THUNDER BAY -- The clock is already ticking on Ontario's basic income pilot program.
Announced earlier this year, the program will provide a basic income for 1,000 Thunder Bay area residents, through tax credits.
At an information session in Westfort early Thursday night, provincial officials updated the public on how the basic income pilot program is going and say the first payments could go out as soon as next month.
Ministry of Community and Social Services assistant deputy minister Karen Glass said Ontario’s basic income pilot project is already underway.
“The pilot has actually begun,” Glass said. “We’re phasing in implementation and explaining what outcomes we’re looking for, what the study is about. Most people think it’s a program, but it’s a study.”
Several residents in Thunder Bay and the surrounding communities have already received mail outs saying they've been randomly selected for the 3-year project.
Those recipients will eventually be narrowed down to a 1,000 household study group.
At Thursday's information session, Glass talked to around 40 people through the pilot, specificities, who qualifies, how much money they would get and what existing programs might conflict with the pilot.
Glass also said if things move quickly, first payments could start July 25.
The pilot will be evaluated in 2020 by a third party, and many residents had questions about evaluation criteria, but without an evaluator selected yet, the province says that's still up in the air.
Thunder Bay resident James Barsby wants to know more about how this pilot project will be evaluated.
“This is a pilot, so how are the tests going to be conducted, how are the evaluations going to be done and how are the results, that they hope to achieve, be presented,” Barsby said.
Glass said this will be information they expect their evaluators to provide.
“We have a bid out, so there will be more information in the future.”
