By Doreen Marion Gee

Two more homeless people are dead. Reverend Al Tysick will hold two funerals this week. Poverty takes no prisoners. It is an affliction, wreaking destruction in people’s lives. Many important business and political leaders give impassioned speeches. But behind the rhetoric, Reverend Al's body count reminds us that words are not enough.

On January 16 an anti-poverty panel discussion was held at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and featured Ken Dryden, MP Chair of the Federal Liberal Social Justice Committee. Dryden, the famous hockey player and goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, is trying to score a victory against poverty. Poverty is a crippling problem and this may be his hardest fight of all.

The presentation was called " Reducing Poverty in Canada: What Will it Take?" The event was sponsored by Anne Park Shannon, head of our local Liberal party, as part of Stèphane Dion's new "Liberal 30 to 50 Plan to Reduce Poverty." Ken Dryden is the messenger - taking Dion's message across the country. Dion promises, if elected, to reduce poverty by 30% and to reduce child poverty by 50%. Besides Dryden, the other distinguished panel members were Jody Paterson (Times Colonist), Kim Dixon (James Bay New Horizons), Ken Kelly (Manager of the Downtown Business Association), and Bruce Parisian (Executive Director of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre). Notable audience members were Keith Martin, Al Tysick, Denise Savoie, and Brionny Penn.

Dryden reminded us that poverty is unacceptable. "Canada can do better than this. Everyone needs a chance." He said that we need to set our targets high. "It takes a country. It is time," were his final thoughts.

Paterson spoke eloquently saying that the rate of child poverty is now twice what it was in 1989. Paterson pointed out how attitudes can be the biggest barriers to eradicating poverty. People see a distinction between the deserving and the undeserving poor, leading to unfair social policies. She feels that poverty also needs to be tackled by society, with permanent community funded programs which cannot be dismantled with changes in government.

Dixon spoke about the challenges in getting funding to help low-income seniors, "We must barter to provide services." According to Dixon, so much time is spent writing proposals for funding that it erodes the time actually spent with the seniors.

Parisian gave a startling statistic: 90 percent of Aboriginal people live in poverty. He exclaimed "We need to do something now!" Kelly spoke to the root of the problem: "There has been downloading of issues by senior levels of government. We need a national housing strategy."

After all is said and done, Reverend Al’s words ring loudest.

Photo by Barry Behnke