termination pay or notice
• 34% struggled to get vacation pay
• 33% were owed wages and of those only 23 per cent were ever paid
The organization wants employers to comply with the law and is pressuring the government for better enforcement.
Calgary is reviewing the costs of transit passes and considering making adjustments. At present an annual pass for seniors costs $55/year, while a monthly pass for low-income individuals costs $40 per month. The city is considering offering a further discount for low-income individuals and making it easier for them to access recreational services, transit and tax assistance.
Chief Gerald Amos Chief of the Haisla Nation has written a response to claims by Minister of Natural Resources, Joe Oliver, that radical environmental groups funded by foreign interests are hijacking the debate surrounding the proposed Enbridge pipeline. Read his response in the Huffington Post.
The BC government recently launched a new website, FracFocus.ca that provides information on chemicals used in the fracking process at particular sites. Although the government is requiring oil and gas companies to provide the information, they are not required to do so until 30 days after they have completed their project.
Vancouver Coastal Health is considering offering safe injection services at medical clinics throughout the region. The recent ruling by the Supreme Court that ruled the current injection site, Insite, saves lives and that medical staff and users could not be prosecuted should make it easier to start such a program.
According to a study conducted at SFU low income students are much more likely to live in and attend school in heavy traffic areas. Car exhaust carries a range of pollutants including carbon monoxide, lead and Formaldehyde, and is "associated with lower lung function, impaired lung growth, asthma, ear infections and lower cognitive functioning." Exposure to pollutants has also been associated with lower reduced cognitive abilities and sleep quality. The study captured traffic patterns and income in 10 Canadian cities and found the traffic patterns to be consistent.
A Vancouver organization, Fresh Roots is working with schools to develop "market gardens." The gardens provide food to the cafeteria and to culinary programs, but are also used as a learning tool in curriculum. Known benefits of school-based food programs include, a decrease in bullying and vandalism, improved nutrition and academic scores, greater community connections and support for local farmers. Read more in the Courier.
