Share your Stories

Consultation has concluded

We encourage you to share your story to help us better understand how we can address poverty in Canada. We are interested in your personal experiences, and information on any supports or programs that helped you, or where you experienced gaps in social supports.

When you share your thoughts, please tell your story as anonymously as you can. That means avoiding names of people you know and the names of organizations. Instead, please use more general names such as “my aunt,” “our local food bank,” “our school” and so on. We also welcome photo or video submissions.

Selected stories or excerpts may be posted on this site or used in other communication activities for this or other Government of Canada activities.

The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Canada.


We encourage you to share your story to help us better understand how we can address poverty in Canada. We are interested in your personal experiences, and information on any supports or programs that helped you, or where you experienced gaps in social supports.

When you share your thoughts, please tell your story as anonymously as you can. That means avoiding names of people you know and the names of organizations. Instead, please use more general names such as “my aunt,” “our local food bank,” “our school” and so on. We also welcome photo or video submissions.

Selected stories or excerpts may be posted on this site or used in other communication activities for this or other Government of Canada activities.

The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Canada.


Tell your story


CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

  • Health Perspective

    by Healthworker, over 7 years ago

    I have worked in public and private healthcare.  I have seen more examples than I can count of the negative effects of poverty, even in our supposedly equitable public health system. In this post I will briefly describe the issues I have seen in regards to insurance. For example, in Nova Scotia, public medical insurance ( MSI) mostly covers medications, not devices or equipment, which may be just as important for treating a health issue. Many seniors lose their private insurance after they turn 65 (if they even had any in the first place), so as they age and generally... Continue reading

  • predatory divorce-babies taken - unacknowledged grief of the mother and children

    by unacknowledgedgrief, over 7 years ago

    I was a teacher, and mother of two year old twins, living in an abusive marriage. My ex husband tried to kill me, shook the baby, sexually abused my daughter, hurt my children, and eventually abducted my daughter when she turned 12, turned her against me, and refused to give her back. All the while, I wrote many e-mails and letters, contacted many people and tried everything I could think of to change the turn of events in my and my children's lives, but nothing seemed to work to prevent a very manipulative and abusive narcissist/sociopath from taking my children... Continue reading

  • My Home province and its housing issues

    by arthur irving, over 7 years ago

    I live in Halifax's and our Province has a system where the people from here are allowed less that the new people coming to live here from other countries.

    The native residents are allowed some $777.00 per month for rent to live on if you are living on a pension and Assisted housing, A landed immigrant is given $2700.00 per month for the same province. we are allowed some twenty five dollars to buy supplies to keep you home clean, and about two hundred to buy food. 100.00 for heat and you must pay your own power which is around... Continue reading

  • Low CLASS CITIZENS EQUALLS 0 ON THE EYES OF PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS

    by chasity_dawn@live.ca , over 7 years ago

    From a child my mom struggles to raise my brother and I. Back then she was on socal assistance and we livesmd in in tge farm hands house at my g.parents. she was dealing with ger own inner deamons as ibwas facing real life deamons. I started experiencing depression and cutting at 11 reaching out for help getting bullied in school etc. Buy 13 i hasd gull blown juivinile depression with suicidal tendencies. I was hospitalized i dont know how mant times by tge tine ibwas 15 thats when i started to self medicate with  crystal meth. Staying awake was... Continue reading

  • My story isn't long

    by Bev Hearn, over 7 years ago

    I am a single white female.  I lost my job last year when oil and gas took a tumble.  I am the only person paying the bills and the mortgage.  I am on EI which is soon to run out.  No one can live on EI..... Poverty starts with government.  Oh and by the way, things have still not improved in the job situation here where I live.

  • Living below the poverty line for over 30 years

    by Mike_S, over 7 years ago

    I've been living below the poverty line for over 30 years, living on min wage. The struggle is to meet my basic surviving needs, rent, basic heat and hydro utilities , and food . Never mind a dentist to fill a cavity , Because I'm not on disabilities or of special needs or on Social services or Employment Insurance I don't qualify for programs offered to people not on these services . As the poverty line increases the population that live and struggle living below the poverty line increases . As the poverty line increases so does the cost of... Continue reading

  • It could happen to you - It did happen to me

    by GWAILIN, over 7 years ago

    I am a 48-year-old single male Canadian taxpayer with no dependants, residing in Toronto, and was diagnosed with a chronic health condition in 2015.

    I come from a financially modest background and I have no family in Ontario. My only family, my mother and brother live in NS, from where I immigrated to Toronto in 1990 in search of employment and opportunity. I have lived in the GTA Toronto-Danforth riding cumulatively for over 15 years. I love my home, which I rent, and particularly the area and community in which I live. My doctor, pharmacist, bank and other amenities are... Continue reading

  • A Submission to the Government of Canada on the Reduction of Poverty. Louis Shalako.

    by Louis Shalako, over 7 years ago

    No one is more qualified than I am to consult with this government on the subject of poverty reduction. A good poverty-reduction plan demands good information.

    It’s a good thing I’m on your side, eh?

    I’ve been on ODSP, a provincial disability pension, for roughly twenty-two years. Last year, I received $13,332.00 in provincial disability benefits. (T-5007)

    According to the landlord’s annual statement, in 2016 I paid $9,441.00 in rent. That is 70.1 % of my disability income, rounded off to the tenth. I do operate a small business, and I do work part-time. This... Continue reading

  • I Live In Poverty: Public-Policy Pushed Me Here

    by DMG, over 7 years ago

    I live undignified in poverty as a Canadian Citizen due to the impacts of public policy in my life. I worked for 31 years as a care-provider to persons with intellectual challenges. I also worked for 16 years in rural BC as a paramedic.

    My life when I was a young Canadian was rather typical as I entered the workforce as an adult. I landed a job in my teens, working for an organization in Creston that served the needs of adult persons with developmental disabilities.

    I did my job to the best of my ability, and loving the career... Continue reading

  • Had to choose between living with Violence or alone in Poverty

    by Artemis123, over 7 years ago

    I was abused as a child and into my late teens by my parents. I went to university but I was unable to complete it because I was not psychologically, socially and mentally prepared for a life independent from my controlling and abusive parents. My high school teachers groom confidence in brilliant students, as students like me were forgotten as we were unworthy of that kind of investment that intelligent students were. From this i knew you cannot depend on teachers or parents to guide you and therefore the harshest lessons will be unavoidable. Only the well-off are privileged to... Continue reading