The Town With No Poverty

The movement for a basic income is gaining steam. Join Nourish and the Basic Income Peterborough Network as we explore the economic case for a basic income guarantee (BIG) with University of Manitoba economist, Dr. Evelyn Forget.

About BIG

A basic income would ensure an income that is sufficient meet basic needs and live with dignity.  It is increasingly recognized as an effective way to reduce poverty and insecurity, address severe economic inequality, and promote more democratic and engaged citizenship.

Limited forms of basic income already exist in Canada for seniors and children under the age of 18. Old Age Security, for example, provides financial support to all adults over 65, while the Guaranteed Income Supplement extends additional resources to seniors living on low incomes. If implemented nationally, the extension of such programs to the broader population has the potential to generate increased economic opportunities, promote better health outcomes, and reduce inequality.

With support spanning the political spectrum, a basic income guarantee is a proposal for policy change thats got people talking. To learn more, visit the Basic Income Canada Network.

About the speaker

Biography Evelyn L. Forget is an economist, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba and Academic Director of the Manitoba Research Data Centre. She is an adjunct scientist with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and a research associate with the MB First Nations Centre for Aboriginal Health Research. Her work has been funded by CIHR, SSHRC and NIH, and she has consulted for provincial and federal government departments, First Nations and NGOs. Her current research focuses on the health and social consequences of antipoverty interventions and the cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions. (Source: University of Manitoba)