Canada’s affordability crisis, driven by rising housing, food, transportation and education costs, is reshaping access to opportunity. Its impact is increasingly visible among high school students in low-income communities, where financial strain limits access to academic supports, mentorship and basic learning resources. As more students take on work to support their families, their ability to fully engage in school is diminished. Without reliable support systems in place, graduating and planning for post-secondary education or careers becomes less certain, widening existing gaps and challenging the promise of upward mobility.
On September 15th, join The Globe and Mail for an event on how Canada’s affordability crisis is reshaping opportunity and who it is leaving behind. Experts will explore what’s changed, how rising costs are widening inequality and consider the role of institutions and leaders in building more equitable pathways to future success.
Pathways to Education is a national, charitable organization breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Its award-winning program creates positive social change by supporting youth living in low-income communities to overcome barriers to education, graduate from high school, and build the foundation for a successful future. Through the collective power of partnerships, Pathways to Education’s innovative program is preparing youth for tomorrow.
Learn more at www.pathwaystoeducation.ca
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Owen Charters is President and CEO of Pathways to Education Canada. An accomplished nonprofit executive, he has previously led several national organizations, including BGC Canada and CanadaHelps. He serves on multiple boards and advisory committees, including Common Good, the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities at Western University, the National Alliance for Children and Youth. As a lifelong baseball fan, he also serves on the board of Baseball Canada. He continually advocates for a stronger nonprofit sector voice in Canadian policy, and is frequently sought as a speaker, author, and lecturer on issues facing the charitable and nonprofit sector.
Kelly Grant is The Globe and Mail's postsecondary education reporter.
Kelly's career in journalism began in high school, when she worked as a night and weekend tape editor at her local television station in London, Ont. She's been hooked on reporting ever since. After earning a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Kelly worked as a cop reporter and editorial writer at the Windsor Star and as a general assignment writer and Toronto city hall reporter at The National Post.
She joined The Globe and Mail in 2008. Kelly has held a variety of posts at The Globe, including Toronto editor and Toronto City Hall bureau chief. She was The Globe’s national health reporter for 12 years. During that time, she won National Newspaper Awards for beat reporting and investigations, the latter for a probe of a tuberculosis outbreak in Nunavut as part of a year-long project reporting on health care in the territory. She was a finalist for the 2024 Michener Award for public service journalism for an investigation of the for-profit travel nursing industry, written with Tu Thanh Ha and Stephanie Chambers.
When not reporting, Kelly can usually be found at the arena, cheering on her three sons.
