The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ 2016 report card on child and family poverty rates gives Yarmouth the highest rate at over 41 per cent.
Nova Scotia’s child poverty rate is 22.5 per cent, the highest in Atlantic Canada and third highest in the country.
Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood brought the issue forward at the council table Thursday night.
Mood says she wants to develop a task force on the issue in the new year.
“I’m not looking for the head honchos of all the organizations, I’m looking for different people representing different areas. Some people are involved in housing, some people are involved in food. If someone is interested they can certainly contact me.”
The Mayor is also quick to point out that the data taken is from 2014, and much work has been done with all three levels of government since then.
Read the CCPA’s report:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/child-care-all-us
Mood says there are many social issues the town or municipality can’t do anything about, but they can help create a successful environment.
“Municipal units can’t make the policy changes that will make the biggest changes to turn those numbers around. But we can do certain things and that is to make sure people are comfortable.”
