Canadian Museum for Human Rights hosts symposium on homelessness and poverty
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights served as the backdrop for a symposium on homelessness and poverty Monday.
Not-for-profit organizations, elected officials, and those who have experienced homelessness first-hand, came together to discuss the root causes of homelessness and how to tackle the crisis.
“These are people coming together with a variety of different perspectives,” organizer Al Wiebe told CTV News.
Wiebe spent nearly two-and-a-half years living on the street after he lost his job. Now, he serves as an advocate for unsheltered people.
“Every story is different, but the same, because it goes to the barriers to get helping,” Wiebe explained.
Main Street Project’s Jamil Mahmood estimates there are around 4,000 unsheltered people living in Winnipeg right now, and said those numbers fluctuate based on the time of year.
“So, we’re coming to the warmer seasons with obviously more folks out on the street or experiencing homelessness,” Mahmood said. “It’s a pretty big problem and a challenge that we have to face here.”
Around 100 people attending the symposium heard about the right to housing, food security, and healthcare. They also participated in round-table discussions to share ideas on how to solve issues surrounding homelessness.
Wiebe said most conversations centered on building affordable housing units and providing social support.
“Giving them what they need – not only to survive in housing, but to thrive in housing,” Wiebe said.
City councillor Markus Chambers, who chairs Winnipeg’s human rights committee, helped Wiebe put on the event. He said it is critical for all levels of government to collaborate with people working in social services.
“They know first-hand what the city needs to address the issue of homelessness,” Chambers explained. “We’re hoping as a city to take away some of the comments they’re making.”
Earlier this month, the Manitoba government announced a $30 million plan to help address homelessness; primarily through increasing the province’s affordable housing supply.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Alberta's request for federal assistance approved after fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
BREAKING Loblaw, George Weston to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500-million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'
U.K. police officer suspended after video appears to show a man being kicked in head
A British police officer was suspended from all duties Thursday after a video was posted on social media that appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the floor of a terminal at Manchester Airport.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Unclaimed bodies are piling up in Newfoundland. A funeral director blames the government
A funeral director in St. John's says the bodies piling up in freezers at Newfoundland and Labrador's largest hospital likely belong to people whose loved ones couldn't get enough government help to pay for a funeral.