Join in on the Living Wage & Health community conversation*
How did we arrive at a living wage of $15.95 for our community? A number of factors had to be considered, each of which will be explored over the course of 2014 in their own community conversation. Join us on June 9th as we explore health in Guelph-Wellington as a major cost driver in the living wage calculation.
When: Monday, June 9th
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Where: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 161 Norfolk St, Guelph – Main Hall
This event is open to the community. We want to engage in a discussion about how to change policy and, in the lead up to the provincial election, how to advocate for access to affordable health and dental care for all.
Research shows that our opportunity for health happens long before medical care is needed. What does this mean for people living on low-incomes in our community? We will hear from, and interact with Public Health officials about how poverty impacts population health; where communities have inequities, how the quality of life is lower for everyone regardless of socio-economic status. We will hear from speakers who advocate for oral health to be included in our universal health coverage.
We will hear from diverse speakers from our Advance Your Voice speakers’ bureau who will share with us their struggles maintaining health while living in poverty and how the lack of universal health care impacts their lives.
We will explore what needs to be done to make Guelph-Wellington a “Living Wage Community” and we will learn about local advocacy efforts to improve access to affordable health care for everyone in our community. What do we need to do to make access to affordable health care a ballot-box issue in the provincial election?
Panel participants include:
- Andrea Roberts, Director of Family Health and Health Analytics, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
- Dr. Robert Hawkins, Public Health Dental Consultant
- David Thornley, Executive Director, Guelph Community Health Centre
- Judy Noonan, Advance Your Voice speaker
- Martha Inglis, Advance Your Voice speaker
- Tamarra Johnston, Advance Your Voice speaker
- Stuart Beumer, Co-chair of the Income Security Action Group and the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination
- Sarah Haanstra, Co-chair of the Poverty Task Force
There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and conversation with the panelists and each other.
This event is being held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at 161 Norfolk St, Guelph. This location is accessible by public transit.
The event is free and open to all. Registration is recommended.
Hosted by: Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination, Income Security Action Group, Oral Health Action Committee
*This event is the third in a Living Wage series that will take place over the course of 2014. The purpose of the series is to examine some of the main expenses of the living wage calculation and to encourage community conversations about the potential impact policy and system changes could have