- from the
English translations of articles and news (current and archived) from the Québec press

----------------------------------------------

- links to the on-line services offered by the public departments and agencies of Québec.

("La Commission Séguin")
"The Québec government set up the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance on May 9, 2001, to identify and analyze the basic causes of the fiscal imbalance between the federal government and Québec and to invite and collect opinions and suggestions from experts and stakeholders in Québec and elsewhere regarding the practical consequences of this imbalance and concrete solutions to put forward to correct it."

Quebec Commission on Fiscal Imbalance Report Released March 7, 2002
"This report of just over 200 pages deals with the nature and scope of fiscal imbalance, its causes, consequences and the proposed solutions. The report contains some twenty recommendations that seek major transformations in intergovernmental fiscal relations within Canada".
[en français...]

(March 7, 2002)
On this page, you'll find five news releases concerning the Commission report and three other relevant releases dating back to May 2001.
Yves Séguin releases the report of the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance
Québec, March 7, 2002 - The President of the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance, Yves Séguin, today released the Commission's report, after submitting it to the Deputy Premier and Minister of State for the Economy and Finance, Pauline Marois.

(March 2002)
On this page, you'll find the table of contents and summary of the report as well as a link to the complete report in PDF format. The page includes links to the following documents of the Commission.
Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements - Germany, Australia, Belgium, Spain, United States, Switzerland
Fiscal Imbalance: Problems and Issues – Discussion Paper for public consultation
Federal Transfer Programs to the Provinces – Background Paper for public consultation
Effective Occupation of Taxation Fields in Québec – Background Paper for public consultation
– Background Paper for public consultation (PDF file - 208K, 49 pages)

- over 40 links to information (much of which is in English) by a variety of authors on CHST, CAP, Equalization, federal-provincial-territorial fiscal arrangements, transfer payments and economic and social policy issues.
An that was to have been held in Québec City on September 13 and 14, 2001 was cancelled due to the events of September 11. The Symposium page includes links to the program and to notes from over a dozen presenters from 9 countries - some of which are extensive treatises of fiscal federalism and fiscal equilibrium.

Ministries and Documents

National Assembly of Quebec

- incl. links to : Members - Parliamentary Proceedings - Organization and Proceedings

Emploi et Solidarité sociale - Employment and Social Solidarity

- includes info about and links to : Centre de recouvrement * Emploi-Québec * Secrétariat à l'action communautaire autonome du Québec * Sécurité du revenu * Services à la famille * Ministers * Department * Major issues * Programs and measures * Online services * Client Service * Statistics * Press releases * Publications * Forms * Frequently asked questions

- incl. links to : General information * Description * Programs and measures * Défi-Mois * Social assistance * Income Support Program for Workers Affected by Collectives Dismissals in the Resources Regions * Ma place au soleil * Québec Maternity Allowance Program (PRALMA) * Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) * Québec pluriel * Solidarité jeunesse * Publications * Forms * Sites of interest

The social solidarity services offered by Emploi-Québec are attached to the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS). In keeping with the provisions of the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the agency is responsible for administering last-resort financial assistance programs.

 
Click "Press Releases" in the left margin of the home page, then select news releases from the following sources: Department * Minister of Employment, Social Solidarity and Family Welfare * Minister for Family Welfare * Emploi-Québec * Find a press release

Department responsible for welfare
(English Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)

Name of the welfare program

Legislation

Source:

[ ]

Policy Manual
(1.5MB, 49 pages) July 2008
(PDF file - 3.4MB, 23 pages) July 2008
NOTE: the blue text box in the centre of the page also contains detailed welfare program info

Welfare statistics



[If you can read French, see for detailed caseload profile info]
See also:
(PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source:

Welfare rates (benefits)
(PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)

NOTE: for families with children, you must add in the amount of the child assistance payment.
- The child assistance is intended to cover the basic needs of children under age 18 in low-income families, taking into account the paid by the federal government.
- to help calculate refundable tax credits under the Child Assistance and Work Premium measures
- since January 2005, the child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.

Latest search results on for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Quebec"
-
-
-

Related Links
* (PDF - 1.8MB, 60 pages) - Revised April 2009
(see p. 16 : welfare stats for 2001, 2007 and 2009) Source: (English home page)
* - Announced March 18, 2008
(One billion dollars over three years to improve participation in the labour market and productivity)
* (Overview and links to related documents)
-
- - links to annual reports for years one, two and three of the Strategy
- (research centre on poverty, set up under the Strategy)
- (Advisory committee, set up under the National Strategy)
- (Oct/07) - from the (Govt. of Canada)
* (PDF, 145K, 2 pages)
*
* (updated to Sept./08)
* ((PDF - 2.4MB, 190 pages - September 2002) --- Excellent Quebec welfare reform information!! (from )

Selected site content:

(PDF - 311K, 80 pages)
Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion
(Centre for the study of poverty and exclusion)
2009 (file dated September 21/09)
One of the mandates of the Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion is to propose, to the minister of Emploi et Solidarité sociale, measures and indicators of poverty, inequality and social exclusion to measure progress in Québec in the implementation of the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion. This advice is a first proposition in that direction.
[ ]
Source:
(English home page)
The Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (CEPE) is an observation, research and discussion centre entrusted with providing reliable and rigourous information, notably of a statistical nature, on poverty and social exclusion issues. (...) One of the main mandates of the CEPE is to develop and recommend to the Minister a series of indicators to be used in measuring poverty and social exclusion and social and economic disparities, as well as other indicators of poverty.

January 1st, 2008
(PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)
On January 1, 2008, benefits granted to persons in the Social Solidarity Program will be increased by 1,21%. The benefits of independent adults housed or required to live in an establishment for the purpose of their re-entry into the community and the benefits of minor adults housed with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also increased by 1,21%. Benefits granted to persons in the Social Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are increased by 0,61 %.

February 8th, 2007
The mini brochure “Last-resort financial assistance programs and liquid assets” (cash and negotiable assets) is now available.
(PDF file - 271K, 15 pages)

February 7th, 2007

Official employment-assistance statistics are available in the official databanks on the website of the Banque de données des statistiques officielles du gouvernement du Québec.

(PDF file - 133K, 5 pages)
On January 1, 2007, with two new last-resort financial assistance programs in effect under the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the benefits granted to persons who qualify for the Social Solidarity Program are to be indexed by 2.03%, that is, by the rate used for indexing the Québec personal income tax system. The benefits granted to independent adults who are admitted to a shelter or required to live in an establishment with a view to their social reintegration and the benefits of minor adults who are sheltered with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also to be indexed by 2.03%. The benefits granted to persons qualifying for the Social
Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are to be adjusted by 1.01%.

For more information on the new programs, see

Dec. 8, 2006

December 8th, 2006
The Individual and Family Assistance Act, adopted by the National Assembly on June 15, 2005, will come into effect on January 1, 2007. This Act creates programs and measures promoting the economic and social autonomy of individuals and families through assistance and coaching. Two of the programs will also come into effect on January 1, 2007 and provide last-resort financial assistance to individuals and families lacking sufficient income to meet their essential needs. They are the Social Assistance Program and the Social Solidarity Program, which replaces the Employment-Assistance Program.

(PDF, 145K, 2 pages)

Source:
<===this is the English home page of the Ministry
(Ministry of employment and social solidarity, responsible for welfare in Québec)

October 17, 2006

A new section of the Web site presents the financial support program to assist the overall mission of community development corporations working to combat poverty.

October 17, 2006
annual management report of the
Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale now available on the Internet
The annual management report of the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale was tabled in the National Assembly on October 17 and is now available on the Internet.
(French only, PDF file - 3.8MB, 112 pages)

(PDF file - 257K, 6 pages)
(eff. December 1/04, January 1/05 and April 1/05)
"Under the Government Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, new measures will be implemented to address employment and family issues, among others. These changes also reflect some of the principles stated in the Action Plan, in particular, to help individuals gain financial autonomy by promoting work and to achieve greater fairness between last-resort assistance recipients and low-income workers."

(PDF file - 205K, 4 pages)
- employment-assistance benefits effective January 1, 2005

Source:

(English Home Page)

Related Links:

- English Home Page (not as current as )

Liberals reinstate welfare penalties PQ abolished
Could lose $100 for living at home. Employment minister says move intended to 'permit people to get out of the house'
[no longer available online]
September 22, 2004
"Starting Jan. 1, Quebecers applying for social assistance will lose between $50 and $100 from their $540 monthly welfare cheque if they still live at home. Employment Minister Claude Bechard announced a series of changes aimed at saving the provincial government $44 million the first year and $220 million over five years. The measures aim to get people back to work if they are able to do so, he said."
Source:

-----------------------

Québec's report to the UN Special Session on Children

(fichier PDF - 420Ko., 38 pages)
[NOTE: this document is available only in French. ]
Services à la famille
27 janvier 2005
Ce document fait suite à la Session extraordinaire des Nations Unies consacrée aux enfants qui s’est tenue à New York en mai 2002. À cette occasion, les États membres, dont le Canada, ont renouvelé leurs engagements de fixer de nouveaux objectifs afin de mieux soutenir les enfants.
Source:
(page d'accueil en français du Ministère)
(English home page of the Ministry)
Liens connexes:
[du site de l']
Les droits de l'enfant (une page de liens sur le site que vous visitez présentement)
(ministère du gouvernement fédéral)

(MFACF)
[Families, seniors and status of women]

- incl. : Financial assistance * The family, a priority of our society * Municipalities and Regional County * Community organizations * Childcare services * Work-Family Balance * Presentation * Consultation documents * Frequently asked questions * Childcare services * Consultation on childcare funding and development o Background on consultations * Presentation * Types of childcare services * Choosing the right childcare establisment * Places at the reduced contribution program o Children aged 0-4 years o Children over than five o Related documents * Educational program
* Special needs * Heath and safety o Safety in space * Ensuring quality service o Grandir en qualité * Contract between a childcare establisment and a parent * Making a complaint * Staff * Frequently asked questions * Québec Parental Insurance Plan * Useful links * Publications * Frequently asked questions * Administration of a childcare establishment

- incl. : General Information * Background * Mandate * Mission * Situation of the Elderly * Social adaptation * Needs and expectations * Agind of the Québec population * Government Action * Programs and Mobilizing projects * Programs * Mobilizing projects * Community Organizations * Useful links * Organizations * Government sites * Contact us

- there's quite a bit more content on the French version of this site, but there are some interesting English publication links, especially

More links from MFACF:

Régie des rentes - Quebec Pension Board

- complete site at a glance

The Régie des rentes du Québec is responsible for applying the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan, the Supplemental Pension Plans Act and administering the family benefits program.
There are many programs that can be helpful at various stages in life: retirement, birth, death, etc.

*

*
*
*

--- General information - Conditions - Amount of the work premium - Advance payments

Source:

(PDF file - 258K, 70 pages)
(from QC Budget )
March 2004
"The existing Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) program is being replaced with a Work Premium that will come into effect on January 1, 2005. This new Work Premium is aimed at low-and middle-income workers. It will be higher for families and of special benefit to young parents. The premium can be paid in advance to families. The premium will increase the employment income of a couple with children by 25%, up to a maximum premium of $2 800 for an employment income of $14 800. The Work Premium will benefit roughly 536 000 low- and middle-income households, including 200 000 families with children. The Work Premium will provide a greater incentive to work and help
people get off social assistance."

Selected site content:

If you have any dependent children under age 18, you may be entitled to child assistance, that is, the child assistance payment or if applicable, the supplement for handicapped children. If you or your spouse were to die, your children could be eligible for an orphan's pension. If you or your spouse become disabled, your children could be eligible for a pension for a disabled person's child.

Since January 2005, the new child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.

In order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

(PDF - 708K, 53 pages)
[2006 statistics on child assistance]
July 2007
This document paints a detailed picture of Québec families in receipt of child assistance in 2006.
(Available in French only)
The report contains four sections. The first section is a ten-page overview of the evolution of Québec programs for families with children from 1961 to date (highly recommended!). The next two sections provide historical statistics for the program, and the last section provides regional information.
Source:
(English home page)

Santé et Services sociaux - Health and Social Services

- (English) - Quebec Health Insurance Board

From the :

February 19, 2008
A provincial task force is recommending health-care user fees and greater privatization to guarantee the viability of medical care in Quebec.The task force, headed by former Liberal cabinet minister Claude Castonguay, calls for a shakeup of principles guiding medical care in Quebec to control spiralling costs.

February 18, 2008
Quebec's largest labour federation is worried an impending report on health-care financing will clear the way for two-tiered care, allowing private services at the expense of the public system.
TIP: this page contains links to three more articles, under "Related".

(from Google.ca)
(liens médiatiques de Google.ca)

From the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE):

February 20, 2008
A Québec government-sponsored report calling for radical privatization of the health care system came out this week just as the federal government proved once again that they're not willing to enforce their own laws on public health care. The Castonguay report's recommendations read like a laundry list for privatized health care.

Related links:

*
* (PDF file - 120K, 4 pages) - News Release February 19, 2008
Source:
(QC Government)

Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes  - Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat

(PDF file - 160K, 42 pages)
July 1998

Relations internationales - International Affairs

Check out this impressive collection of information about Quebec (history, language, social and economic profiles, relations with Canada and the rest of the world, etc.)

Institut de la statistique du Québec - Québec statistical institute

"The Institut is the central authority for the production and dissemination of statistical information for the government departments and bodies (except information produced for administrative purposes). The Institut is responsible for the carrying out of statistical surveys of general interest. The mission of the Institut is to provide reliable and objective statistical information on the situation of Québec as regards all aspects of Québec society for which such information is pertinent."

On this page, you can do a regular keyword search for Québec statistics, or you can browse by theme --- click on one of the themes (Economic Structure - Society - Territory - The Economy and Finance) in the left column on the browse/search page and the list expands to show several sub-topics. For example, if you click Society, the list expands to seven sub-topics, including Families, Households and Living Conditions. To continue with this example, clicking on this sub-topic expands that list to six more topics, including Income and Expenditure and Social Programs. Links to these two sections are presented below as samples of the rich content of this site

("Income and Expenditure")
- incl. links to 30+ statistical reports under the following topics: Average Family Unit Income - Average Personal Income - Distribution by Income Group - Distribution by Quintiles - Gini Coefficient - Low Income Units

(Click on Society ===> Families, Households and Living Conditions ===> Social Programs)
[Note: some of the content in the tables is in French only. The "Definitions" button (near the top of the page) offers some information in English; you can use the "Request for Information" button (also near the top of the page) to submit a specific request to the website contact en anglais. - or you can try ]
- incl. links to recent reports on the number of households and individuals participating in the social assistance (welfare) Program. These reports are organized by administrative region, by family situation, by sex, by age and by education, all of which are useful in monitoring how well the program works for various clienteles.
Here are some other interesting statistical analyses that you'll also find on this page:
- "additional income clientele" (clients declaring income from outside sources, e.g., almost 36,000 of a total 107,000 adults receiving welfare in Quebec declared income from work in February 2004)
- number of adults receiving welfare, "according to cumulative-month period" (total number of months [continuous or not] in receipt of welfare)
- number of households receiving welfare, by type of residence (e.g., of the nearly 354,000 households [families/individuals] receiving Employment Assistance in February 2004, over 207,000 were either in rental accommodation or in social housing, while just over 20,000 were homeowners)

--------------------------------------------
Sample content from this site:
--------------------------------------------

What's new from the :
[link to the English Home Page]

(PDF - 1.4MB, 190 pages)
[ annual statistics on income inequality and low income in Quebec, Ontario and Canada]
December 2008
---
NOTE: this report is available in French only.
Read the abstract below to get a sense of the content of this report, and then click the link above and use to translate the text and tables for you.
---
Abstract:
The income inequality and low income of families and individuals are themes for which statistical information is necessary for society in general, and, in particular, for public policy makers. In fact, it is essential to observe the economic situation of the population in order to make social policies capable of reducing inequality and improving the fate of those less fortunate. To this end, this publication mainly presents a collection of some one hundred detailed tables, and provides figures on the historical evolution of the indicators commonly used to measure income inequality and low income. The statistics in these tables are based on different units of analysis (family units or persons) and on various income concepts (after-tax income, market income or total income). Their universes are defined geographically (Québec, the provinces and Canada, the administrative regions and the regional county municipalities of Québec) and sociodemographically (age, sex, education level, labour market participation, main source of income and family type). The publication includes an analysis that shows the evolution of the indicators since the last three decades and a guide on the concepts and methods used.

Table of contents (unofficial translation):
Chapter 1 - Analysis (income inequality, low income) [incl. comparison of Quebec, Ontario and Canada]
Chapter 2 - Data, definitions and methodological notes [incl. info about indicators of inequality and low income used in Quebec, Ontario and Canada]
Chapter 3 - Detailed tables on income inequality (35 tables) and low income (58 tables)
[Click the "Annuaire" link above to access the complete report.]

Related link:

This web page makes available a collection of over 400 detailed statistical tables on income inequality and low income in Québec, the provinces, Canada, and in the regional county municipalities and administrative regions of Québec

Source:

- includes links to English descriptions of over two dozen reports (all in French only, but some with English highlights pages) filed under the following categories:
* Literacy * Inequality and Poverty * Day care * The Elderly * Social Data * Social Portrait * Spousal violence * Family violence
[ ]
[ :
The mission of the Institut de la statistique du Québec is to provide reliable, relevant and objective statistical information on the socioeconomic evolution of Québec. It is also responsible for conducting statistical surveys of general interest. Thus, the Institut, via the production of quality statistics supporting the public debate, plays a preponderant role in Québec society. ]

-------------------------------
Also from the Institut:
-------------------------------

News Release
January 13, 2009
In 2006 disposable income for women was 76% of that for men: $22,840 versus $30,244. This is an improvement compared to 2000 when the ratio was 69%, and to 1981 with a ratio of 58%. The gap is narrowing due to the increase in women’s income (29%) during that period, since men’s income was substantially the same in 2006 as in 1981. In the group aged 25-44, women’s income was 84% of men’s. These results were taken from the 2009 edition of the publication Données sociales du Québec, released today by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
- includes more highlights from the report...

January 2009
NOTE: this report is available in French only.
Read the highlights above, then scan the table of contents below.
If you find something you wish to examine,
you can use to translate table headings and other text.
Each of the chapters below is downloadable as a PDF file by clicking the title link above,
or you can download (1.2MB, 235 pages)

Table of contents
(unofficial translation added in red):

Chapitre 1 Population, ménages et familles
(Population, households and families)
Chapitre 2 Santé : perceptions et comportements
(Perceptions and Behaviours)
Chapitre 3 Éducation, insertion en emploi et formation continue
(Education, labour force integration and ongoin training)
Chapitre 4 Travail et cycle de vie
(Work and life cycle)
Chapitre 5 Revenu et patrimoine
(Income and assets)
Chapitre 6 Faible revenu et inégalité
(Low income and income inequality)
Chapitre 7 Dépenses des ménages
(Household expenses)
Chapitre 8 Logement et transport
(Housing and transportation)
Chapitre 9 Tendances dans l’emploi du temps,
(Trends in time usage, )

Source:
: The Economy and Finance --- Economic Structure --- Society
[ ]

(PDF - 1.7MB, 57 pages)
Revised April 2008
Québec Handy Numbers, 2008 Edition was published by the Institut de la statistique du Québec in collaboration with over 50 specialists in the field of Québec data. It features statistical tables and charts on several aspects of Québec society: territory, population, living conditions, the economy and finance.

Communiqué
Québec, October 2, 2007 – In Québec, the level of inequality in disposable income rose slightly between the cyclical peak of 1989 and the year 2004 (+ 1.4 points). That increase was due to the one in the level of inequality in market income, not offset by tax and transfers. (...) This report presents a detailed historical perspective of disposable income inequality, measured using the Gini coefficient. The focus is on the contributions to the inequality of the income components: market income, tax and government transfers.

NOTE: the press release is available in English and French, but the report itself is only in French (see the link below "Document").

Document:

(fichier PDF - 724 Ko, 65 pages)
Mise à jour : 2 octobre 2007

Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd'hui et demain - Volume 2
(The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow)
June 2007
NOTE: this report is available only in French.
Read the press release below for more details in English.
- incl. links to PDF files for each chapter
- (4.8MB, 403 pages)

Related link:

Press Release
Québec, June 27, 2007 – Five main observations stem from a new study conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec:
* the contribution of people 65 years of age or older to the funding of public expenditures is growing;
* the rise in social expenditure per person has been modest since 1991;
* the standard of living of seniors is improving from several standpoints;
* certain groups will remain vulnerable; and
* changes are to be anticipated in the sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly population.
These findings are from the study entitled Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd’hui et demain (the life course of birth cohorts and the elderly: today and tomorrow), Volume 2.

Link to volume 1 of this study:

(The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow)
NOTE: this report is available only in French.
Released June 2004
The five chapters of this publication broach several of the main components of living conditions of tomorrow’s elderly:
* demographic characteristics and demographic aging
* mortality, causes of death and health status
* education and acquisition of knowledge
* consumption
* sources of income
* (English, PDF file - 42K, 7 pages)

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

Poverty and socioeconomic inequalities in Québec:
Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec

NOTE: the press release for the Recueil is in both French and English, but the report itself is available only in French and in PDF format.
Use to translate words, paragraphs and entire URLs.

February 7, 2006
A new research tool :
The Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Institut de la statistique du Québec
unveil the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec
Québec, February 7, 2006 – The ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Institut de la statistique du Québec unveiled today the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec. This collection contains the figures for poverty and socioeconomic inequalities and presents the evolution of the situation of persons and families living in poverty. The collection provides data on over twenty indicators calculated using different conceptual and methodological approaches. The large number of indicators available reflects both the multidimensional nature of poverty and social exclusion and the variety of approaches and calculation methods developed to evaluate these phenomena.
Some of these indicators give an idea of the low-income rates in Québec. The low income measure (LIM), which presents the evolution of the proportion of low-income families between 1986 and 2002, the most recent years of statistics available, and the regional data for 2003. Others make it possible to compare Québec to the rest of Canada, the portrait varying depending on the measure used. This collection is an excellent complement to Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale, which was published in November 2005 and gives a general overview of the myriad ways of defining and measuring poverty and social exclusion, while presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each indicator inventoried. It targets all persons, practitioners and organizations interested in the issues of poverty and social exclusion.

Complete report / Recueil complet:

(fichier PDF - 461Ko, 135 pages)
Janvier 2006
- publié conjointement par l'Institut de la statistique du Québec et le Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

--------------------------------------------

Press Release
November 10, 2005
"The Institut de la statistique du Québec presents, in collaboration with the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale. This publication inventories the various indicators that define and measure poverty. (...) Over 67 indicators and indices have been listed in three chapters: 32 of them are poverty and social exclusion indicators, 29 are related to poverty and social exclusion, and 6 are social development indices. The inventory has two objectives: first, to cover all aspects of poverty and the various angles from which it can be examined. It also aims at opening new avenues by presenting not only the indicators that have already been calculated for Québec, but also those that are used elsewhere (elsewhere in Canada, Europe, the United States and Australia) and which could be used in future compilations with a view to broadening the range of statistics available. Among the poverty and social exclusion indicators are various measures of poverty defined as insufficiency of income and its consequences."

NOTE: the complete report is available only in French,
but you can use the to translate words, paragraphs or even entire pages of text. Try it!!

Complete report:

(464K, 95 pages)
November 10, 2005
Table of Contents (unofficial translation):
Chapter 1 - Indicators of poverty and social exclusion: Measures (covering 14 different indicators) - Depth of poverty - Persistence of poverty - Links with governmental transfers - Inequality - Living conditions
Chapter 2 - Indicators related to poverty and social exclusion: Family wealth and income - Household expenses - Employment - Food security - Housing - Health - Education
Chapter 3 - Social development indices
- includes eight tables showing various low income thresholds for Quebec, Canada and the U.S.

--------------------------------------------

(PDF file - 397K, 21 pages)
May 2005
"The first five sections of this paper present a brief summary of certain results contained in a 2003 report on the prevalence of domestic violence in Quebec and in Canada, based on data from the 1999 General Social Survey (GSS). The remaining sections describe and discuss the context and consequences of domestic violence in more detail, following the typology of domestic violence suggested by Michael P. Johnson (1995), making the distinction between Situational Couple Violence and Intimate Terrorism. Separate tables are presented for victims of current spouse/partner, for victims of a previous spouse/partner and for victims of a current or a previous spouse/partner, by severity of violence and sex of victim."

The report published in 2003 is available (in French only) at the following address :

--------------------------------------------

News Release
June 17, 2004
"This study of birth cohorts suggests the conclusion that a number of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of tomorrow's elderly will improve. There are also a few less favorable trends and several uncertainties with regard to the future however. These results are revealed in Vie des générations et personnes âgés : aujourd'hui et demain (The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow), a new publication by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ), which encompasses the following five major areas: demographic characteristics, mortality and health status, education, consumption, and sources of income.

(PDF file - 42K, 7 pages)
(available only in French)

Source and related links (English home pages):

Finance

March 30, 2010
- main budget page, incl. the following budget papers:

- click the link above for access to the following releases (all dated March 30, 2010):
* Budget: Choices for the Future
* Budget: Stimulate Job Creation and Economic Recovery
* Budget: A More Efficient and Better Funded Health-Care System
* Budget: Staying the Course Towards a Balanced Budget in
* Budget: Paying Down Our Debt: A Matter of Intergenerational Equity
* Budget: Building the Québec of the Next 20 Years
* Budget: Appendix - Table

(PDF - 1.9MB, 408 pages)

(PDF - 1.3MB, 204 pages)
"(...) 6.1 Plan to combat poverty
In the coming months, the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity will unveil the new government action plan to combat poverty and social exclusion. To support that initiative, the Budget provides for an additional investment of $1.3 billion for the next five years..."

- includes a table showing annual investments to combat poverty over the next five years under each of several new measures:
* introduction of a Solidarity Tax Credit to provide for compensation for planned tax increases
* additional funding to the Fonds québécois d’initiatives sociales (social initiatives fund), to bolster collaborative intervention by the various organizations involved
* 3,000 new social housing throughout Quebec plus 340 new dwellings in Nunavik
* new measures to help seniors with the cost of home supports

(PDF - 563K, 24 pages)
"(...) By unilaterally modifying, in recent months, the equalization program, then the Canada Health Transfer allocation formula, the federal government has reneged on its commitments [to review and improve transfers to Quebec) . What is more, for the past ten years, the three provinces that have most greatly benefited from increasing federal transfers are Ontario, Alberta and British
Columbia..."
- includes tables showing:
* Change in the Canada Social Transfer compared to
* Federal contribution to provincial social assistance spending in (millions of dollars and dollars per social assistance recipient)
* Increase in federal transfers to the provinces since

Related links:

From :

March 31, 2010
Opposition parties are lining up with interest groups to denounce Quebec's new budget as a cash grab that will bruise the province's majority lower and middle classes. Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand tabled his first budget Tuesday afternoon. It includes a graduated health levy and other public service user fees, two levels of fuel taxes and a higher provincial sales tax. The revenue-generating measures will help pay down Quebec's $4.5-billion deficit, Bachand said, and will help set a new relationship between taxpayers and the province.

What the budget measures mean for you
March 30, 201
Staring at a $4.5-billion deficit for on revenues of $64.5 billion, Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand is asking businesses and individuals alike to pitch in and help line the province's coffers. Quebec's service fees and tax hikes will increase the cost of living:
* A family of four earning $70,000 will pay $650 more in 2011, and $1,250 more in 2012.
* A single person earning $40,000 will pay $365 more in 2011, and $1,250 more in 2012.
* Higher taxes at the gas pump mean it will cost drivers more to fill up. The budget eliminates funding for 28 provincial agencies, and includes measures for program reviews and salary freezes in the public sector. Quebec has more debt than any other Canadian province, equal to 53 per cent of its GDP.

Source:

Treasury Board

Education

Justice

Revenue

This section gives an overview of the assistance programs that are administered by or require the participation of the Ministère du Revenu: 
- the shelter allowance program, which helps certain families with one or more children or persons 55 or over to pay their rent; 
- the real estate refund program; 
- the Volunteer Program, which enables persons with low incomes to obtain assistance in completing their income tax returns 

Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission

(PDF)

Protecteur du citoyen (Quebec Ombudsman)

Quebec Housing Corporation

Société d'habitation du Québec

"The Société d'habitation du Québec is the Québec government’s principal advisor on habitat issues, and falls under the authority of Jean-Marc Fournier, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Sport and Leisure. The SHQ prepares and implements policies and programs in the housing sector, and is also responsible for the largest social housing inventory in Québec."

Native communities - Housing industry - Tenants - Low- or moderate-income household - Municipalities - Community organizations - Seniors - Disabled people - Owners

AccèsLogis Québec program - Affordable Housing Québec program/ Private component - Affordable Housing Québec program/ Kativik component - Affordable Housing Québec program / Social and community component - Assistance Program for Community Housing Organizations - Assistance for the Owners of Houses with Cracked Foundations - Assistance Program for the Owners of Residential Buildings Damaged by Pyrite - Community and Social Initiatives in Low Rental Housing - Development Support Program for Québec's Housing Industry - Emergency Repair Program - Financial assistance program for the owners of houses exposed to radon gas emissions - Home Adaptation for Seniors' Independence - Home Ownership for Residents of the Kativik Region - Home Renovation Program for Owner-occupiers in the Kativik Region - Low-rental housing - Residential Adaptation Assistance Program - Renovation Québec - RénoVillage program - Rent Supplement - Shelter Allowance Program

("Allocation logement")
The Shelter Allowance Program is a financial assistance program (max. $80/mo.) designed to help low-income households that are forced to spend too much of their budget on rent. Program clientele includes households with at least one person 55 years of age or over and families with at least one dependent child.

(Chief Electoral Officer - English home page)

Non-governmental Quebec Sites of Interest

The presentation of this website is in French, but it contains a large number of links to English websites and reports/studies on the subject of social policy in North America, European Union countries and South America.
The site was created and is maintained by Alain Noel and a team of researchers of the Université de Montréal.
Themes covered include : work and employment policies - work time - anti-poverty initiatives - income support (work, family) - social minima (welfare, minimum wage) - social economy and microcredit - social cohesion - responsible investment - debates - much more...
Countries covered include : Germany - Argentina - Brazil - Canada -Chile - Denmark - United States - France - Mexico - Netherlands - Quebec - United Kingdom - Sweden - European Union

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NOTE to anglophones:
This resource is available in French only.
If you've never tried Google Language Tools [ ], or haven't tried it in awhile, you'll be pleasantly surprised as I was with the quality of Google's machine translations. With Google Language Tools, you can copy and paste a URL (Internet address) into the "Translate a web page" box, or you can select, copy and paste text into the "Translate text" box, then specify the original and destination languages and then click "Translate".

Sample content from PolitiquesSociales.net:

Politics of Labor and Employment
Redundancies, relocation and zones
Working Time
Fight against poverty
Support income (work and family)
Minima social (welfare, minimum wage)
Social economy and microcredit
Social Cohesion
Responsible Investment
International Policy
Debates on social policies

Try it --- you'll like it.

Éliminer la pauvreté : ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements
(What governments can do to eliminate poverty)
April 17, 2008
In his presentation, Éliminer la pauvreté : ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements, Political Science Professor Alain Noël offers some interesting insights into poverty reduction/elimination in other countries and in Canada, with a special focus on Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, the two provinces that already have a poverty reduction strategy in place. He also speaks about the recent resurgence of public interest in poverty reduction in Canada and on the world scene, and he suggests that the federal government needs to step up to the plate in terms of its poverty reduction efforts in areas such as Employment Insurance, income security for Canada's seniors, equalization, taxation and Aboriginal people.

(PDF - 316K, 9 pages) is available in French only.

Source:
(English home page)
NOTE: click the link above to access 46 presentations in the Breakfast on the Hill series, going right back to 1996.
[ ]
The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, known as the Federation, is a membership-based organization that is made up of 66 scholarly associations, 73 universities and colleges and 7 affiliates, comprising more than 50,000 scholars, students and practitioners across Canada. Through its activities, the Federation strives to support and advance Canada's research in the humanities and social science, fields which are intrinsically important to the development of social, cultural and economic understanding, thus giving our society necessary tools to address the most complex of questions.

What's New from []:

City of Québec : 400 years of censuses
by Gwenaël Cartier
June 2008

(292K, 8 pages)
Table of contents:
* The founding of Québec City
* Jean Talon conducts the first census
* The census of 1681
* Other censuses of the French regime
* Québec City under the British Empire
* Québec City, capital of Lower Canada
* The first censuses in the 19th century
* Decennial censuses
* The 1851 and 1861 censuses
* Confederation
* The 20th century
* The 21st century
* The municipal mergers of 2002
* The 2006 Census
* Québec City on its 400th anniversary
Source:

[ ]

This page provides information on region-specific services for Individuals, Business and Organizations.
Services include: Jobs * Financial Benefits * Employment Insurance * Taxes * Training and Careers * Identification Cards * Travel and Passports * Health * Consumer Information * Canada and the World * Environment and Resources * Economy * Public Safety * Culture and Recreation * Science and Technology.
Source:

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(PDF file - 314K, 29 pages)
August 1998
by Jean-Yves Duclos, Bernard Fortin, Guy Lacroix and Hélène Roberge
Department of Economics and CRÉFA, Université Laval
Abstract
"Few studies have examined the dynamics of participation in welfare in Québec and elsewhere in Canada. This paper sheds some light on that important topic, which is crucial for the understanding of the features and of the effects of welfare programmes, and for the analysis of possible reforms. For this, we use a large representative sample of welfare participants between 1979 and 1993. We find that the majority of new spells last for less than one year. Nevertheless, that a large proportion of ongoing spells are of long duration. We estimate for instance that the 50% shortest spells account for only 10% of total welfare spending. Overall, single men leave welfare more rapidly than single women, young people faster than their elders, and more educated individuals sooner than the less educated. The welfare reform of 1989 appears to have reduced significantly the rate of exit among participants under 30. Returns onto welfare generally occur shortly after exit, and at a rate which diminishes rapidly with time. Finally, we propose a measure of welfare dependence which comes up being almost twice as large for single-parent families as for all other categories."

Source:

EconPapers use the bibliographic and author data, providing access to the largest collection of online Economics working papers and journal articles.

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is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inform Quebecers of their rights and obligations by providing legal information in everyday language.

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June 6, 2006

"Women with lower levels of education and those who live in poorer neighbourhoods are more vulnerable to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study. The study, which examined all births in Quebec from 1991 through 2000, found that the mother's level of education and the socio-economic status of the neighbourhood in which she lived were associated with higher risks of pre-term birth, small-for-gestational age birth, stillbirth, neonatal death and post-neonatal death. The impacts of maternal education were stronger than those of neighbourhood income, and were independent of neighbourhood income, according to the study.(...) The study "Effect of neighbourhood income and maternal education on birth outcomes: A Population-based study" published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is a collaboration of Statistics Canada, the University of Montréal, and McGill University. The full text of the article is available free, in English only, at ().
Source:

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The Collective is a Quebec non-governmental organization whose aim is to promote a law that would eradicate poverty in the province. Visit the Collective's site to see the draft law to eliminate poverty.
[NOTE: the is more complete and current]

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- "Research network to Fight Poverty"
- An Initiative of the Montreal Public Health Department
- incl. links to : What's New - About OMISS - OMISS's Activities - Statistics - Research/Teaching - Calendar - Reference Material - Centre d'études sur les inégalités sociales de santé de Montréal (CÉISM)

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November 5, 2004
by Paul Bernard, Sébastien Saint-Arnaud
"In More of the Same? The Position of the Four Largest Canadian Provinces in the World of Welfare Regimes, Paul Bernard and Sébastien Saint-Arnaud locate the welfare regimes of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia among those of a group of advanced countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD]. They compare them in terms of a wide set of indicators representing public policy, social situations and level of public participation."

NOTE: This article is based partly on Gøsta Esping-Andersen's 1990 typology of welfare regimes in advanced capitalist societies and more recent related work. It's not a detailed comparison of welfare programs in certain Canadian jurisdictions, but rather an academic analysis of how the welfare systems in four Canadian provinces fit within the international typology. It should be emphasized that the analysis of welfare regimes in the four Canadian jurisdictions focuses on the mid-1990s, which was a tumultuous period in the evolution of the Canadian welfare system. Programs (and governments, except for Emperor Klein...) have changed since then, but ten years later, it's still true that "Alberta somewhat resembles the 'ultra-liberal' United States, while Quebec leans in the direction of Europe, and to some extent, of social-democracy." [Excerpt from the Abstract].

Complete report:

(PDF file - 1.5MB, 32 pages)
November 2004
[translation of an article initially published in French in the
Canadian Journal of Sociology, Spring 2004]

Source:

[ ]

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January 6, 2004
Denis Saint-Martin
Department of Political Science (Université de Montréal)
Research Associate (Family Network, CPRN)
NOTE: Click on "Download" to open the PDF file (18K, 2 pages)

Source:

Related Link:

by Alain Noël
December 18, 2002
NOTE: Click on "Download" to open the PDF file (554K, 11 pages)

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Nodice Elections: Quebec

Source:

Related Links:
- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm

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New on the (BC) website:

(PDF file - 93K, 20 pages)
Posted February 1, 2004
"Gwen Brodsky, one of the lawyers intervening in the Gosselin case, has written a paper on the implications of the decision for future anti-poverty litigation in Canada."
Gosselin vs Quebec (Attorney General): Autonomy With a Vengeance
What are the implications of the Supreme Court of Canada in decision in Gosselin, for future anti-poverty litigation? In an upcoming issue of Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, a case comment by Gwen Brodsky criticizes the majority decision in Gosselin: "The challenged social assistance regulation embodied a negative stereotype of young men and women who are reliant on social assistance, which, sadly, the majority of the Court embraced." However, Brodsky also shows that "the decision is deeply divided, and the majority decision turns on a finding that the evidence was insufficient. Therefore, as precedent," argues Brodsky, "the outcome of the Gosselin case may not be particularly significant."

Related Links: see the Canadian Social Research Links Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page

News Release
November 26, 2003
"A new study from CPRN's Family Network places Quebec's achievements in a comparative light and draws lessons applicable elsewhere in Canada and abroad. In Articulation travail-famille : Le contre-exemple des pays dits « libéraux » ? , authors Caroline Beauvais and Pascale Dufour compare approaches to balancing the demands of work and family in the United Kingdom, Canada and Quebec."
(English PDF file - 66K,2 pages)
Complete report (French only)
(PDF file - 1.3MB, 22 pages)
Source:

[ ]

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11 December 2003
"In the name of “re-engineering the state,” Quebec’s Liberal government is seeking to dismantle decades-old social conquests of the working class so as to further enrich and empower big business and the owners of capital."
Source:
===>250+ links to articles about social issues in Canada, back to November 1997
[ ]
NOTE: At the bottom of this article, you'll find links to the following related articles:
Mass protest against Quebec government’s demolition of public and social services
[2 December 2003]
Quebec Liberal government plans sweeping privatization
[1 November 2003]
Quebec Liberal budget initiates new anti-working class offensive
[28 June 2003]
Mass social disaffection reflected in rout of Quebec separatists
[18 April 2003]

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(PDF file - 260K, 26 pages)
Yves Vaillancourt, François Aubry, Louise Tremblay and Muriel Kearney (Université du Québec à Montréal),
and Luc Thériault (University of Regina)
September 2003
Source:
(Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina)

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Together to make a difference. Québec, 2003.
34 pages in 5 separate PDF files --- (1092K - 1088K - K - 1058 K)
Other title:
Aboriginal people in Quebec: together to make a difference





Source:

April 2002
Five years after the launch of Quebec's family policy, author Jocelyn Tougas reviews the first five years and examines the successes, challenges and lessons learned.
The link above takes you to a short description of the review and links to the full report in English and in French.
Source : (University of Toronto)

From : (you'll find links to the summary and complete text of each of the studies by clicking "Social Union" on the Policy Matters page)
• Restoring the Federal Principle: The Place of Quebec in the Canadian Social Union
Christian Dufour (January 2002)
• (PDF file - 497K, 52 pages)
(contains a summary of the report in English)
Yves Vaillancourt (January 2002)
• SUFA and Citizen Engagement: Fake or Genuine Masterpiece?
Susan D. Phillips (December 2001)
• Power and Purpose in Intergovernmental Relations
Alain Noël (November 2001)
• Shifting Sands: Exploring the Political Foundations of SUFA
Roger Gibbins (July 2001)
• Without Quebec: Collaborative Federalism With a Footnote?
Alain Noël (March 2000)
Source :
Related Social Union Links pages on this site:
Unofficial Social Union Links
Social Union - provincial and territorial information

(PDF file - 64K, 9 pages)
Kevin Milligan
C.D. Howe Institute
Backgrounder
January 24, 2002
Launched in 1988, the Allowance for Newborn Children was a pro-natalist child benefit that paid up to $8,000 to a family after the birth of a child. Was the program successful? At an average cost per child of more than $15,000, the author suggests "that the main policy lesson from this episode is that, even if the response to an incentive policy is strong, the effective cost per desired result may be very high."
Le fichier PDF est également disponible en français
- Go to the

(in Quebec)
PDF file - 134K, 31 pages
October 2001
"This paper examines the intergenerational transmission of participation in Québec’s social assistance program."
Source : (Large collection of research papers back to 1994, many in English) (Université de Laval)

- Billions for the Bankers, Debts For The People
This is the personal website of Montreal social activist Lucien Pigeon. Justice Plus will appeal to those interested in issues such as : economic justice and fairness, sharing economic resources, contractual democracy, globalization, serfdom and feudalism. Includes a link to the complete online essay "Billions for the Bankers--Debts for the People: An indictment of the Federal Reserve System," by the late  Pastor Sheldon Emry (examines the corruption at the core of the American monetary system).
- Also includes with similar views.
- Complete text online
In his essay, "Billions for the Bankers--Debts for the People: An indictment of the Federal Reserve System," the late  Pastor Sheldon Emry examines the corruption at the core of the American monetary system and its effects on Canada.

- Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ)*
- Check the of the FFQ's World March page for a good overview of the content of this site.
*Click on (down the left side of the World March page) for background information on this province-wide organization with 140 member groups and 600 individual members.

Canadian Council on Social Development
April 17, 2000

Brief Presented to the Standing Committee on Finance
Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU)
November 16, 1999

Another Look at Welfare Reform (Autumn 1997) - an in-depth analysis by the National Council of Welfare of changes in Canadian welfare programs in the 1990s. The report focuses on the provincial and territorial reforms that preceded the repeal of the Canada Assistance Plan and those that followed the implementation of the Canada Health and Social Transfer.  - large file (300K+) but well worth the wait for detailed information on welfare reforms in the 1990s in each Canadian jurisdiction, as well as a national overview of the broad issues of welfare reform and the setting for welfare reform in Canada Source :