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Progressive news, views and ideas
EST/ÉTABLI
1980
MARCH/APRIL 2021
Founded in 1980, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is a registered charitable research
institute and Canada’s leading source of progressive policy ideas, with offices in Ottawa, Vancouver, Regina,
Winnipeg, Toronto and Halifax. The CCPA founded the Monitor magazine in 1994 to share and promote its
progressive research and ideas, as well as those of like-minded Canadian and international voices.
The Monitor is mailed to all CCPA supporters who give a minimum of $35 a year to the Centre.
Write us at monitor@policyalternatives.ca if you would like to receive the Monitor.
Vol. 27, No. 6 Contributors
ISSN 1198-497X
Canada Post Publication 40009942 Lucinda Chitapain (she/her) is an André Picard (he/him) is the Joanna Sevilla (she/her) is
The Monitor is published six times intern at the CCPA, working closely health columnist at The Globe and a Filipino Canadian Illustrator,
a year by the Canadian Centre for on the Trade and Investment Mail and the author of six books, currently residing in New England.
Policy Alternatives. Project. She is a second-year including Neglected No More: The
Katie Sheedy (she/her) is an
student at Osgoode Hall Law Urgent Need to Improve the Lives
The opinions expressed in the illustrator, graphic designer and
School, with a concentration in of Canada's Elders in the Wake of
Monitor are those of the authors former lawyer based in Ottawa.
transnational and international law. a Pandemic.
and do not necessarily reflect Jewelles Smith (she/her),
the views of the CCPA. Kim Dinh (they/them) was Andrea Pierce (she/her) is an
PhD(c) is the Communication
born and raised in Ho Chi Minh entrepreneur and community
Please send feedback to and Government Relations
city, Vietnam. Kim is a labor and advocate for economic inclusion
monitor@policyalternatives.ca. Coordinator for the Council of
immigrant rights advocate, and a and development for Black
Canadians with Disabilities, and is a
Editor: Katie Raso digital illustrator in Philadelphia, Canadians with UNDPAD Push
PhD candidate at UBC Okanagan.
Senior Designer: Tim Scarth PA. Coalition and co-founder of Black
She resides in BC with her service
Layout: Susan Purtell women focused ImmigrantsCAN
Syed Hussan (he/him) is the dog, DaVinci.
Editorial Board: Alyssa O’Dell, IEHDC.
Executive Director of Migrant
Shannon Daub, Katie Raso, Erika Paul Taylor (he/him) is Executive
Workers Alliance for Change and Julia Posca (she/her) is a
Shaker, Rick Telfer, Jason Moores Director of FoodShare Toronto
a member of the Migrant Rights researcher with Institut de
Contributing Writers: and a lifelong anti-poverty activist.
Network. recherche et d’informations
Sheila Block, Elaine Hughes, In 2020, Paul was named one of
socioéconomiques (IRIS) in
David Macdonald, Molly Erin Knight (she/her) is a Digital Canada’s Top 40 under 40 and
Montreal. Her work focuses
McCracken, Hadrian Mertins- Rights Campaigner at OpenMedia. Toronto Life's 50 Most Influential
on household debt, economic
Kirkwood, Anthony N. Morgan, As the lead on OpenMedia's Torontonians of the year.
inequalities and social policy in
Katherine Scott. Access pillar, she strives to make
Quebec.
quality Internet connections
CCPA National Office
accessible and affordable for all. Michal Rozworski (he/him)
141 Laurier Avenue W, Suite 1000
is an economist and writer. He
Ottawa, ON K1P 5J3 Nathan Lachowsky (he/him)
publishes frequently on political
Tel: 613-563-1341 is an Associate Professor in the
economy and is the author, with
Fax: 613-233-1458 School of Public Health and
Leigh Phillips, of The People’s
ccpa@policyalternatives.ca Social Policy at the University
Republic of Walmart. He works
www.policyalternatives.ca of Victoria, as well as Research
as a strategic researcher at the
CCPA BC Office Director for the Community Based
International Transport Workers’
520-700 West Pender Street Research Centre. He conducts
Federation and is a research
Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8 interdisciplinary research within
associate with the Canadian
Tel: 604-801-5121 a social justice framework in
Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Fax: 604-801-5122 order to achieve health equity for
ccpabc@policyalternatives.ca marginalized communities.
CCPA Manitoba Office
301-583 Ellice Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1Z7
Tel: 204-927-3200
ccpamb@policyalternatives.ca
CCPA Nova Scotia Office
P.O. Box 8355
Halifax, NS B3K 5M1
Tel: 902-240-0926
ccpans@policyalternatives.ca
CCPA Ontario Office Sébastien Thibault (he/him)
720 Bathurst Street, Room 307 Based in Matane, Quebec,
Toronto, ON M5S 2R4 Sébastien Thibault creates
Tel: 416-598-5985 illustrations that provide ironic
ccpaon@policyalternatives.ca or surrealist visions of political
CCPA Saskatchewan Office subjects or current news. He
2nd Floor, 2138 McIntyre Street uses graphic shapes, simplified
Regina, SK S4P 2R7 forms, and intense color to create
Tel: 306-924-3372 symbolic images for publications
Fax: 306-586-5177 like The New York Times, The
ccpasask@sasktel.net Guardian and The Economist.
UP FRONT
Looking at COVID-19
through a labour market lens
Sheila Block and Katherine Scott / 5
Province has fiscal room to stop
the suffering and serve the public interest
Molly McCracken / 9
When it mattered most
Erin Knight / 10
Nothing about us without us PERSPECTIVES
Anthony Morgan / 12
The other person of the year
FEATURES for 2020: The home
Julia Posca / 28
No plan, big problem
Michal Rozworski / 13 Pandemic living on the margins
Jewelles Smith / 35
Fighting on all fronts
Syed Hussan / 17 A parable of two roads
Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood / 36
Waiting to count
Nathan Lachowsky / 18 CANON
Our “right to housing” needs some teeth From the editor / 2
Paul Taylor / 20
Building on, and honouring,
The pandemic as a portal: A year of protest the Monitor’s past
Katie Raso and Katie Sheedy / 22 Katie Raso / 3
Picking up the tab Good news page
David Macdonald / 24 Elaine Hughes / 11
Imagining a sustainable Black recovery Index / 7
Andrea Pierce / 29
CCPA Donor Profile
Tripping over TRIPS Meet Jason Moores, CCPA Donor / 32
Lucinda Chitapain / 33
Five books to understand…
a pandemic
André Picard / 39
A war on disabled people
David Bush / 40
Living principles
Erika Shaker / 42
The decline of collectivity
Ed Finn / 43
From the Editor
KATIE RASO
COVID-19: Neoliberalism’s Chernobyl
I
N THE EARLY hours of March 7, 2020, a perfect storm, experienced most had few protections through the
my appendix ruptured. Over the significantly by the people at the pandemic. Taking inspiration from the
next few hours, my partner and margins of our society, for whom disability community’s long-standing
I drove to four separate medical there has been little relief over the call of “nothing about us without
centres in Ottawa before I could past twelve months. us,” Anthony Morgan outlines a new
find an emergency department that This issue of the Monitor invites framework for social reform, while
had the capacity to admit me for members of our community to tell us Andrea Pierce details the missing
diagnostics and surgery. This was what the past year has been like for planks that can be addressed to
seven days before an Ottawa hospital them. Because COVID-19 has been create an equitable future for Black
admitted the region’s first COVID-19 so much more than a health care Canadians. New research from David
patient. story. It has shaped every facet of life Macdonald detailing which arm of
I share this experience because it in Canada. government is funding COVID-19
was profoundly dystopic and entirely I won’t lie. There is a great deal recovery initiatives, and which
antithetical to what we think of of frustration and anguish in these provinces are sitting on large pots
when we think of Canada’s health pages. But there is also a great deal of unspent pandemic funds, has
care system: driving from one end of of hope and resolve. While editing already put immense pressure on
Ottawa to the other, then eventually these articles, I was reminded of these governments to commit this
out of town to seek medical care David Orr’s book, Down to the money to much-needed investment
while in crisis. I also share this experi- wire: Confronting climate collapse. and to increase the transparency of
ence because, while deeply personal, The book paints a bleak picture, their spending. Just as this issue was
it highlights a universally troubling not without justification. Still, Orr heading to print, the Alberta gov-
fact: we brought a needlessly under- ended Down to the wire with a ernment announced that it will fully
funded and ill-equipped health care chapter titled Hope at the end of our access the federal essential worker
system in to combat a pandemic. And, tether. It’s a chapter that I return wage top-up. The Government of
unfortunately, the experience is not to frequently. It’s a chapter that I Alberta will now distribute up to
limited to our acute care system. It think is pertinent, particularly in $465 million in funding to low-wage,
is one that extends to mental health this moment: as Canada surpasses essential workers.
services, income supports, public the grim marker of 20,000 lives lost In the penultimate chapter of his
housing, and so much more. to COVID-19, as vaccine rollouts book David Orr wrote, “Optimism
COVID-19 has been called muddle along, as unemployment and is the recognition that the odds are
neoliberalism’s Chernobyl with good lost wages threaten the security of in your favor; hope is the faith that
cause. The capacity of our public workers and their families. We are in things will work out whatever the
system to adapt in the face of a a bleak moment. And all is not lost. odds. Hope is a verb with its sleeves
sudden and major threat had been all Yes, the authors in this issue rolled up. Hopeful people are actively
but undermined by four decades of rightly name the barriers, inequities, engaged in defying or changing the
underfunding, leaving the hollowed and challenges facing communities odds. Optimism leans back, puts its
out remains scrambling to adjust across Canada throughout the feet up, and wears a confident look
course and to rebuild purposely pandemic, because this is not a knowing that the deck is stacked. I
eroded trust in public institutions, burden that we have shouldered know of no good reason for anyone
as Michal Rozworski examines in his equally. And it is through the naming to be optimistic about the human
article. of these challenges that we can face future, but I know a lot of reasons to
It would be reductive to say them and overcome them. be hopeful.”
that what is happening is a paying Already, we are seeing change What follows in these pages is not
of the piper, because the people on multiple fronts. As Syed Hussan optimistic. One year into lockdowns,
left without access to necessary details, migrant workers and their there isn’t a whole heck of a lot to be
services during this pandemic are allies have spent the past year optimistic about, by Orr’s definition.
not the people who have made the fighting to get status for all, working But every article in this issue is cause
decisions that left our public services tirelessly to protect the migrant for hope—if we are ready to roll up
underfunded. We are living through and undocumented workers who’ve our sleeves. M
2
Introduction
KATIE RASO
Building on, and honouring,
the Monitor’s past
I
WANTED TO WRITE a note to you, separate from the who is not a cisgender man. I am excited to increase
editorial in this first issue that I am overseeing. the breadth of voices that we are able to bring to the
I just finished editing Erika Shaker’s memorial piece conversations that the Monitor hosts.
honouring Ed Finn. As I read it, I had so many thoughts What does that mean for the Monitor magazine? We
and feelings. Sadness that our community has lost this will be putting out more open calls for contributions
beacon. Regret that I won’t be able to share my first to make sure that we’re getting a more diverse array of
issue of the Monitor with him. White hot terror to be voices from coast to coast to coast, in addition to con-
following in the footsteps of an absolute giant. tinuing to highlight the great work by CCPA colleagues
And then came the big, unsettling question: who am I across the country. The structure of the magazine itself
to lead this publication? Because... I am no Ed Finn. won’t change much. We know that you love the Monitor,
I recognize that some of you have met me over email, and I am profoundly grateful to both Stuart and Ed for
or through the occasional article that I’ve managed to the incredible publication that their hard work and vision
write off the side of my desk during my three years with has built.
the CCPA. But I’d like the chance to formally introduce There are two changes that I will flag. Our colleague
myself. I’d like to explain why I’ve asked you to trust me Lynne Fernandez retired at the end of 2020. As a
with the Monitor. result, her column retired with her. I’ve invited Stuart
I grew up in a community mired in the real time to start a trade column in its place. The other change
aftermath of neoliberal policies. Following the signing of that I am excited to share with you is the addition of
NAFTA, the factories that provided work in my neighbour- the “Five Books” section. We are fortunate to have so
hood were downsized, shuttered, and, in one case, turned many experts in our midst, why not tap them for their
into a fancy condo. At the same time, I watched Ontario’s guidance with regards to reading lists? I am thrilled to
then-Premier Mike Harris make drastic cuts to education, announce that for the first iteration, the incomparable
health care and social assistance. I watched my family and André Picard, health reporter for the Globe and Mail,
community lose jobs in the public and private sectors. It agreed to put together a list for us. I hope you enjoy the
felt like we were getting squeezed from every side. new addition as much as I have. And if there are experts
A few years later, I’d see just how big the gaps in the whose bookcases you’d like to have a peek at, I would
social safety net could get as a homeless youth. I’d go love to get your suggestions via email.
on to spend a decade working in the service and gig It is an honour to step into this role and I know that so
economy, holding down multiple roles at a time. I didn’t many of you have been with the CCPA and the Monitor
get out of this cycle because of anything spectacular for many years. Your support is what keeps us fighting
on my account. I managed to get out because rent was and writing. While I am excited to see what we can build
still affordable enough and tuition still low enough and, together, what we create honours the Monitor’s past,
let’s be honest, the student loan people saw the value in without which none of this would be possible. For that
giving me $25,000 that will cost me over $45,000 by the reason, it only felt right to give the last word in my first
time I pay it off. It’s not lost on me that the Katie who issue to Ed. M
went off to university in 2006 would be unable to achieve
the same goal now, just 15 years later.
And that’s why I want to be at the Monitor. Because
it feels like a door shut behind me, making things even
more difficult for those who followed, and I fundamen-
tally do not accept that. The Monitor is and always has
been a special publication. As former Monitor editor
Stuart Trew coined, it’s a magazine for progressive news,
views and ideas. Now, more than ever, we need these
ideas and these conversations.
It means a lot to me to be the first disabled editor
of this publication and the first person at the helm
3
billion, with a $30 billion Health-in-all-policies health outcomes could
interest bill. Manufactured is essential benefit from a reallocation
debt, wouldn’t you say? of government dollars
Russ Vinden, What a great analysis from health to social
Errington BC and recipe for action spending, even if total
in Trish Hennessy and government spending were
Lindsay McLaren article, left unchanged.”
Trump and witch hunts “A Broader Vision of Hennessy and McLaren
Public Health” (Nov/Dec call for a “health-in-all-
Letters One of the strangest Monitor). Starting with the policy approach,” which
aspects of the Trump phe- naive assumption (if not is definitely called for
nomenon is the support cynical lie) of Conservative and essential. They are
from women for it. The and Liberal policy makers razor-focused on their
Manufactured debt rising re-powering of the that the “private sector” conclusion that health
patriarchy, which can be would “…pick up the quality, for both individuals
I was so pleased to read observed in places like slack…,” Hennessy and and communities, is a
Andrew Jackson’s article Poland and Latin America, McLaren catalogue the direct function of social
on Modern Monetary as well as the USA, is a erosion of capacity in the inequality. Clarity about
Theory in your Nov/ strategy that has been health care system to what needs change is
Dec Monitor—I think it used for centuries, even deal with the inevitable defined by Dr. Danielle
was the first time I have to control men, especially pandemic (“…always a Martin. Martin states:
seen a clear summary when systems are rising or question of when, not “…the biggest disease
of how our debts are falling and more control if...”). that needs to be cured
constructed. I use that is needed by the ruling Their insistence that in Canada is the disease
term as there seems to be elites, an enduring human public health is more of poverty. And part of
clear evidence of purpose problem. More and more, than hospitals, physicians the cure is to implement
in the development of the patriarchy will assert or health care (or even, the fifth Big Idea: A Basic
massive federal (indeed its power in the law and I would add, access to Income Guarantee for all
of all governments) debt, the economy, taking away a personal care giver) Canadians.”
which unfortunately reproductive rights, health strongly resonates with Vince Salvo, Catlegar, BC
was not addressed in rights, child care rights, data showing that public
the article. This erupted educational and publishing health quality is related to
immediately following the rights. the social determinants Send your letters to monitor@
1975 declaration by none Religion, fear and of health. A decade ago, policyalternatives.ca.
other than the Governor outright oppression by in Power and inequality: A
of the Bank of Canada that, demonizing women, and comparative study, Gregg
henceforth, all government their rightful demands, are M. Olsen noted that “…a
funding would come used openly by authoritari- growing body of epidemio-
from the privately owned an forces. logical research…well over
commercial banks and Even appointing unsuit- 100 studies have shown
large investors at current able women to places of that health is graded by
interest rates, and not power has, and will be, income, or more broadly,
from the Bank of Canada used to try to demonstrate socio-economic status.” He
at nil interest, as had been the complete unsuitability further notes that “…redis-
the practice since that of women. Somehow the tributing income in society
bank’s founding in 1935; failures of men are never can improve the health of
indeed, a major clause in used in this way. Witch the less well-off without af-
its charter. Interest rates hunts were used to fecting the health of those
immediately went through terrorize all women and, at the top.” More recently,
the roof and stayed high also, non-conforming men. Andrew MacLeod cites a
or extreme for 19 years I fear we are approaching a 2011 Canadian Medical
until 1994, during which precipice. Association Journal
time the 1975 debt of Wilma Riley, Victoria, BC article that documented
$20 billion shot up to an investments in reducing
unpayable $380 billion inequality can save money
or so, from which it has by reducing health care
grown to its current $650 costs: “Population-level
4
Up front
Sheila Block and Katherine Scott / Canada has now stalled. Indeed, the total
number of hours worked at all jobs
Looking at COVID-19 (on a seasonally adjusted basis)
actually fell in November. Female
through a labour market lens workers are working roughly 10%
fewer hours in the aggregate than
before the pandemic.
The number of long-term
T
HE COVID-19 CRISIS has repeated- Montreal region, new public health unemployed (those whose period of
ly demonstrated the profound restrictions—introduced in response unemployment exceeds 27 weeks)
inequities of our labour market to rising community infections—pre- has also been trending upwards,
and social safety net. The cipitated another round of job cuts more than doubling between August
situation has been particularly in women-majority sectors, such and November among unemployed
acute for low-wage, precarious as accommodation and food ser- women, reaching 25.2% (and
workers, those with the fewest legal vices, and information, culture and one-quarter of unemployed men as
protections and the fewest resourc- recreation. Increased public health well).
es to weather this storm. restrictions moved to more regions
Heading into 2021, we compiled and the attendant layoffs followed in The women formerly
some of the key trends revealed by November and December. known as working mothers
Labour Force Survey (LFS) data, as The steady progress in employ- A key piece of the crisis for women’s
months of closures and restrictions ment that characterized the summer economic security is happening
reshaped Canada’s labour market
landscape. With vaccination efforts
now underway across the country, CHANGE IN HOURS WORKED EACH MONTH
these trends can serve as key Relative to February 2020, by gender, ages 15+
0%
indicators of Canada’s recovery and
a guide to where interventions ought -5%
to be made to ensure an equitable
rebuild effort. -10%
-15%
The stalled gender gap
The pandemic shutdowns have im- -20%
pacted women-majority sectors hard Male workers Female workers
and fast. By the end of April 2020, -25%
2.8 million women—30% of those
-30%
working—had lost their jobs, or
were working less than half of their Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
regular hours. Low-wage workers, SOURCES: FEB-NOV 2020 LABOUR FORCE SURVEY PUMF, CALCULATIONS BY D. MACDONALD (TOTAL ACTUAL HOURS, ADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY).
overwhelmingly women, highly
racialized, and facing the greatest
barriers to employment, suffered the CHANGE IN HOURS WORKED
largest share of job losses. Mothers with children under age 12 by family type
Nine months into the pandemic, Couple families, child under 6 Single parent families, child under 6
women were returning to work Couple families, child 6–12 Single parent families, child 6–12
0%
and picking up lost hours. But the
recovery remains as unequitable -10%
as the downturn has been, and -20%
women’s economic security remains
-30%
fragile.
With a surge in jobs in the educa- -40%
tion sector in early fall, women had -50%
recouped 79% of their early econom-
-60%
ic losses by mid-October. But in that
same month, in large labour markets Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
like the Greater Toronto Area and SOURCES: FEB-NOV 2020 LABOUR FORCE SURVEY PUMF, CALCULATIONS BY D. MACDONALD (TOTAL ACTUAL HOURS, ADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY).
5
on the home front. Women have challenges compared to fathers and setting aside their own financial
been stepping up to shoulder a mothers in two-parent families. By security to care for their families’
huge demand for unpaid labour and September, single-parent mothers needs. As of November, the number
caregiving, and stepping back from had recovered a much smaller of women “not in the labour force”
paid employment. fraction of their spring employment was almost 150,000 higher than in
Employment gains since April have losses, especially those with young February 2020.
been especially weak among mothers children under the age of six, who Women aged 35–39 years, in par-
with children aged 0 to 12, pointing had recouped just 30% of lost hours. ticular, are exiting the labour force
to a continuing unequal division of The situation did not improve over “in droves,” according to recent
labour in the home as schools closed the fall. There was another signif- research from RBC Economics, with
and access to child care became icant drop in total hours worked mothers of children under six years
uncertain. By August, fathers had among mothers between October old accounting for two-thirds of the
effectively recouped all of their and November. The November jobs exodus in this key age group. The
employment losses, while 12% of report from Statistics Canada notes crisis in the child care sector, in com-
the mothers who had been working that, on a year-over-year basis, there bination with the challenges attached
in February 2020 were still without were 54.9% more mothers with to schooling and home schooling, are
work or working less than half of children aged 0 to 12 years working exacting a huge toll. Not everyone is
their regular hours. less than half of their usual hours finding their way back.
The September bump in women’s than a year ago.
employment still left large numbers As stark as these figures are, they The unequal impact
of mothers working reduced don’t even capture the proportion of the pandemic on the
hours, with single-parent mothers of women who have completely racialized labour market
experiencing the greatest economic dropped out of the labour market, The LFS began publishing race-based
data in the summer of 2020. What
the data revealed was that, on
UNEMPLOYMENT average, 7.4% of white Canadians
Ages 15–69, average percentage, August–December 2020 were unemployed from July to De-
14% cember—the lowest unemployment
12% rate. Meanwhile, unemployment
10% Black Indigenous rates for Indigenous peoples, Black
Other Canadians and other racialized
8% Racialized people were significantly higher. At
6% 13%, Black Canadians and Indigenous
White peoples had the highest unemploy-
4%
ment rate: it averaged 75% higher
2% than the rate for white Canadians. At
0% 11.5%, the unemployment rate for
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA, LABOUR FORCE SURVEY SUPPLEMENT, AUGUST-DECEMBER 2020, STATISTICS CANADA 0920_07 TABLE 2–LABOUR
other racialized people was not far
FORCE SURVEY (LFS) ESTIMATES BY OCCUPATION, NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION (NOC) 2016, ABORIGINAL IDENTITY, AGE AND SEX,
MONTHLY, UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY, DECEMBER 2020, REPRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITH THE PERMISSION OF
behind.
STATISTICS CANADA, AND AUTHOR'S CALCULATIONS. December’s LFS showed that
youth employment was 10.5% below
pre-pandemic levels, compared to
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 1.8% for core-age workers. The
Average percentage, August–December 2020 unemployment rate for youth reveals
40%
an even greater disparity among
these populations. White youth had
30% an average unemployment rate of
Black 15.4%, while the unemployment
20% rate for Black youth averaged
Other 31.6%—twice as high. Indigenous
Indigenous Racialized youth and other racialized youth
10% White had unemployment rates that were
20.9% and 22.3%, respectively.
0% There is evidence that recessions
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA, LABOUR FORCE SURVEY SUPPLEMENT, AUGUST-DECEMBER 2020, STATISTICS CANADA 0920_07 TABLE 2–LABOUR
have long-term negative impacts on
FORCE SURVEY (LFS) ESTIMATES BY OCCUPATION, NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION (NOC) 2016, ABORIGINAL IDENTITY, AGE AND SEX,
MONTHLY, UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY, DECEMBER 2020, REPRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITH THE PERMISSION OF
recent graduates, since entering the
STATISTICS CANADA, AND AUTHOR'S CALCULATIONS. labour force during periods of higher
6
unemployment can interrupt early career trajecto- $1 billion
ries and the transition from school to work. Monthly value of mortgage
The negative labour market impact of racism payments deferred or skipped
on Black youth was evident even before the by more than three-quarters of
pandemic struck. The decrease in participation a million Canadian homeowners
rates for youth in December could be an indicator during the pandemic.
of longer-term negative impacts. Before the
pandemic, a higher proportion of Black youth 14%
was not in education, employment or training
(NEET). The ongoing labour market disruption
Index Percentage of workers making
less than $17 per hour who have
The K Recovery
could exacerbate this. This could result in the not been rehired or found new
longer-term economic costs of pandemic-related employment since February 2020.
unemployment being disproportionately borne by 36 While the bottom quarter of wage
Black youth. Number of Canada’s 100 top earners continues to struggle,
Policy discussions on how to mitigate the paid CEOs who took advantage the top quarter of Canada’s wage
impact of the pandemic on youth have begun; the of the Canada Emergency Wage earners are now better off than
situation demands an approach that integrates the Subsidy (CEWS) program, they were a year ago.
unequal labour market impacts of the pandemic getting the federal government
on racialized groups. to cover their company’s payroll. >90%
Percentage of tenants that Grey
Racialized workers 3 Bruce Community Legal Clinic
in hardest hit occupations Number of CEOs taking part in represents at Ontario’s LTB
Sales and service occupations saw the largest the CEWS program who have hearings that were no-shows for
job losses between February and December said they will waive their salaries their hearings since the tribunal
2020. This is particularly important, given that for 2020. On average, salaries became digital-first. Prior to
almost one in three Black, other racialized, and contribute 12% to a CEO’s total the LTB transitioning to digital
Indigenous women work in these occupations— a compensation. hearings, the provincial no-show
larger share than white women. While a larger rate was 22%.
share of white women’s employment (27%) is in $37 billion
these occupations compared to white men (18%) Amount of wealth accumulated $101 billion
or Indigenous men (21%), white women have a by 20 of the richest Canadians Amount of COVID-19 financing
similar share of employment in these occupations in the first six months of the that the International Monetary
as other racialized men (25%) and equal to that pandemic. Fund (IMF) has loaned to
of Black men (27%). 81 countries to navigate the
Job losses in the occupational groups of sales 79% pandemic thus far. The IMF has
and service, trades, transport and equipment Percentage of Canadians (includ- stated that it is prepared to
operators, and manufacturing and utilities dispro- ing 64% of Conservative voters) release up to $1 trillion. But the
portionately affected Black and Indigenous men. who support a 1% tax on wealth money does not come without
Pre-pandemic, those three categories accounted paid by people with more than conditions.
for 64% of total employment for Indigenous men, $20 million in assets.
59% of total employment for Black men, but only 84%
52% of total employment for white men and 51% 13,500 Percentage of COVID-19 financ-
of employment for other racialized men. Approximate number of eviction ing loans issued by the IMF that
Racialized men had a larger share of employ- hearings held by Ontario’s Land- contain emphatic calls for auster-
ment management occupations, which registered lord and Tenant Board (LTB) ity when the pandemic ends. This
job losses between February and December 2020, between November 20, 2020, adherence to austerity measures
compared to Black or Indigenous men. However, when the tribunal reopened, and requires borrower countries
other racialized men had a smaller share of January 31, 2021. The Ontario to agree to cuts to school and
employment in trades, transport and equipment LTB does not release data on hospital funding, regressive
operation than other groups of men. In addition, outcomes of hearings. taxation, cuts to support for
at 14.6%, other racialized men had the highest low-income households, seniors,
share of employment in natural and applied and women.
science, which is the occupational group that had
the largest increase in employment over this time
The Golden Cushion, David Macdonald (2021); The Golden Cushion, David Macdonald (2021).; Policy Note, Alex Hemingway and
period. Michal Rozworski (2020).; Abacus Data (2020).; David Macdonald (2020).; https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/covid-mortgages-
cmhc-1.571889; Keep Your Rent Toronto (2021), https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/eviction-pandemic-covid-1.5844327; https://
Racialized Canadians and Indigenous peoples www-tvo-org.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.tvo.org/article/is-the-landlord-and-tenant-boards-digital-first-approach-leaving-ontario-renters-
behind; https://www.oxfam.org/en/blogs/virus-austerity-covid-19-spending-accountability-and-recovery-measures-agreed-between-imf-an;
have been disproportionately affected by the https://www.oxfam.org/en/blogs/virus-austerity-covid-19-spending-accountability-and-recovery-measures-agreed-between-imf-and;
7
health and socio-economic impacts industries, one of the government’s and high levels of unemployment
of the pandemic. Racialized workers stated economic markers, is essential persist. To this end, economic
are over-represented in both front- to guide the scale and timing of its investment in Canada’s future must
line work and care work and, as such, future spending on economic stim- strengthen decent work, employ-
are at greater health risk. ulus and aid programs. But moving ment protections and employment
The burden of unemployment forward, the crucial question for an equity— ensuring that the most
is not equally shared either. In the inclusive and sustainable recovery is: marginalized who have borne the
short term, income supports for who is being left behind? onslaught of the pandemic are first
those facing losses of employment The longer-term solutions are in line to benefit from the recovery.
and income need to be maintained yet to be determined, because it
and enhanced to prevent further is unclear what the post-pandemic Data notes: Since the pandemic
widening of the economic dis- labour market landscape will look began, Statistics Canada has
advantage experienced by Black, like. But one thing is certain: policy made additional data available for
Indigenous and other racialized makers will need to address unequal racialized Canadians and Indigenous
people. racialized and gender impacts of the peoples. Previously, the LFS did not
pandemic to ensure Canada’s eco- collect data on the labour market
Looking ahead nomic recovery includes everyone. experience of racialized workers:
We have not yet seen the full shape These policies will need to mitigate the only data that was available was
of the recovery. What we do know is how the pandemic has worsened from the census, which is produced
that low-wage workers have borne the pre-existing employment and every five years and, therefore, made
the brunt of job losses in this pan- income inequities that are baked into it difficult to track labour market
demic. Compounding these impacts Canada’s labour market. impacts on racialized people in real
has been the unequal distribution We must also be concerned about time. While data on the off-reserve
of unpaid caregiving work, and the quality of work and what is Indigenous labour market experience
the impact it has had on women’s likely to be the growth in temporary had been collected in the LFS prior
labour market participation. National or precarious work practices as to the pandemic, more detailed
level employment trends across all economic uncertainty continues data is now being made available.
Unfortunately, as a result of data
availability and small sample sizes, we
do not have an immediate pre-pan-
Worth Repeating demic comparator to understand the
impact of COVID-19 on Black and
other racialized people and Indige-
nous peoples. LFS data that was used
Say what you mean in this post to analyze labour market
“When we are talking about ‘vulnerable people/populations,’ what impacts on racialized Canadians was
we really mean is, ‘people who we repeatedly leave out of policies made available starting in August
and practices that primarily cater to the dominant group(s) and 2020. We used the average of the
whom are left fending for themselves.’ It’s our fault that they are period from August to December
‘vulnerable.’” 2020 to compare unemployment
—Jaris Swidrovich, Canada’s first self-identified rates for Black, other racialized and
First Nations Doctor of Pharmacy white Canadians and Indigenous
peoples. We used the 2016 census
for pre-pandemic comparators for
The pitfall of dunking on toddlers Black, other racialized and white
“I think one difficulty for Canadians has been that we’re the next Canadians (due to data limitations,
door neighbours of a very large country that has arguably one of the census data for white people
the worst COVID responses under Donald Trump and comparing includes Indigenous peoples). We
ourselves to Trump’s approach to COVID and saying ‘oh we’re doing used the 2019 annual averages for
pretty well’, that would be like me playing one-on-one with a two- pre-pandemic comparators for
year-old and saying I totally kicked the butt of that two-year-old in Indigenous peoples. M
basketball. It doesn’t mean I’m a good basketball player it just means
I’m making a ridiculous comparison.”
—Epidemiologist Dr. David Fisman, from the Dalla Lana
School of Public Health, speaking with The Big Story on Jan. 6, 2021
8Molly McCracken / Manitoba public money. This testing capacity
could have been developed by the
Province has fiscal room public system, and then would have
been held in the public interest
to stop the suffering for the future. Instead, a for-profit
corporation now owns these assets,
and serve the public interest likely leading to more privatization of
lab services in the near future.
Out-of-province corporation
Morneau Shepell received $4.5
T
HE MANITOBA Fiscal and to Nobel award-winning economist million in funding for online COVID-
Economic Update released in Paul Krugman. Cuts to make the 19 mental health services, without
December showed that Manito- provincial books look good in the consultation with local mental health
ba has much more fiscal room short term have huge economic professionals and associations.
to respond to the COVID-19 consequences, as government Then there is the ongoing reliance
crisis. The provincial government spending accounts for a significant of this government on private sector
needs to rethink its single-minded portion of our economy. contractors to guide government
commitment to austerity and We don’t have to look far to see policy to achieve privatization
privatization. Otherwise, we are in the impact of short-term thinking goals. Since its time in office, this
for a long, hard recovery. with long-term impacts. Cuts to government has spent at least $23
Back when COVID-19 first hit, the public sector made before the million on consultants for key policy
Manitoba braced for higher expenses pandemic are hindering the prov- files—from health care to fiscal
than we have thus far incurred. The ince’s response now. For example, policy to public housing—when the
legislature had approved a $5 billion cuts and underfunding to health care government employs professional,
deficit, due to COVID-19, for mean that regional health authorities highly trained experts.
2020/21. are now desperate to staff roles in Once the pandemic is over,
The December fiscal update contact tracing, vaccination clinics, two pressing issues will remain:
projected a deficit of $2 billion. Debt and long-term care. Since 2016, the inequality exacerbated by COVID-19
servicing costs are $42 million less province axed at least 2,505 civil and climate change. Both will require
than anticipated, due to the Bank of service jobs and cut hundreds of funding to reduce downstream social
Canada’s guaranteed extremely low management jobs across the public costs to government, and investment
interest rates. sector, resulting in a huge loss of em- in green infrastructure and jobs.
We have room to borrow—our ployees available for redeployment, Don’t be fooled—the Manitoba
debt/GDP ratio is reasonable and planning capacity, and institutional government has the fiscal room
much lower than Ontario and knowledge. to address these big issues while
Quebec.1 The premier issued a call for vol- providing for support for those
Yet the update showed that the unteers to help with contract tracing, impacted by COVID-19, now and
provincial government cut $347 and public money went to set up a through the recovery. But in order
million in education, universities, volunteer matching service. Reliance to do so, Manitoba must be spending
social assistance and the civil service on volunteers here is inappropriate more—not less—so that our
in the last fiscal year. The province given the scale of the challenge. If suffering is not extended for years
has a propensity to underspend we’d had the civil servants and health into the future by a painfully slow
in budgeted areas, so there will staff, they could have been rede- recovery from this pandemic. M
likely be more cuts. On top of this, ployed to the pandemic response. 1. See Fernandez and Hajer (2020). “Austerity
the provincial government is still This is likely a contributing factor to and COVID-19: Manitoba government creating
pursuing tax cuts that will reduce its Manitoba being the slowest province not solving problems,” CBC News.
revenue and ability to provide public to vaccinate outside of Atlantic
services. Canada.
Much of the money Manitoba has Still, during COVID-19, Manitoba
spent on COVID-19 is federal, and continues apace with its privatization
some of these federal funds remain agenda: freezing Manitoba Hydro
unspent or unmatched, as David International, privatizing liquor,
Macdonald’s recent study, Picking up contracting out provincial highway
the tab, revealed. snow clearing and more.
Austerity during a time of The private laboratory Dynacare
economic crisis is more damaging was contracted to do COVID-19
than previously thought, according testing, establishing a testing lab with
9Erin Knight / Digital Rights Campaigner at OpenMedia attempt to structurally improve the
competition of the country’s telecom
When it mattered most market.
Sluggish on access and harmful on
How Canada’s decades-old digital divide affordability, the federal approach to
closing the digital divide would have
left communities disconnected been a disappointment in a regular
during COVID-19 year; but in a pandemic year, it was
downright detrimental. Ultimately,
the lack of a national broadband
connectivity strategy is the root
“M
Y SANITY, well-being and Fund (UBF)—were not initiated until problem here. Without a national
career are being held nearly five and eight months into the strategy that takes internet afforda-
together by Wi-Fi.” These pandemic, respectively. bility seriously, maps out who will be
words from an OpenMe- During the wait, policymakers connected when, and replaces the
dia community member were tight-lipped about what current patchwork of leaky-bucket
capture the relationship that abrupt- assistance was coming, and when. broadband access programs, we will
ly developed between the Internet The lack of transparency fuelled inevitably see further delays and
and the pandemic last spring. After the mobilization of grassroots communities left behind.
some initial confusion, millions of organizers, community members, After the first year of the pan-
workers and students stuck the and civil society to call on the federal demic, 39% of people in Canada are
landing of their transition to online government to more rapidly address worse off financially, according to
environments. But for millions more, the connectivity crisis. It was only the 2020 BDO Affordability Index.
Canada’s persistent digital equity after receiving thousands of mes- With shrinking household budgets,
rift—the digital divide—suddenly sages from the public, and months cheaper internet needs to happen
yawned much wider. A perennial of pressure from advocates, that the fast; but, as with access, a piecemeal
inequality issue that has been nipping government finally took action. approach will fail to bring everyone
in and out of the public discourse for The delays would have been more in Canada along. It is time for bolder
decades, the sudden shock of stay- understandable if either program federal policy that deals with the
at-home orders (read: work- and were freshly minted during COVID- problem’s source—lack of telecom
study-at-home orders) brought the 19. Instead, not only did government market competition—and uses the
issue to the fore. help arrive too late, it almost entirely power of customer choice to end the
Canada’s digital divide is exac- comprised previously committed Big Telecom oligopolies that keep
erbated by the geographic divide funding, with only a limited acceler- prices artificially high and sustain
between urban and rural communi- ated fund for a few communities to the digital divide. As Canadians have
ties. The Canadian Radio-television address connectivity over the course been saying, our nation just spent
and Telecommunications Commis- of 2021. a year being held together by the
sion’s (CRTC) national internet While progress on access has been internet. While it is clear that the
speed target is 50/10 MBps; but in underwhelming, federal action on best time to act decisively to connect
2019, only 37.2% people in rural affordability has actually made things Canada, once and for all, was in
Canada could access those speeds at worse. In 2019, the introduction March 2020—if not years before—
home. of wholesale internet rates had the second best time is right now. M
Within city limits, a major barrier put some downward pressure
to internet access is cost. While on wired internet prices across
national research is limited, available Canada. In August 2020, the federal
data confirms that lack of afforda- government issued a decision that
bility is an equally big problem. In the CRTC’s wholesale rates should
Toronto, 52% of low-income house- be higher. The market response
holds’ home internet does not meet was immediate, as wholesale-based
the CRTC’s speed target. providers who had set their retail
How has the federal government prices based on the expected rates
responded to these gaps? Not raised retail prices. The decision was
expediently. The first major actions problematic on multiple fronts: im-
to improve access—the rollout mediately increasing financial strain
of the CRTC’s existing Broadband for households, adding across-the-
Fund, and the opening of the board pressure for internet prices
government’s Universal Broadband to rise and undercutting the CRTC’s
10the release of his ground- Manitoba’s austerity- studied, rents for two-bed-
breaking analysis, Picking eroded pandemic room units increased by
up the Tab (see page response 4.6% in Toronto, 3.6%
24), detailing how much in Montreal, and 1.5% in
money provinces were In her final report as the Vancouver. While the rate
spending—and failing to CCPA Manitoba Errol of increase in Toronto and
spend—on their pandemic Black Chair in Labour Vancouver was less than
response programs. Molly Issues, Lynne Fernandez the preceding 12 months,
New from McCracken and David
Macdonald co-authored
worked with Jesse Hajer the authors assured that,
the CCPA an editorial for the Winni-
to produce a report
examining Manitoba’s
nonetheless, “they une-
quivocally increased.”
peg Free Press about the pre-pandemic austerity
money that the Manitoba agenda and how this Assessing the
CCPA in the news government was leaving positioning has impacted Biden effect
on the table during the the government’s response
While January 1 signalled pandemic. Macdonald also to the crisis. As Molly In the lead up to and
the start of a new year, had published editorials McCracken details in her following the election of
with rising COVID-19 in both the Hill Times and analysis (see Up Front the Biden-Harris adminis-
cases, underspending National Observer, and section), austerity during tration, CCPA researchers
on government-funded Parkland Director Trevor a crisis is deeply damagingHadrian Mertins-Kirk-
pandemic programs, and Harrison had an editorial to subsequent recovery wood and Stuart Trew
rampant inequality, the published in the Edmonton initiatives. The report have provided much
first quarter of 2021 has Journal commenting on outlines aspects of what needed clarity and
felt like a grinding after- the situation in Alberta. a progressive alternative guidance on what this new
word to 2020. Through COVID-19 recovery could leadership to the South
it all, CCPA experts have Lax water policy look like for Manitoba, could mean for Canada on
been in high demand, pro- leading to drought based on the model some key files. Together,
viding critical analysis on provided by the AlternativeMertins-Kirkwood and
how Canada can weather New research from Provincial Budget. Trew have laid out prelim-
this storm and build an CCPA BC resource policy inary analyses of what to
equitable recovery. analyst Ben Parfitt Rents keep going up, expect in the first 100 days
In mid-January, the uncovered that lax water pandemic or not of the Biden administration
Toronto Star published a policy allows industrial on the climate and trade
hard-hitting critique from water users to pay as Despite the many news files: what Biden’s “Buy
Randy Robinson (see little as 28 cents for an stories across Canada American” plan could
our CCPA profile on page Olympic-sized pool’s lamenting landlords’ lost mean for Canada, and how
35) assessing the Ontario worth of water in BC, profits as the country’s the new president’s com-
government’s COVID-19 encouraging poor water rental market turns into mitment to bolder climate
strategy. Robinson argued management and overuse. a “renter’s market”, new action—including the
that the province’s pen- Parfitt revealed that mining analysis from Maytree’s cancelling of the Keystone
chant for half measures companies, aluminum Hannah Aldridge and XL pipeline—could put
only benefited the virus’ smelters, pulp mills and CCPA Ontario’s Ricardo pressure on a previously
transmission rates. even ski hills were respon- Tranjan reveals that even tepid Canadian climate
“Fighting COVID-19 is not a sible for drawing massive during a pandemic, rents action plan. At the end of
market transaction. It’s not amounts of water from in Canada continue to rise. January, Trew spoke with
about making a deal. It’s a British Columbia’s rivers, The research, available CBC radio programs across
life-and-death battle, and lakes and streams. Parfitt on Behind the Numbers, the country about Biden’s
the way to win it is to use concluded, “Droughts reports that, “between “Buy American” plan and
the power of government may be here to say. But October 2019 and October what trade reforms it
to mobilize the resources water policy can flow in 2020, average rents for could generate in turn.
needed to do so.” new directions. Policies a two-bedroom unit in Both Mertins-Kirkwood’s
At the end of January, that require industries to Canada went up by 3.5%. and Trew’s analyses are
David Macdonald gave play by the same rules that The inflation rate for the available on Behind the
dozens of interviews to many residents do simply same period was 0.7%, or Numbers. M
CBC radio programs, make sense.” five times lower.” Aldridge
CTV News, Global, and and Tranjan found that in
Zoomer Radio following the 12-month period they
11co-operation and collaboration, information sharing and
Colour-coded general resource sharing and pooling.
In the language of the Akan people of West Africa,
Justice “Sankofa” translates to, “to reach back and get it.”
Sankofa, then, stands for the idea that for a community
ANTHONY N. MORGAN to actualize a positive collective future, it must learn
from and be informed by its past. I leveraged this
principle to name the framework for social reform I
proposed because I believe social transformation for
Nothing about us Black communities will only be achieved once people,
politicians and public policy-makers of all walks realize
without us that Black people tend to experience better outcomes
the more they have authority, ownership and control
over the systems and circumstances that impact their
lives. In my talk, I recalled the slogan popularized by the
I
N AN OCTOBER 2019 TEDxToronto talk I delivered, I global disability rights movement, “nothing about us,
shared the idea of a framework for social reform aimed without us”, as a way to capture the spirit of the Sankofa
at realizing racial justice by transforming the violent framework for social reform.
relationship between Canada’s Black communities and The Sankofa can be broken down into two parts. The
Canada’s systems of policing and incarceration. I called first calls for identifying and dismantling government
it the Sankofa framework. policies and practices that have perpetuated anti-Black
I conceptualized the Sankofa framework before the racism. Sankofa encourages a practice of taking what’s
outbreak of COVID-19 upended life in Canada. However, been learned from failed approaches to ultimately
after a year of seeing the racially-lopsided impacts of reimagine and reconstruct laws, policies, practices,
the pandemic in Canada I think that the framework I institutions and systems of social well-being. The second
proposed in my talk is ripe for reconsideration. More part of the Sankofa framework is solutions-focused: it
than that, I believe that the Sankofa framework can calls for us to prioritize culturally-responsive solutions
be leveraged to conceptually ground Canada’s govern- that are developed by Black people for Black people.
mental responses to the racially disadvantageous social In my original pre-pandemic talk, I focused this change
outcomes being produced and exacerbated by COVID- on being fostered and facilitated by reallocating public
19 in Black communities. In particular, the Sankofa funds that currently go into policing to institutions that
framework helps demonstrate the need and value of the support community well-being for Black residents in
federal government, along with the provincial govern- the areas employment, entrepreneurship, education,
ments with sizable Black populations (such as, Ontario, housing, health care, child care, arts, culture and leisure.
Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta) to take steps to estab- I argued that these broader services get to the root of
lish ministries of African Canadian affairs within their effectively lowering crime and violence in a way that
respective jurisdictions. These government offices would putting more cops in communities never will.
be responsible for supporting and enabling an efficient, I now believe that the Sankofa framework for social
culturally responsive, and community-driven approach reform could be used to support the development and
to COVID-19 containment among Black communities. delivery of a nationally integrated, intergovernmental
It can be reasonably argued that an important part COVID-19 response and recovery strategy that is
of why we continue to see elevated rates of COVID-19 conceived and directed by community members and
infections among Black communities is because Canada experts from Canada’s diverse Black communities.
is without a well-resourced, co-ordinated, multi-level Having offices of African Canadian affairs at the
government response to the particular impacts of COVID- federal level and across provinces would serve to better
19 on Black communities. In order to sufficiently address support Black communities through this punishing
COVID-19’s racially slanted effects on Canada’s Black com- pandemic. It would also advance the creation of stronger
munities, government offices of African Canadian affairs and long-overdue institutions of government focused on
are needed to facilitate an effective COVID-19 response how to best support the community well-being of Black
and recovery within and across provincial boundaries in people in Canada, which was already chronically com-
Canada. To be effective, this kind of culturally appropriate promised for decades before the pandemic. In sum, the
COVID-19 response and recovery strategy would need Sankofa framework for social reform that I’ve proposed
to be driven, developed and delivered by individuals with can help guide politicians and policy-makers towards
lived and/or professional expertise in the complex social solutions that don’t just work for Black communities
realities of being Black in Canada. The attendant offices impacted by COVID-19, but work with them. M
of government would be well-positioned to help facilitate Anthony N. Morgan is a Toronto-based human rights lawyer, policy
this by supporting service coordination, organizational consultant and community educator.
12You can also read
