1535 replies to this topic

[dasmo]

Here is the source. https://www.oecd.org...verty-rate.html

But…
Higher inequality often leads to higher relative poverty rates (USA is a notable example with higher relative poverty).

So relative doesn’t really paint a real picture necessarily in terms of people struggling to survive vs people with less than those with more.

Statistics can and are used to lie with.

[Mike K.]

I didn’t even make a statement on the issue of poverty, I only asked for Tony to source his work.

Tony, opinion is fine, but when it’s stylized to look like text copied and pasted from another source, it ought to be cited.

[Tony]

My basic point was when someone says that Canada has The highest poverty rate in the G7. This seems to be acceptable  to say without providing any sources. 

 

I think if such a statement is made it best to provide the source of the information.

If you challenge such a statement it is best to provide the source of the informatio,

[dasmo]

Exactly. 

I forgot to add another source to my comment. 

https://a.co/d/htwJKkB

[Mike K.]

A quick Google search shows:

Based on data from around 2015 (or the latest year available at the time of the 2018 Canadian G7 Presidency report), the overall poverty rates for G7 nations were as follows:
USA: 17%
Italy: 13%
Canada: 14% (Note: the snippet has a slight discrepancy, listing 14% overall poverty vs 17% child poverty, but places the USA rate higher)
Japan: 16% (Note: this refers to child poverty, the overall poverty matches child poverty at 16%)
UK: 11%
France: 8%
Germany: 9.5%

https://www.google.c...mobile&ie=UTF-8

It’s the third-highest in general, and highest for children among the G7, with the US, but the other data cited doesn’t include children specifically.

[dasmo]

Still, those are relative measurements, not absolute. To really understand poverty as we would see it as a problem would be an absolute measurement and would need to be aggregated by city. 

 

"As with income inequality, the starting point for poverty measurement is the concept of equivalised household disposable income (see “Definition and measurement” of the “Household income” or “Income inequality” indicators).

The poverty rate is a headcount of how many people fall below the poverty line. People are classified as poor when their equivalised disposable household income is less than 50% of the median in each country. The use of a relative income threshold means that richer countries have the higher poverty thresholds. Higher poverty thresholds in richer countries capture the notion that avoiding poverty means an ability to access to the goods and services that are regarded as customary or the norm in any given county. Poverty rates by age group are calculated based on the median income for the entire population."

 

https://www.oecd.org...rce=chatgpt.com

Edited by dasmo, 26 January 2026 - 10:05 AM.

[dasmo]

So in summary, If Americans are richer overall, they might have a higher poverty rate than Canadians but more Canadians might be struggling just to survive.  Where more Americans might be struggling to get a bigger TV than their neighbor..... 

[lanforod]

You kind of have to use a relative measure though because cost of living varies by country too. But absolutely, its a flawed metric as well because cost of living varies dramatically within each country as well. Someone below the poverty line in Canada, but living in Burns lake could well be living a lot more comfortably than someone with higher income in Victoria.

Edited by lanforod, 26 January 2026 - 01:37 PM.

[dasmo]

You kind of have to use a relative measure though because cost of living varies by country too. But absolutely, its a flawed metric as well because cost of living varies dramatically within each country as well. Someone below the poverty line in Canada, but living in Burns lake could well be living a lot more comfortably than someone with higher income in Victoria.

The measure isn't relative to the cost of living though. That would be more absolute. 

It is a measure of if "disposable household income is less than 50% of the median in each country."

So if the median is $150,000 and you make $70,000 and the cost of living is $50,000 then you are in the poverty statistic. But you are not poor, you just have less disposable income than most. 

See. this is how they lie with statistics..... 

[Victoria Watcher]

‘No money left’: International students live in poverty

 

https://cheknews.ca/...overty-1311637/

 

 

 

“There is no money left for food, there is no money left for other things, nothing, not for rent,” he told CHEK News.

 

He says international students often find themselves seeking money from loan sharks because they’re not eligible to seek loans from Canadian banks.

 

“Then they are put in a precarious place of either working illegally or taking out loans from not reputable sources,” said Wilson.

 

The federal government also limits the students from working more than 24 hours a week. Singh says that amounts to about $1,700 a month which is only enough to cover tuition and school fees, leaving zero dollars for rent and food every month.

 

 

 

 

 

Tough beans.   Don't come here if you cannot afford it.  We should not be a dumping place for the world.  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 March 2026 - 06:45 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

St. Patrick's Day red-haired race forced off UVic campus

The run normally takes place on campus, but is set to happen at Cadboro Bay this year after it didn’t get approval from the university.

https://www.timescol...campus-12006494

[Victoria Watcher]

https://www.dailymai...tter_mailonline

 

 

A progressive Canadian university has been panned online after celebrating Indigenous awards with a name that many say is impossible to decipher.

 

The University of Victoria in British Columbia was mocked after announcing the latest winners of the ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ | SIÁMĆEȽ awards.

 

The honors are part of the school's awards for distinguished alumni, recognizing contributions 'which have improved outcomes for Indigenous people,' according to the university.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 March 2026 - 05:49 AM.

[amor de cosmos]

The University of Victoria in British Columbia was mocked after announcing the latest winners of the ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ | SIÁMĆEȽ awards.

my best guess based using this SENĆOŦEN word list is SIÁMĆEȽ means "more rich". SI¸ÁM¸ = rich, ĆÁȽ = more (different spellings i know).

[aastra]

Never thought I'd live to see the day when people in the UK would be making fun of other places re: goofy pronunciations.

[Victoria Watcher]

Transgender participation in sport gets spotlight at UVic guest lecture

After her own transition, guest lecturer Joanna Harper turned to studies to understand the changes happening in her own body. Now, she shares that expertise through her work.

https://www.timescol...ecture-12162320

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 April 2026 - 11:45 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

In what may mark a new milestone in the annals of race-based Canadian hiring, Newfoundland and Labrador’s only university currently has five academic job postings that are explicitly forbidden for straight white men.

 

Memorial University, located in the provincial capital of St. John’s, was founded as a “living memorial” to the outsized number of Newfoundland men killed in the First World War. Job postings for the university make note of this, reminding applicants that the school exists so that their “cause and sacrifice might not be forgotten.”

 

But this month, five of those same job postings also contain itemized restrictions excluding the one cohort that made up the overwhelming majority of Newfoundland’s war dead.

 

Specifically, the five jobs are advertised exclusively for “women; 2SLGBTQIA+ people; Indigenous peoples; racialized persons; and persons with disabilities.”

 

 

 

https://nationalpost...te-men-for-jobs

 

 

 

In a 2025 study, the Aristotle Foundation examined 489 job postings issued by 10 Canadian universities, and found just 12 that didn’t contain some element saying that candidates would be prioritized based on their race, gender or sexual identity.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 April 2026 - 03:06 AM.