Searching for Solutions

Food banks across Canada were designed to be places for people to access food during an emergency. Now, it seems that food banks have become the backstop for more and more people as food insecurity reaches levels not seen in generations.  Betty Lou Souter, who has been involved with food banks for more than 40 years, has been on the frontlines of the rise in food insecurity that has created a perf...

When it comes to social issues facing communities, businesses must play a role to help create pathways to solutions. Beyond the writing of a cheque, businesses (large and small) can be at the table to help communities navigate through the significant social challenges facing cities and towns.  Lloyd Smith, CEO of FirstOntario Credit Union is leading by example. Through the empowerment of its emplo...

Until the opioid epidemic touches your family or friends, concepts like safer drug supply are quite polarizing especially in Canadian politics. The concept is controversial but addictions is a complex affliction and through a better understanding of safer drug supply for drug users, can it be a part of a larger program that saves lives? Dr. Andrea Sereda is a leading voice in Canada advocating for...

Fatal overdoses from opioids and other illicit drugs are now the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18 in British Columbia, a development that underscores the urgency of the province’s toxic drug crisis. The numbers are trending in the same direction in provinces across the country. Clearly, youth drug and alcohol addiction is a crisis that must be faced and approached through education a...

Dr. Karl Stobbe practiced rural medicine for 20 plus so he understood the concept that medical care needs to find ways to meet people where they are - not the other way around. An accomplished physician, Dr. Stobbe took his years of practice and teaching and built a new medical practice in Niagara that took a team of doctors and nurses into homelessness encampments and shelters to deliver medical...

Visionary leader and pioneer in the work of poverty reduction in Canada, Paul Born pulled together a set of tools to guide communities in a process that leads to better outcomes of everyone.  Founder of BE Community and Co-Founder of Tamarack Institute and Vibrant Communities, Paul is a social innovator, teacher and practitioner. On this episode of Searching for Solutions, Paul talks about his lat...

Dr. Mike Moffat joined forces with a group of leading housing experts in Canada to produce a blueprint on how to address the growing housing crisis. It comes at a crucial time as governments at all levels need find ways to build more housing.  On this episode of Searching for Solutions, Dr. Moffat focuses on the key recommendations from the National Housing Accord. The solutions for unlocking a ho...

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe was one of the first municipalities in Ontario to set an ambitious target to build 11,000 homes over the next decade. Understanding that houses are not built by municipalities, what is the reason for setting housing targets? On this episode of Searching for Solutions, Mayor Siscoe explains how housing targets by municipalities can be used as a tool to accelerate the...

After the accidental overdose death of Steve Borisenko’s young son Jacob in 2021 Steve wanted find a way to help youth who are struggling with substance use as well as their parents. With the help of community partners and Moonbase, a local multi-media marketing company, a new digital resource guide and marketing campaign was created to help address the rising number of youth substance overdoses a...

According to Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey ,   20% of the homeless population in Canada is comprised of youth between the ages of 13-24. In a given year, there are at least 35,000-40,000 youth experiencing homelessness. Finding ways to keep youth from entering homelessness needs to be a priority for communities.  This episode of Searching for Solutions features an insightf...

One of the most pressing issues facing communities across Canada is the increase in people experiencing homelessness. From big cities to small towns, it's no longer possible to not see the impacts of a housing crisis that was years in the making. More than 250,000 people are unhoused in Canada - that is a number that should shock people - and it keeps growing.  On this episode of Searching fo...

One of the key intersections between getting a housing project built centres on the process between municipal planning offices and developers. Planning policies, which are approved by Councils and guided by provincial (and sometimes regional) policy directions are often complex and cumbersome. As a former mayor of a mid-size city in Canada, the delays in the planning department was one of the most...

The need for newly constructed rental housing has never been greater in Canada. Afer a building boom of large scale rental units in the 1970s - supply for purpose built rental buildings has fallen far behind the demand.  On this issue of Searching for Solutions, Tony Irwin President & CEO Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) takes us through the challenges faced by the rent...

The cost to build social housing has become prohibitive for many not-for-profit housing organizations, but an innovative approach between a developer, a credit union and a housing provider proves that new ways of thinking are needed to build more social housing in our communities.  On this episode of Searching for Solutions, Lori Beech, Executive Director of Bethlehem Housing and Support Services...

From a small group home in Hamilton in the 1970s to one of the largest purpose built housing not-for-profits in Canada, Indwell is a leading organization that has developed a strategy that is providing people who have struggled in life with housing that is designed to meet them where they are on their journey.  This episode of Searching for Solutions featuring Jeff Nevin, CEO of Indwell. Indwell i...

Building large scale housing complexes takes a lot of time. From conceptual designs to government approvals to shovels in ground - a 10+ storey building can take between 5 - 7 years to complete. As governments develop plans to build millions on new housing units in Canada,  high rise housing structures will be a key piece of meeting this housing targets.  On this episode of Searching for Solution,...

One of the key parts of the housing crisis is affordability. On this episode of Searching for Solutions, we feature two entrepreneurs who are using design and new technologies to provide purpose built homes for people.  Keith Gowans is the CEO of Aloft Housing , a modular design and manufacturing company that creates custom units that can built above existing parking lots and open spaces and can b...

In this episode of Searching for Solutions, we take a look at Canada's Housing Crisis. With the help of Mike Moffatt,  Assistant Professor in the Business, Economics and Public Policy Group at Ivey School, Western University and Senior Director, Policy and Innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute , we examine the causes of the national housing crisis and what all levels of government can...

This is the premiere episode of Searching for Solutions with Walter Sendzik. Former mayor of a mid-size city in Canada, Walter created the Compassionate City Project in St. Catharines during his time as mayor. With a focus on transforming the community and helping those experiencing some of life's most difficult challenges - Walter brought a new lens to some of society's more pressing ch...