Canadians today live in an age of growing income inequality: the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer (see this post for more on this issue). However this trend is mostly concentrated among working age people: among seniors there has been a dramatic decline in poverty over the last 40 years.
According to a report by the Conference Board of Canada, poverty rates among the elderly fell from 37% in 1971 to 6% in 1991 and has remained low since. Canada is a global leader in this respect, an example to be emulated. Recent remarks by Steven Harper indicate that he intends to reverse this hard won progress.
