"We are seeking to provide perspective and commentary on issues and initiatives in our external environment that are relevant to our researchers," says Hach茅. "It's important to highlight and create awareness about new opportunities and proposed policy and procedural changes that may affect the University research community."

Right: Robert Hach茅

First in this series is a review of the (R&D), a report on federal support聽released in October 2011. The report,聽commissioned by a federally appointed expert panel chaired by Michael Jenkins, executive chair and chief strategy officer of Open Text Corporation, reviewed national programs that support business innovation in Canada.

The panel was comprised聽of a distinguished cadre of business and academic experts. It聽proposes a number of fundamental changes to the way that government supports business-facing research and development. If adopted, the recommendations are expected to present expanded聽opportunities for 91亚色 researchers with respect to research funding and some new challenges.听

Highlights of recommendations in the report include:

• Development of a new granting council, called the Industrial Research Innovation Council (IRIC), to support funding and delivery of business-facing R&D programs. This council would provide a common service platform for a reduced number of larger, more flexible support programs, including the National Research Council's (NRC) Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP).
• Changing the model under which the National Research Council operates into a grouping of large-scale, sectoral collaborative R&D centres involving business, the university sector and the provinces.
• Assigning responsibility and accountability to a single designated minister of innovation to build consensus and innovation partnerships with the provinces and territories.

To view聽the full commentary,聽click here.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The symposium will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, from 8:30am to 12:30pm, at 280N 91亚色 Lanes, Keele campus, followed by lunch from 12:30 to 2pm.

The presenters will also discuss the 鈥渟o-whatness鈥� or policy implications of their research.

鈥淪ervice Preferences of Homeless Youth: Housing First, Treatment First or Both Together?鈥� will be discussed by 听(谤颈驳丑迟), acting associate director of nursing research at the University of Western Ontario. Housing-first initiatives focus on interventions designed to move individuals to appropriate and available housing, and ongoing housing supports. It has been found to produce good outcomes for homeless adults with mental illness but has not been specifically tested聽for youth. With the treatment-first initiative, the individual is not housed until psychiatrically stable.

Forchuk will look at a current study聽that examined three approaches to service for homeless youth 鈥� housing first, treatment first for mental health and addictions, and simultaneous attention to both housing and treatment. Youth were given the opportunity to choose which service method they preferred.

听(濒别蹿迟), director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg, will discuss 鈥淗omelessness and Mental Health: Winnipeg鈥檚 Approach to Building Capacity and Housing Those in Need鈥�. Distasio鈥檚 presentation will provide an overview of a massive five-city study by the Mental Health Commission of Canada,聽that examined the effectiveness of a housing-first intervention in the Canadian context. Distasio will focus on the unique aspects of the Winnipeg approach, which has been built on the strengths of the local Aboriginal community.

听(谤颈驳丑迟), of St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital and a professor at the University of Toronto, will talk about 鈥淗ealth Care Utilization Among People Who Are Homeless鈥�. He will discuss research that measured health care utilization rates among homeless adults in a large Canadian urban centre and compared observed utilization rates to matched controls from the general population. Most of the research on this topic has been conducted in the United States.

University of Ottawa psychology Professor (left) will discuss 鈥淟esson Learned from the Implementation of Housing First in a Small Canadian City鈥�. His talk聽will focus on the Mental Health Commission of Canada鈥檚 housing-first study and the results of the housing-first approach in Moncton, NB.

A key feature of the Canadian response to homelessness is the use of law enforcement to manage its visibility. 's research presentation, 鈥�Can I See Your ID? Policing and the Criminalization of Youth Homelessness in Toronto鈥�, will focus on the interactions that Toronto street youth have with members of the Toronto Police Service. Gaetz, a professor in聽91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education and associate dean of research & field development for the homeless hub, will discuss his research with of the University of Guelph.

Right: Stephen Gaetz

Their research has found that youth who use drop-ins and emergency housing services regularly have encounters with the police. For youth who are severely marginalized, many of these encounters take place because of their public drinking and illegal substance use. But for other homeless youth not involved in crime or illegal drug use, they, too, are under close police surveillance and contact. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the implications of social profiling and the criminalizing of youth homelessness.

The symposium is presented by the and . For more information, visit the homeless hub symposium聽web page.

Space is limited. To guarantee a spot, RSVP to Susan Atkinson at satkinson@edu.yorku.ca or ext. 30208. The symposium will also be presented as a webinar. To register for the webinar, .

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This spring, Raphael聽released a second updated and expanded edition featuring the聽latest figures on poverty, and聽a new, hefty chapter critiquing all federal and provincial anti-poverty programs.听And he clarified, in the final chapter, what people can do to stem聽growing poverty in Canada, the fourth wealthiest nation on the planet. Rob Rainer, executive director of Canada Without Poverty, wrote the foreword.听

鈥淵ou are holding in your hands the single most valuable reference on poverty in Canada, a book whose dog-eared copy sits prominently on the bookshelf in my office,鈥� Rainer began, referring to the first edition of Poverty and Policy in Canada (see YFile, May 15, 2007). Valuable, he stressed, for its breadth, its provocative questions, its lists of resources 鈥� and because of the person behind this work.听

Raphael, notes Rainer, 鈥渉as encyclopedic knowledge about poverty in Canada. He has developed this from making the study of poverty central to his life鈥檚 work. But unlike some academics who are content to study and publish鈥aphael goes beyond publishing to be a scholar (uncommonly) determined to be and unafraid of speaking truth to power."

Raphael wrote the original book聽to meet a need for a textbook in a third-year course he聽teaches聽on poverty and health in聽91亚色's School of Health聽Policy & Management.听

The book聽explores the links between poverty,聽policy, health and quality of life for Canadians.听Raphael argues, writes聽Rainer,聽that聽unless Canadian governments take steps to reduce the inequities between the rich and poor, "we can expect poverty and its devastating impact and cost to be a virtually permanent fixture of our society."

In the book鈥檚 new chapter, "Anti-Poverty Strategies and Programs", Raphael assesses 鈥渁 bewildering array鈥� of more than 70 so-called anti-poverty programs, from swimming lessons and drop-in centres, to housing and health services, and concludes that most, however well-intended, lack impact. Quebec and Newfoundland offer more effective programs than the other provinces, says Raphael, but poverty can only be eliminated by raising the minimum wage, offering benefits to temporary and part-time workers, and raising social assistance and disability benefits to health-sustaining levels, among other things.听Making it easier for Canadians to form unions is also very important, says Raphael.

Left: Dennis Raphael

What is the future of poverty in Canada, asks Raphael in his final chapter. That depends on the will and influence of political parties to introduce poverty-reducing policies, such as the proposed national child-care program, he argues. 鈥淐onservative dominance should lead to little if any decline in child poverty rates and 鈥� due to greater implementation of market-oriented rather than equity-based policies 鈥� may increase these rates,鈥� he says. Finally, he says, voting for聽left-leaning parties that advocate social reform would go a long way towards reducing poverty in Canada.

Poverty in Canada: Implications for Health and Quality of Life is published by .听

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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