Saanich E-Bike Pilot Incentive Program Results

The Community Social Planning Council (CSPC) of Greater Victoria has been actively engaging with regional and international partners on just transitions. Within this initiative the CSPC has launched the Transportation Access, Climate and Economic Security (ACES) project to design a regionally focused climate equity framework for transportation decision-making. The CSPC is using this framework to maximize co-benefits in program planning decisions that lead to best climate, accessibility, and affordability outcomes.

CSPC has collaborated with the District of Saanich and UBC REACT Lab to help design and implement the Saanich E-Bike Incentive Pilot Program. This program works to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regionally by empowering low-income community members and equity-seeking groups to shift to e-bikes for transportation. It is the first municipal e-bike incentive program in BC to embed an equity lens with stepped income-qualified rebates. Read the full report below!

Low-Income Targeted Climate Action Incentive Programs

As summer temperatures rise and the climate crisis accelerates, many are looking to build resiliency and move away from fossil fuels where possible. The heat dome in 2021 was one of many extreme weather events yet to come, claiming more than 700 lives across the province. Despite the desire to shift habits, improve personal well-being and comfort, and build a more sustainable foundation - not everyone is offered the same opportunities. Read the full report below.

Walking the Talk: Building Equity into Climate Programs

As Canadian cities roll out climate action plans to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with Canada’s objective of reaching net zero carbon by 2050, it is crucial that equity is embedded in each step in developing these plans. Embedding equity considerations in climate action plans can help disadvantaged communities that disproportionately bear the adverse effects of climate change to have the opportunities to participate in and benefit from climate action initiatives. Climate equity is a win-win for the wellbeing of the planet and for all communities, including low income, Indigenous, immigrant, LGBTQ2S+, visible minorities and people with disabilities. Read the full report below.

Women’s Day 2023 – The Gender Wage Gap in the CRD

Women in the Capital Regional District continue to earn less than men. The gap is larger for visible minority women and women with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Women annually earn between 30 and 85 cents for each dollar a white man earns.

For those who aren't familiar, the gender pay gap refers to the difference in average earnings of people based on gender. It is a widely recognized indicator of gender inequities, and it exists across industries and professional levels.

There is still much work to be done.

When compared to previous data, the median income ratio of all other races/ethnicities increased in relation to white men, with the exception of white women, whose ratio showed a slight decrease. 

How can we close the gender pay gap?

Conduct pay audits in your organization. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business provides exercises to conduct an internal audit. While it’s specific to the Pay Equity Act in Quebec, the questions can be adapted to other jurisdictions.

Support flexible work requirements. Women are often forced to choose between work, childcare, and other family commitments. A flexible schedule that eases in-office requirements can help.

Publish wage/salary information in job postings. Providing salaries up front keeps unintentional bias from creeping into the hiring process and provides transparency for applicants. Publishing a range also allows room to negotiate based on education and experience while ensuring candidates have equal starting places.

Write your MLA and encourage them to pass provincial legislation that outlines protections, processes, and remedies that require all BC employers to provide equal pay and to make the minimum wage a living wage (See the CSPC’s annual calculation for the living wage). Universal Childcare is also seen as a key way to eliminate the gender pay gap.

In order to see long-lasting change, both pay equity and proper representation of women in higher-paying jobs must be addressed.

The Facts

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Gender wage gaps are calculated from median employment incomes. 

Sources

Statistics Canada. Table 98-10-0439-01  Employment income statistics by visible minority, highest level of education, immigrant status and income year: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts 

Statistics Canada. Table 98-10-0427-01  Employment income statistics by Indigenous identity and highest level of education: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts 

The Gender Pay Gap in Canada

As part of the Happiness and Wellbeing Lab project, the United Way Southern Vancouver Island and Community Council release annual data on International Women's Day to bring attention to the gender pay gap and empower individuals to take action.

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Family Day Factsheet: No Family Left Behind 2023

As part of the Happiness and Wellbeing Lab project, the United Way South Vancouver Island and Community Council release an annual family day fact sheet. The fact sheet brings awareness that even though we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. As we celebrate this BC Family Day, let's make sure that No Family Gets Left Behind. 

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Greater Victoria Living Wage Report 2022

The Living Wage is the hourly wage that two working parents with two young children must each earn to meet their basic expenses (including rent, child-care, medical needs, food, and transportation), once government taxes, credits, deductions and subsidies have been taken into account. The Living Wage for our region is calculated annually by the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria (CSPC) and is based on a 35 hour work week. At $24.29/hour ($44,208 annually per parent), the 2022 Living Wage for Greater Victoria is a $3.83 increase from 2021. As those in the region can attest, the cost of living continues to soar.

Filling the Gap: analytics to support housing for all in Greater Victoria

Piloting the HART Method in Greater Victoria

What is affordable? Affordable for whom? When is affordability not enough? These questions are at the core of housing needs assessments that allow governments to meet the housing needs of everyone in the region.

The HART Method, developed by UBC's Housing Research Collaborative, offers an approach to determining local housing needs that includes housing size, the need for accessible homes, and the maximum costs for rent at specific income levels.

The Community Social Planning Council has piloted the HART Method of developing housing needs assessments for five areas in Greater Victoria.* Filling the Gap explores the HART Method and highlights the variations in local need by looking specifically at the municipalities of Sooke, Esquimalt, Saanich, and the City of Victoria in comparison to Greater Victoria.

Speakers at the event on September 20, 2022 included

  • Carolyn Whitzman PhD, Invited Professor at the University of Ottawa and expert advisor to the UBC Housing Research Collaborative
  • Nicole Chaland, housing researcher and paper co-author
  • Luna, Homes for Living community advocate

Filling the Gap invitates discussion on the methodology and its local findings. It is part of the Community Council's ongoing series on housing affordability.

* The initial report uses 2016 census data as 2021 data had not yet been released during the report's writing. CSPC will update the analysis with current data when it is available.

Preparing for Extreme Heat Events

While this summer has, so far, been on the cool side for Greater Victoria, the risk still exists for extreme heat events in July, August, and even September. Following last year's devastating heat dome that killed 619 people in British Columbia - the majority of victims being renters, on low-income, and seniors - we hope this guide will help more British Columbians stay safe and well.

Income disparity in Greater Victoria

On July 13, 2022 Statistics Canada released data from the 2021 Census that included a portrait of Canada’s families and households, and an income profile of Canadian households. This data update contained both good news and bad news for residents of Greater Victoria.

The good news? Incomes are rising for everyone from the lowest income levels (i.e. households with an income that is 50% or less of the regional median) to the highest (i.e. households with an income that is 120% or more of the regional median). As well, the median income in Greater Victoria is higher than the provincial median and very close to the national median.

The bad news? Incomes are rising more quickly for the people who are already making the most money. This means that people are making more money but have less left over for food, transportation, clothing, and other needs after meeting their housing costs.

Click this image to read the full 2 page infographic

Sources: 

Statistics Canada, July 13 Census data release: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/index-eng.cfm