Skip to main content

We need to do better!



It was announced on the news that in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 49% of residents are $200 from declaring insolvency, and 30% are already there. That leaves 20% of residents that have enough money to live comfortably. Manitoba and Saskatchewan are in line with the Canadian statistic of 50% of people are $200 from insolvency. 

Homelessness is a result of not having enough money to afford a home. In the cold of January, I think of those living on the street. The new 2024 Canadian statistics are staggering, and almost hard to believe.  
  • On any given night in Canada, between 30,000 and 35,000 people are homeless.
  • Toronto has the highest population of homeless.
  • 66.7% of homeless people are males.
  • 33.10% of homeless come from Indigenous communities.
  • 86% of homeless shelters are in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta, and 40% of them are in Ontario alone.
  • The annual cost of homelessness for our country is over $10 billion.
  • There are around 50,000 hidden homeless in Canada on any given night. These people have no permanent housing and are staying with relatives or friends.
  • 22% of the people experiencing homelessness are 13-24 years old. They go to live on the street because of a family conflict, neglect, or poverty. Young people who have been in foster care are more likely to experience homelessness. 26% of young homeless identify as LGBTQ+.
  • Around 1.7 million Canadians have experienced insecure housing or homelessness.
  • Some homeless have a permanent job without a permanent home. Not all homeless are unemployed. Research indicates that many homeless people actively look for permanent employment.

Domestic violence in Canada is increasing every year. There were horrible mass murders of families in 2024. One man came home to the death of his wife, best friend and four children. One child was only 2 months old. The family had moved from Sri Lanka to Canada for a better life. Sri Lanka is known as being one of the most violent countries in the world. 

A referee has made a video about the treatment of young hockey referees. It has gone viral. Calling a hockey game from the stands and screaming at the ref, is not new behavior. It has always been that way, but I wonder if it is getting worse. Kids that are passionate about hockey dream of being a referee. Once that happens, many are leaving the ice broken and in tears.  

I feel that this blog could go on and on with issues. I haven't even touched on health care, education and policing. In all my wisdom I feel we need to focus on one problem at a time. Pour our knowledge and resources into it and then move on to the next. By fixing one thing, the others will have a trickle-down effect and start to repair themselves. I have no clue as to what problem I would ever pick to start with. I feel we need to do better in so many aspects of the world right now. Let's begin with one of my favorite lines, "knowledge is power" and move on up from there.  


Today is "Bell Let's Talk Day"
1 in 2 youth don't get the help they need for their mental health!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Easter Baking

Easter is a holiday that is steeped with tradition and reflection. It holds a different meaning for each of us. Every Easter I reflect on how it was when I was a kid, way back in the dark ages, and how everything has changed so much. For many families it is a time to come together to celebrate the traditions that are meaningful to them.  Easter is a sacred time for Christians as they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ . Easter is known as a  time for rebirth, hope and new beginnings.                                      I doubt anyone has a family memory that can trump the "Dixon Family Egg Hunt". My Dad was one of 10 children in his family. They were never all at home at the same time, but there were probably at least 6 or 7 kids on the egg hunt each year. Their dear mother would dye 14 dozen eggs with no food coloring. All I know is beets make red eggs. Dad would speak of h...
2 comments
Read more

Final Requests

I was just rolling through Facebook as I often do, when this touching post caught my eye. A final request was made by an elementary schoolteacher in Georgia. Before she passed, she asked that instead of flowers that people bring backpacks filled with school supplies to her funeral. Her final request resulted in hundreds of backpacks from friends, family and strangers. Children she had never met will have what they need to shape their future.  At the time of death, people want to do something. Often it is a donation to a charity either identified by the family or of the donor's choice. I have to admit, I am poor at giving to a memoriam, I'm not sure why. But I would certainly buy and fill a backpack. I don't think I am alone when I say, I love creativity. I am also all in when it is for a cause and especially if children are involved.  This woman is leaving a legacy behind. She just wanted to help children as the last thing she did. She had no idea the magnitude of her reque...
4 comments
Read more

Traffic

I recently drove south of Brandon at 10:00 AM. I was in no hurry and that was a good thing because I got behind a vehicle going 60 kms in an 80 kms speed zone. As we doodled along a big truck pulls right up behind me. I was hopeful he knew I was not the cause for the speed reduction. Shortly, the slow-moving vehicle turns, and I am now the lead car. I quickly arrived at the speed limit and perhaps even above. For others it must have looked like I was towing the truck behind me, he was so close. I was closing in on another set of vehicles going slow and I knew the truck behind me was not going to be happy. In a blink of an eye, out he goes to pass me, there is oncoming traffic so close I was slowing down to let him in. He's not done; he guns it and passes the car ahead of me as well. He then swoops in between that car and a semi. Now the semi appears to be pulling him he is right behind him. Thankfully, we finally hit the passing lane, and the truck is gone like a rocket. I hope the...
2 comments
Read more