Basic Income BC

@basicincomebc.bsky.social

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Dignity. Stability. Opportunity. Without a basic income, there is no just recovery or transition. BIBC joins groups across Canada advocating for a livable basic income guarantee. https://basicincomebc.ca

Congratulations to the Halifax Regional Municipality for passing motion 15.6.1 "Letter to Federal Government Reaffirming Support for Basic Income" put forward by Councillor Kathryn Morse and seconded by Councillor Virginia Hinch on July 14th. And thank you to all who sent in letters of support.
Survival should not be something people have to earn.
Basic Income Paper Petition Campaign Canada needs more than poverty reduction plans and targets We want a Guarantee Basic Income that demonstrates results We support a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) Demonstration Project in Prince Edward Island (PEI) that is designed to dramatically reduce poverty. This will be evaluated to demonstrate improvements in wellbeing for those who receive it, AND cost savings in health care, social services, justice and public safety systems - showing once and for all that lifting people out of poverty is more productive and cost effective than trapping people in poverty. Why PEI? PEI has all-party support for a GBI that would reduce poverty from 10% to 2% and cost 40% less than previous basic income models. It has already developed a framework that is ready to demonstrate how it can achieve these kinds of results. Why a Demonstration Project? To study the benefits for people and communities on a provincial scale, and to identify government cost savings on current poverty-related services and supports. CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS We need volunteers in every riding in Canada who will collect 30 hand-written signatures on a paper petition and ask their local MP to present it in the House of Commons. TAKE ACTION: Scan to learn how to take this simple action.
From putting workers first on facebook: I promise you public assistance is not a "handout." As a physical therapist, I've watched families spend more energy proving they're poor enough for help than they have left for healing. So respectfully, this is a massive fork you to the people pretending the system is "easy."
Supporting a basic income in Canada: Canadian Association of Social Workers Canadian Public Health Association Canadian Mental Health Association Canadian Chamber of Commerce Over 100 Canadian CEOs (ceosforbasicincome.ca) The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report (Section 4.5) Canadian Medical Association British Columbia Union of Municipalities All party support in the Province of Prince Edward Island
Hiker in silhouette helps another up. Caption: We Rise By Lifting Others Join the paper petition 2026 drive to start the PEI Basic Income Demonstration Project
I fundamentally disagree with those who think that people must be "forced" to work, or that government should "guarantee" a job. In my view breaking the link between paid work and survival would be a good thing. If people are intrinsically of value, then they have the right to survive with or without working. I therefore think we should guarantee basic income, rather than jobs. Or, to put it another way (and root this argument firmly in human rights), we should guarantee people's unconditional right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness": after all, people who are forced to do physically debilitating and mentally unstimulating jobs in order to survive are effectively denied the second and third of these rights. If people don't have to work to survive, most will find or create work that fulfills themselves and benefits others, and we will all be richer for it. ,, FRANCES COPPOLA
"If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature but by our institutions, great is our sin." Charles Darwin
5 Communities as a Whole When people have enough to meet their basic needs, entire.communities benefit. In darker bold: Stronger local.economies. Better health outcomes. More stability for everyone.
4 People between jobs Job transitions happen. Basic income provides stability during Layoffs, career changes, or periods of retraining.
3 People with Disabilities Peoplewith disabilities are disproportionately impacted by poverty. Basic income can provide more stability, flexibility, and dignity alongside existing supports.
1 Low-income workers Many people are working and still struggling to afford rent, food and basic needs. Basic income helps close the gap between wages and the real cost of living
Who would benefit from Basic Income? (All posts in this thread have a light brown background with darker orange/brown lettering) This opening includes a round picture of some people in a park, basic income underlined, a black curved arrow pointing to more and at the bottom @lanarkbasicincome
Promotional image from Tanille Johnstone's Campaign including a sign saying Tax The Rich, Tanille herself next to a Basic Income Now sign (on black with basic in white, income in multi colors and now in black bold with a white border) and different groups of people, some persons of color, a set of scales showing balancing money with people a background of people in a crowd.
During the leadership race, there was one candidate, who was much louder than all the others, calling for a basic income program—right now. Social worker and Campbell River City Councillor, Tanille Johnston, who surprised many coming third, talked up basic income in every debate, and in the candidates’ final convention showcase. She included “Basic Income Now” movement photos and graphics in her campaign material. A Guaranteed Livable Basic Income for Canadians was a powerful and resonant central platform in her campaign. Tanille, breaking the glass ceiling, is the first Indigenous person ever to appear on a federal leadership ballot in Canadian political history.
The bottom line is that if you fall through the cracks in our system, a GLBI should be there to catch you. We don’t need a social safety net full of holes, but a solid floor to stand on. Thank you again for your question and I welcome further conversations with basic income advocates on this important issue.” In February, NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg) endorsed Lewis’s leadership bid. Gazan is well-known for advocating for a basic income at the House of Commons (Motion-46 and Bill C-233).
To be clear, a basic income must not and does not replace any part of our social safety net. The minimum wage is too low everywhere. Welfare provides insultingly low benefits and constant humiliation, legislating people into perpetual poverty. Support for people with disabilities - including the Disability Tax Credit and the new Canada Disability Benefit - are appallingly low. We fight alongside the basic income movement, other social movements, and progressive organizations across the spectrum for all of these essential income supports to be increased to a level that affords people comfortable shelter, healthy food, and a dignified life.
“Thanks for writing to us about basic income. Avi fully supports NDP MP Leah Gazan’s Bill C-223. Introduced in the last parliament, the bill is a framework and a pathway to a guaranteed livable basic income (GLBI). The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women also called for GLBI as part of its Calls for Justice, and we back this demand enthusiastically. Canada has a long history of basic income programs. Seniors and parents already get a basic income in the form of the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Canada Child Benefit, respectively. A GLBI would build out and expand these programs to ensure that there’s a livable floor for everyone who falls through the gaps of our inadequate social safety net. Rather than sending money to everyone, including the 1%, the GLBI that Avi supports would be income-tested through the tax system and send money to those who need it.
New Federal NDP leader Avi Lewis supports a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income. ... In late January 2026, I had several phone conversations with Avi Lewis about basic income policy. We talked about the movements' national consensus statement, and the success in past federal elections of MP candidates taking the Basic Income Now pledge. I shared background notes with his Policy Coordinator that culminated in Lewis's statement below. If you contacted the Lewis campaign leading up to the leadership convention and asked about basic income, here is their reply:
WHY BASIC INCOME MATTERS : Basic Income can address the root causes of food insecurity • Provide stable financial security • Reduce poverty and food insecurity • Ensure everyone can meet basic needs like food and housing • Support people when existing systems fail 📢 Ending hunger requires systemic change Food insecurity is not about individual behavior. It's about income, policy, and political choices. Basic Income is one step toward ensuring everyone can afford the essentials.
WHY FOOD BANKS AREN'T ENOUGH Food banks provide temporary relief • Most food-insecure households never access them •Hunger is fundamentally an income problem SOLUTIONS THAT WORK Research shows food insecurity decreases when we have: • Living wages • Strong social assistance • Better pensions • Policies that reduce income inequality • Programs like basic income
THE MISCONCEPTION Food insecurity is often blamed on: • Poor food choices • Lack of willpower • Bad parenting • Poor budgeting But research shows these are not the real causes. ههه THE REAL CAUSE Food insecurity is mainly caused by low income • Low wages • Rising cost of living • Inadequate social assistance • Economic inequality When incomes rise, food insecurity improves.
basicincomeyyc HUNGER IN ALBERTA: THE REAL CAUSE CURRENT STATUS Food insecurity is rising • Food insecurity has increased for 3 years in a row In 2023, over 30% of Albertans experienced food insecurity • Millions struggle to afford basic food needs More than 1 in 3 Albertans struggled to afford food in 2023. But hunger isn't about personal choices. It's about income and inequality.
Director of the School of Social Work, John Morgan, wrote that "the Welfare State is as out of date as the Model T." It still is. The various welfare services in Canada are ambulance services to rush in at the eleventh hour and apply splints to people already badly crippled. What is needed is a plan for preventative social medicine -- of which the guaranteed annual income might easily be the foundation...the advantages of such a systematic and planned attack on poverty ought to be obvious. Can we afford it? Surely the answer must be that we can no longer afford to ignore it. Pierre Berton from The Smug Minority (1968)
We need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in.
Anyone who has struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor. James Baldwin American Writer and Civil Rights Activist
From basicincomeyyc To the Prime Minister of Canada and Finance Minister: "Across Canada, members of the Anglican Church live out this calling by offering support and services to people struggling with a growing affordability crisis, including escalating housing insecurity and unprecedented increases in food bank usage. We believe a UBI would be a valuable initiative that would increase financial security and promote greater equity for all residents of Canada." - The Most Reverend Shane Parker: Primate of The Anglican Church of Canada
Did you know: In 2018 The New Leaf project gave 50 homeless people in Vancouver $7500 each with no strings attached. It resulted in saving the shelter system $405,000 for the year.
From Basic Income Nova Scotia on Facebook: Here's an easy way to sign and share Coalition Canada's e-petition calling on the federal government to work with PEI to fund and implement an island-wide basic income guarantee.
Coalition Canada for Basic Income and the PEI Working Group for a Livable Income led a delegation to Ottawa this week to advance a 5-7 year Basic Income Guarantee demonstration project for PEI. This initiative could be a national first - shaping a fairer, more effective income support system for all Canadians. How can you help? Sign Petition e‑6772 to show you support bringing this vision to life—and share it widely so we can show our elected representatives how many of us believe in economic justice for all. https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6772
In July StatsCan reported that in the first quarter of 2025 the income gap in Canada reached a record high. Meanwhile wages for the lowest income households fell. Late last year, as CFSC started its advocacy for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income (GLBI), StatsCan had recorded the highest gap to that point. This means that since last year the gap between the wealthiest and lowest income households has continued to grow. This has been the trend year after year since the start of the pandemic. Amidst government austerity measures—including cuts of 15% across departments, gutting of ministries, and a historic commitment to spending increases for the military with no obvious investment or taxation policy to fund it—it’s clear that the services that people in Canada rely on are under threat. Public service cuts mean fewer services. This impacts economic insecurity. A Guaranteed Livable Basic Income (GLBI) can help to mitigate the harms for those living in or close to poverty. CFSC calls for the PEI Demonstration Project on GLBI to move ahead.
Two signs: Employee Attitudes We don't expect our staff members to come to work with a "I'm just here for the money" mindset There is literally no other reason why we'd be here.
Lighthouse with the caption: Supporting a basic income in Canada: Canadian Association of Social Workers Canadian Public Health Association Canadian Mental Health Association Canadian Chamber of Commerce Over 100 Canadian CEOs (ceosforbasicincome.ca) The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report (Section 4.5) Canadian Medical Association British Columbia Union of Municipalities All party support in the Province of Prince Edward Island
MMIWG Report Call to Action 4.5: Establish a guaranteed annual livable income for all Canadians including Indigenous peoples, to meet all their social and economic needs.
Next to a picture of Pierre Berton is the caption: Director of the School of Social Work, John Morgan, wrote that "The Welfare State is as out of date as the Model T." It still is. The various welfare services in Canada are ambulance services to rush in at the eleventh hour and apply splints to people already badly crippled. What is needed is a plan for preventative social medicine -- of which the guaranteed annual income might easily be the foundation...the advantages of such a systematic and planned attack on poverty ought to be obvious. Can we afford it? Surely, the answer must be that we can no longer afford to ignore it. 🗨Pierre Berton From: The Smug Minority (1968)
Next to a picture of "The Smug Minority" book and over a cup of coffee is the caption: Did you know that one of Canada's most famous authors openly supported and wrote about basic income in 1968?
From Basic Income UK Pass it on, Basic income costs less than poverty. Image from LeadNow with a pinkish orange background In white "Basic Income" In lighter pinkish orange "costs less than poverty"
Graph about the Prince Edward Island proposed guaranteed income project On the vertical is cost in billions. There are two bars. The larger red one on the right which reaches over 240 million, is "poverty-related health care costs, prosecution in incarceration for poverty-related offences and lost tax revenue. Extrapolated from 2019 study by Feed Ontario" beneath this bar is "estimated cost of poverty in PEI On the left the green bar, which reaches 189 million is "direct payments to adults aged 18-64 with income below $38,504 or households of two adults with incomes below $54,454. Visit gbireport.ca to learn more." Beneath this bar is "modeled cost of a GBI in PEI" Beneath these are the captions: "It costs less to get people what they need." "Email your MP today to support the PEI Project, moving us closer to a national basic income solution." Basicincomebc.ca
Thank you!
Same lady, now smiling with "Wait!" Replaced by "research of GBI programs reveals:" And beneath: "They're cheaper than poverty. Do not disincentivize work, and support entrepreneurship. Reduce crime and support victims of abuse"
Same lady with "Wait!" Next text (in red): "Email your MP today and tell them you support the approval of PEI's GLI project! (Google "find my MP Canada")"
Same lady again with "Wait!" above her. Next text: "Canada has a history of testing social programs at the provincial level before expanding them federally (universal healthcare, $10/day daycare, OAP)
Same lady and above her it still says "Wait!" Underneath text "Did you know Prince Edward Island has a guaranteed basic income (GBI) project ready to go, awaiting approval?
Lady with mixed color hair and a black t-shirt with text "WAIT! Stop Scrolling!"
Door Hanger reads: To All Federal Election Candidates Sorry we missed you! Do you support Basic Income Guarantee -.BIG? Voters here intend to vote for the party/candidate committed to BIG for all of Canada. A BIG is affordable and feasible. It will dramatically reduce Income and food insecurity, improve health & wellbeing, and support local economies. (QR code) Scan to learn more! Everyone Deserves to Live With Dignity Do you support BIG? (Yes/No) Name and Party: Created by Basic Income BC