Opened: September 2023
Closed: April 2024
Consultative engagement objectives
From Spring 2023 to Winter 2024, Statistics Canada will conduct consultation activities to gather input from Canadians to help validate how we measure poverty. These activities will be key to informing the Third Comprehensive Review of the Market Basket Measure (MBM).
The Market Basket Measure (MBM) was adopted as Canada's Official Poverty Line in 2019 following the release of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. According to the MBM, an individual or family is considered to live in poverty if their disposable income is insufficient to purchase a predetermined basket of goods and services required to achieve a modest, basic standard of living. Reviews and updates to the MBM methodology are required on a regular basis to ensure that the MBM continues to reflect these modest, basic living standards over time, and that key MBM parameters are sourced using the latest available data and methods. This process is referred to as a comprehensive review of the MBM.
The consultative engagement phase of the third comprehensive review of the MBM began with the publication of Launch of the Third Comprehensive Review of the Market Basket Measure. These consultative engagement activities will help inform decisions made to refine and update Canada's official poverty measure.
By participating in this consultation, you will support Statistics Canada's ability to accurately measure poverty.
How to get involved
This consultative engagement activity is now closed.
Statistics Canada is now at the stage of engaging with the public as part of the third comprehensive review of the Market Basket Measure (MBM), Canada's Official Poverty Line and we invite you to take part in these consultative engagement activities.
A series of public information sessions to explain the key features of the MBM have been planned for:
- Halifax, N.S. on October 31, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. AT (English)
- Montréal, Que. on November 7, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET (French)
- Ottawa, Ont. on November 14, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET (English)
- Saskatoon, Sask. on December 5, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT (English)
- Yellowknife, N.W.T. on November 21, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. MT (English)
- Vancouver, B.C. on November 28, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT (English)
The objective of these sessions is to engage with Canadians of different backgrounds and to hear from individuals working directly in the area of poverty reduction. These sessions will have options for both in-person and virtual attendance. The spaces available for in-person attendance are limited and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis through registration.
To register for your preferred session, please email statcan.mbm-mpc.statcan@statcan.gc.ca and indicate if you plan on attending virtually or in-person. Once you are registered, you will be sent an Outlook invitation containing a Microsoft Teams link for virtual attendance, and the address for in-person attendance.
Please note that these public information sessions are not intended for an expert or academic audience. Thematic workshops for an expert and academic audience will be scheduled in the first quarter of 2024. More information will be available closer to those dates.
The feedback collected from these sessions will allow Statistics Canada to identify key themes for discussion and future research.
For more information regarding the third comprehensive review of the MBM, you can consult the following resource: Launch of the Third Comprehensive Review of the Market Basket Measure or you may contact us by email at statcan.mbm-mpc.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.
Statistics Canada is committed to respecting the privacy of participants. All personal information created, held or collected by the agency is protected by the Privacy Act. For more information on Statistics Canada's privacy policies, please consult the privacy notice.
Results
The What we heard report: Engagement activities for the third comprehensive review of the Market Basket Measure paper details the outreach and engagement activities undertaken since the launch of the third comprehensive review of Market Basket Measure (MBM) in June 2023 and provides a summary of what Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) heard during this period. It also outlines the next steps of the review process, which will lead to the creation of the 2023-base methodology.