The following resources and links offer you opportunities to learn about community issues and challenges. While Bissell Centre may not agree with the opinions and positions offered at these various sites or within the reports cited below, we encourage you to increase your awareness of social issues, and form your own opinions about what is going on in our community and how you might like to help address issues that matter to you.
We will be updating this page, so please come back. If there are any types of resources you are interested in, leave a comment below and tell us. We will try to find it for you.
Bissell Centre Reports
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Bissell Centre’s Strategic Touchstone, 2012-2017 (PDF Format)
Better Access to Better Food, published 2012 (PDF Format)
Introductory Guide to Social Enterprising, 2012 (PDF Format)
Bissell Centre History Book, Where Hope Finds Help (Order Form)
Stories from people who live without food, published 2007 (PDF Format)
Stories from people who live without housing, published 2008 (PDF Format)
A discussion document for poverty elimination, 2006 (PDF Format)
Resources about Homelessness
A Place to Call Home: Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness (PDF Format) – Prepared by the Edmonton Committee to End Homelessness
A Plan for Alberta: Ending Homelessness in 10 Years (PDF Format) – Report from the Government of Alberta’s Alberta Secretariat for Action on Homelessness
Homeward Trust Edmonton (Homeless Person Counts can be found here) – Homeward Trust is the amalgamation of the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF) and the Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing (EJPCOH). Use the “Links and Resources” page to find information on shelter and support service agencies in Edmonton. The site also features full text research reports on issues related to housing and homelessness.
The Homeless Hub: This web-based resource is a one-stop-shop where community services providers, researchers, government representatives, people who have experienced homelessness and the general public can access and share research, stories, and best practices.
Sector Research
The Non-Profit Voluntary Sector in Alberta (2006) Imagine Canada
Overview of Innovation in the Public and Voluntary Sector (2008) Sharon Mathhais
CED and Social Economy in Canada: a People’s History Mark Cabaj ( from Making Waves Vol 15 Number 1)
Are There Too Many Non-Profit Organizations in Alberta Duplicating Service (2012 Update) Mark Holmgren
Poverty Resources
In this Together: Ending Poverty in Alberta, published by the Edmonton Social Planning Council
Poverty Costs: An Economic Case for a Preventative Poverty Reduction Strategy in Alberta, 2012 (PDF Format)
Community/Municipal Plans
The Way We Live: Edmonton’s People Plan, The Quality of Life Needs & Priorities of Edmontonians Facing Social & Economic Barriers
Social Research
National Council of Welfare – The National Council of Welfare conducts research on poverty issues and publishes reports on regular basis. It is an arm’s length advisory body to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development on matters of concern to low-income Canadians.
Edmonton Social Planning Council – The ESPC is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization. Our focus is social research – particularly in the areas of low income and poverty. The organization is dedicated to encouraging the adoption of equitable social policy, supporting the work of other organizations who are striving to improve the lives of Edmontonians, and educating the public regarding the social issues that impact them on a daily basis.
Tracking the Trends 2011: Edmonton’s Increasing Diversity (Edmonton Social Planning Council)
Social Action
Public Interest Alberta – Public Interest Alberta is a non-profit, non-partisan, province-wide organization focused on education and advocacy on public interest issues. PIA exists to foster an understanding of the importance of public spaces, services and institutions in Albertans’ lives, and to build a network of people and organizations committed to advancing the public interest.
Action to End Poverty in Alberta -The Inter-City Forum on Social Policy (ICFSP) has been researching the impacts of poverty in Alberta for several years. In 2010, member municipalities of ICFSP agreed to play a leadership role in engaging interested stakeholders to promote the need for a comprehensive poverty-reduction plan for Alberta
Visioning a More Equitable and Just Alberta – Published by the Alberta College of Social Workers in 2010 in partnership with the Parkland Institute.
A Social Policy Framework for Alberta: Fairness and Justice for All (2012) Parkland Institute and Alberta College of Social Workers
Other Research
Edmonton Social Research Directory (2012) ThirdSource/Edmonton Social Planning Council
Leadership Achieving Breakthrough Results Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman
California Institute for Mental Health Community Capacity – Building Learning Collaborative – Emerging Lessons Report (2010) John Ott and Rose A. Pinard
Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work (2012) Fay Hanleybrown, John Kania, & Mark Kramer Stanford Social Innovation Review
