Editor’s Notes

Most of us feel very fortunate to live in Canada. We feel this way for several reasons. Part of it comes from us being able to have, generally speaking, most of what we need. We have ample, nourishing food to eat, dry and warm housing, and clean, weatherproof clothing at our disposal. We also feel fortunate because we live in an attractive, often scenically stunning country. And we feel fortunate because our feelings of good will are reinforced by the media.

The media tell us that “what defines us as Canadians” is that we live in a country where we have medical care—free of direct charge—when we need it. We also believe that there is a strong safety net in place that will catch us if we are “down on our luck,” and a comprehensive pension plan available to cushion us in old age if we couldn’t (or didn’t) save money during our working lives.

So given this satisfying picture of our nation, why are some social activists telling us that over 20 percent of Canadian children live in poverty? Who are these children, and why is the problem apparently getting worse?

Perhaps the problem isn’t getting worse. As Lydia Miljan explains in her article “A Tale of Two Newspapers,” the media often accept the social activists’ numbers of 1.5 million Canadian children living in poverty unquestioningly, without differentiating between those in true need—who in fact do not have enough to eat—and those whose families spend 55 percent or more of their income on food, shelter, and clothing. It could be that our strong belief that we have a “poverty problem” is so influenced by the media that we have just accepted what we’ve being told, without seriously questioning the research behind the numbers.

This issue of Fraser Forum examines the question of poverty sensibly. It attempts to determine just how many Canadians are truly poor, versus those who are simply relatively less well off than others. The distinction is critical.

—Kristin McCahon

info@fraserinstitute.ca You can contact us at the above email address for any comments or information requests. Please report any dead links or technical problems.

If you know someone who would be interested in this web page, please enter their email address below, and we will forward this URL to them: Email Address:

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 20, 1999.