News & Media

The Town of Ladysmith is hosting several key events in the coming weeks where residents can learn more about the complex realities of living in poverty and help in moving forward with local solutions. 

The first of these community events is an Understanding Poverty: Film and Discussion Night on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, in the Ladysmith Secondary School multi-purpose room.   

The evening is free to attend and includes a community dinner at 5:30 pm followed by a screening of three films at 6:30 pm, touching on poverty-related themes. 

Attendees will have an opportunity following conclusion of the films to discuss with neighbours local solutions for mitigating poverty in Ladysmith and area. 

You can find a brief synopsis of each film at the bottom of this news release.

Council created the Poverty Reduction Task Group last year to lead the implementing of the Ladysmith/Stz'uminus CommUNITY Together to End Poverty Hw-nuts'-ulwum (as one) Poverty Reduction Strategy as a result of funding received from the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). 

The Council-endorsed strategy was created through extensive public consultation and identifies poverty themes and recommended action items. 

Watch the Town’s website, social media pages and subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive future updates on the Task Group’s work and implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Save the Date

The Town’s Poverty Reduction Task Group is pleased to share details of other upcoming free events which are open to all community members and an opportunity to learn more about the impacts of poverty. 

Neighbours Sharing Food Event:  This event on March 25, 2023, highlights the importance of local food security and is an opportunity to learn about growing, cooking and preserving food as well as overall access to local, healthy food. 

Come share a meal, attend a workshop and watch a demonstration by local chefs cooking a delicious meal entirely from ingredients found at the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association (LRCA) Food Bank! 

Journey of Our Generation, Cultural Connections workshops: Taking place for a full day on Thursday, March 9, 2023, and a half day, follow-up session on Thursday, March 30, 2023, these workshops aim to build awareness and understanding about the truth of our colonial history and the ongoing impacts on Indigenous peoples. 

The workshops will be open to the entire community, and local leaders including business owners, School District 68 staff, RCMP, healthcare workers, service providers are encouraged to attend. 

The first workshop will focus on the systemic impacts of our colonial history shared through personal stories from Indigenous Elders who are residential school survivors. 

The second workshop will focus on examining the current reality of how Stz'uminus First Nation and Ladysmith are divided and how we can all take action in our personal and professional areas of influence to work and live better together, hw-nuts'-ulwum (as one).

Synopsis of Films

The first film titled, ‘Four Feet Up’ is an eye-opening documentary about the lives of a determined family struggling to overcome stereotypes and dysfunction to provide their children with opportunities they never had. Eight-year-old Isaiah attempts to grow up healthy, smart and well adjusted despite the odds against him. 

‘The Manitoba Story: A Basic Income’ is about the residents of a small, rural town in the 1970’s who became Canada’s first and only universal basic income experiment. Over four years, residents received a universal basic income and experienced positive changes in their lives and local economy. 

In ‘Poverty Isn't a Lack of Character. It's a Lack of Cash’, a historian makes his case for guaranteed basic income, it’s 500-year history and the energy and talent unleashed if poverty is gone once and for all.

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Mike Gregory
Communications and Engagement Specialist  
Town of Ladysmith 
mgregory@ladysmith.ca 
C: 250.210.1740