---
title: "Canada Has Unveiled the Details of Its Highly Anticipated UBI Program"
description: "The Canadian government revealed details about a UBI pilot program that will run in three areas of Ontario."
date: "2017-04-25"
modified: "2017-04-26"
authors:
  - name: "Dom Galeon"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/domgaleon"
url: "https://futurism.com/canada-has-unveiled-the-details-of-its-highly-anticipated-ubi-program"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "canada"
  - "social welfare"
  - "UBI"
  - "universal basic income"
---

# Canada Has Unveiled the Details of Its Highly Anticipated UBI Program

![universal basic income ubi canada social welfare](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GettyImages-534646924-1.jpg>)
*SHIMA, JAPAN - MAY 27:  (CHINA OUT, SOUTH KOREA OUT) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a press conference after the Group of Seven summit on May 27, 2016 in Shima, Mie, Japan. The 2-day Group of Seven summit concludes after discussing key global issues such as global economy and counter terrorism measures.  (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images) \<em\>Image: \<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/534646924" target="\_blank"\>Asahi Shimbun/Getty\</a\>\</em\>*

## No Strings Attached

On Monday, [Premier Kathleen Wynne](<https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/04/24/wynne-spells-out-priorities-trade-technology-and-trump.html>) of Ontario announced the details of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot, a universal basic income (UBI) program that will begin this spring and run for a period of three years. A total of 4,000 people from three areas – Hamilton, Thunder Bay, and Lindsay – will be receiving income.

Ideally, under a UBI program, every citizen of legal age — regardless of social status and employment situation — is eligible to receive a fixed amount of income with no strings attached. This basic income can be given either on a regular basis or in lump sum. In the case of the Ontario UBI program, [the *Toronto Star*](<https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2017/04/24/ontario-launches-basic-income-pilot-for-4000-in-hamilton-thunder-bay-and-lindsay.html>)[ reports](<https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2017/04/24/ontario-launches-basic-income-pilot-for-4000-in-hamilton-thunder-bay-and-lindsay.html>), the recipients will be chosen randomly.

"The project will explore the effectiveness of providing a basic income to people who are currently living on low incomes, whether they are working or not,” [Wynne said in Monday's speech](<http://www.torontosun.com/2017/04/24/three-ontario-cities-to-test-basic-income-pilot-project>). “People participating in our pilot communities will receive a minimum amount of income each year — a basic income, no matter what.”

\[infographic postid="69636"\]\[/infographic\]

Single adults between the ages of 18 and 64 are eligible to receive $16,989 annually. Meanwhile, couples would be given up to $24,027 and persons with disabilities would receive an added $6,000. “It’s not an extravagant sum by any means. For a single person, we are talking about just under $17,000 a year, but even that amount may make a real difference to someone who is striving to reach for a better life,” [Wynne explained](<https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2017/04/24/ontario-launches-basic-income-pilot-for-4000-in-hamilton-thunder-bay-and-lindsay.html>).

## The UBI Experiment

Other countries and nonprofit groups have been running UBI pilots – [most notably Finland](<https://futurism.com/finland-has-finally-launched-its-universal-basic-income-experiment>), [the Netherlands](<http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/netherlands-utrecht-universal-basic-income-experiment/487883/>), and [a startup called GiveDirectly](<https://futurism.com/4-another-case-for-ubi-ebay-founder-funds-basic-income-experiment-in-kenya>) that's been running basic income programs in several Kenyan villages. Another effort from a non-profit in the U.S. focused on giving [basic income via a cryptocurrency](<https://futurism.com/the-first-blockchain-based-universal-basic-income-experiment-just-launched>).

Experts put themselves on both sides of the UBI debate. [Those who support the idea](<https://futurism.com/elon-musk-automation-will-force-governments-to-introduce-universal-basic-income>) see UBI as a better alternative to existing social welfare models, and as a potential solution to the impending [unemployment that could come with increased automation](<https://futurism.com/if-we-dont-regulate-automation-it-could-decimate-the-u-s-economy>). On the other hand, [critics raise concerns](<https://futurism.com/mark-cuban-universal-basic-income-is-the-worst-possible-response>) over how UBI can lead to [a less productive society](<https://futurism.com/watch-live-will-universal-basic-income-change-our-lives-for-good-or-bad>) by encouraging people not to work. Still others point out [the difficulty in raising the funds](<https://futurism.com/heres-why-experts-think-universal-basic-income-will-never-work>) needed to run a full-scale basic income program.

The debate is an ongoing one. [The viability and effectiveness of UBI](<https://futurism.com/meet-the-person-whose-life-is-being-changed-by-universal-basic-income>) still needs to be proven, and running pilot programs like Ontario's is the best way to go about it. As the Ontario Premier said in her speech: “We want to find out whether a basic income makes a positive difference in people’s lives \[...\] and whether it is an approach that deserves to be adopted across our province as a whole."

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-john-galeon-9b086925/>)  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/domgaleon>)