The Oakville New Democratic Party Riding Association is holding an open, public meeting featuring Sarah McPherson, the Director of Communications and Development for the Oakville Community Foundation, who is presenting the recently-published Vital Signs. The report focuses on the challenges faced by modest-income residents and vulnerable individuals in Oakville.
The event is taking place on Monday, March 21, 2016 at 7 pm, at Oakville Town Hall in the Bronte-Palermo Room.
“We’re very fortunate to have Sarah McPherson come out and speak to us about the largely untold story of poverty and inequality in the Town of Oakville,” says NDP riding association President Diana Clarke. “Her understanding of the factors that influence the quality of life in our town is extensive, and I think attendees will learn a lot about Oakville that they previously didn’t know.”
Additional information about the 38-page report can be attained on the Foundation’s website.
The report states that one out of every ten children under the age of 18 in Oakville lives in poverty, and that the unemployment rate for young women aged 15 to 24 is 17%, while the rate for young men of the same age is 20%. In addition, the waiting time for assisted housing in Oakville is 4.3 years for families and 5 years for singles and couples.
The report also discusses the challenges faced by people with disabilities, New Canadians, seniors, the homeless, LGBTQ youth, and those living with mental illness.
“There has been far too much silence about the problems of inequality and lack of inclusion within our town,” says Oakville NDP Membership Secretary Tina Agrell. “Thankfully, Sarah McPherson and the Oakville Community Foundation have looked at these issues head-on with an exceptionally detailed report that is sometimes shocking to read.”
Although the event is organized by the Oakville NDP, everyone is welcome to attend. The Oakville NDP Annual General Meeting will take place after McPherson’s presentation and the question and answer period.