Category: Community Matters

Three things worth celebrating in the 2018 Alberta Budget

The Government of Alberta announced its 2018 Budget yesterday. From our perspective, here are three things worth celebrating: Provincial funding for preventative social services was protected In 2016, the Government of Alberta boosted funding for preventative social services in communities across the province by $25 million. This was the first significant increase to the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) budget since 2009, and a… Read more

Community Matters

Our New Strategic Direction

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In the Spring of 2017, you joined Momentum to help us envision the future. Together we shared dreams and hopes for Momentum through stories, drawings and action plans. From this process, we’ve created a new strategic vision for our work. We’re excited to present our new strategic vision that you helped us to craft. Thank you for being an engaged part of the Momentum community!… Read more

Community Matters, Our Results

A Study on the Impact of the Changes in Payday Loan Regulation in Alberta on Borrowers

Dear Potential Participant: Have you taken a payday loan in the last three years?  If yes, We would like to invite you to participate in a research being conducted by a team from Mount Royal University in collaboration with Momentum. We are interested in talking to you about your experiences with payday loans to understand whether and how you have been impacted by the changes… Read more

Community Matters, Money Management

Alberta’s high-cost credit rules are changing for the better

Recently, the Government of Alberta introduced legislation that will change the rules for high-cost lenders operating in our province. You can read the press release here. If you’ve followed any of Momentum’s work on this issue, you’ll know that high-cost credit has been at the top of our list of public policy priorities for the past several years. This is because many high-cost credit services—like… Read more

Community Matters

EconoUs Conference ‘Success’ Was Place-Based

It’s a wrap! After more than 12 months in the making we are thrilled to say EconoUs2017, the 8th annual community economic development conference, and our first-go at co-organizing an event of this scale was a success. Quantifying ‘success’ in this instance is more than being on budget and exceeding our attendance targets (don’t get us wrong, we’re celebrating that too). But the conference, very… Read more

Community Matters

High-Cost Credit: Ideas for Change

Drive down one of Calgary’s main thoroughfares—such as International Avenue or Macleod Trail—and you’ll likely observe, among the many storefronts and restaurants, a handful of businesses advertising high-cost credit products. Most Canadians are familiar with one type of high-cost credit—payday lending—and understand that such loans can easily trap a vulnerable borrower in a cycle of debt. Other forms of high-cost credit, however, are less well-known… Read more

Community Matters

Budgeting on a Low Income

Amber Cannon is a Momentum volunteer and participant. Here she shares the reality creating a budget when on a low income. My first class at Momentum was Budgeting. Probably the best class to have, at the very beginning of my savings circles program. I learned about what kind of relationship I had with money. Good, bad? When I hear the word “money” I think of… Read more

Community Matters, Money Management

Be Local Awards – Vote for Momentum!

Hey friends, Momentum belongs to a non-profit association called REAP, which stands for Respect for the Earth and All People. REAP businesses like ours care about the community and the planet. Each year REAP’s Be Local Awards encourage Calgarians to vote for their favourite local businesses. Winners are recognized at REAP’s annual Be Local Awards Gala with a Be Local trophy. Voting is open August… Read more

Business Development, Community Matters, Get Involved, Our Results

Have your Say: Government of Alberta’s Proposed Consumer Protections

The Government of Alberta is looking for ways to better protect Alberta’s consumers—like you and I—and is needs your input! They recently launched a consumer protection survey to collect feedback on 14 different consumer issues, including: A consumer bill of rights Door-to-door sales The automotive sector Household moving Ticket sales Gift cards Truth in pricing Veterinary billing Fairness between consumers and businesses Cancellation rights Talent… Read more

Community Matters, Get Involved

Beyond Payday Lending

For the past several years Momentum has partnered with residents, community agencies, financial institutions, and government to bring about payday lending reform. The result of this collaboration is exciting: in 2016, both the City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta introduced significant changes to the rules that apply to payday lenders. You can read about these changes here. Credit unions are also taking the… Read more

Community Matters