Rising prices are forcing more Canadians to make tough decisions, leaving even middle-class families to choose between buying the food they need and paying their bills. Recent research by Food Banks Canada found that nearly one in five Canadians said they had been hungry for the past two years. With the war in Ukraine contributing to the greatest cost of living crisis of the 21st century, according to United Nations report published this weekeven families in richer countries are feeling the pressure. Inflation in Canada hit a three-decade high in April, reaching almost seven percent. “War in Ukraine has trapped the people of the world between a rock and a hard place”, a statement from the United Nations Global Crisis Management Team states. “The rock is the severe price shocks in the food, energy and fertilizer markets due to the war … The difficult thing is the extremely fragile context in which this crisis has reached; a world facing the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic crises and climate change . “
Middle-class families barely make it
The current situation is difficult for people like Dave Arsenault of Moncton, NB He said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared in early 2020, he would describe his family of four as a middle class. Now, he said, they live on a paycheck. “It feels depressing,” Arsenault said. “It’s frustrating because it’s not your fault that your whole lifestyle is changing.” Feeding his family, which includes 11-year-old twins, is difficult even with a double income, said Arsenault, who works at a newspaper printing house and is the president of his local union. Both he and his wife, an office manager, have union jobs with standardized annual increases, but he said it still is not enough to keep up with rising costs. “It’s a surefire fight,” he said. Rising energy prices, as seen at this gas station in Windsor, OD, are affecting Canadians at a time when food costs are also rising. (Dale Molnar / CBC) Arsenault said the family could afford to get supplements when shopping, but now can only afford the necessities – despite hunting for opportunities. “We are just making enough for what we really need,” he said. “We have cut a lot of meat … Instead of buying steaks, you are buying pork chops.” Arsenault said that while he observed a jump in prices at the beginning of the pandemic, it has gotten much worse in the last six months. “We are running out of things,” he said.
Survival with oatmeal, eggs and tuna
Johnny Barlow, a resident of Prince Edward Island, is well aware of this fact. “In the last few months with the price of everything going up, there is nothing left. In the first week of the month, I have no money,” he said. Barlow is currently relying on income support because he has a brain tumor that affects his thinking, making his job difficult. As the financial support he receives is not enough to cover the rising costs, he said he had to start limiting his diet. Johnnie Barlow, a PEI resident, says living on a steady income as prices soar means eating less to cover the costs of other needs. He relies on income support due to a health problem and will have to pay for car repairs to get back to work. (Submitted by Johnnie Barlow) Lately, Barlow said, he has been surviving on oatmeal, boiled eggs and tuna. “I try to stay healthy as cheaply as I can,” he said. Barlow joked that “it’s great for weight loss” and said he was trying to maintain a positive outlook. He also needed to reduce the dietary supplements he bought to help treat the symptoms caused by the tumor. Barlow, who lives 20 minutes from Charlottetown, said he hopes to return to work soon selling home heating and cooling systems. But to do that, he has to pay for repairs to his car, the only mode of transport available where he lives. “You have to spend money to make money,” he said.
Costs continue to rise, but wages remain the same
Even higher income families say they are being hit. Christine Taylor, who lives in southern Ontario, said she has difficulty paying all of her family bills and worries about the less fortunate. “This direction is not economically viable. It will break people – not just financially, but emotionally and mentally,” he said. Taylor, who works in the fuel and energy industries, said she and her husband, who work in home electronics and mobile phones, have a combined annual income of about $ 85,000. However, it is not enough to keep up with all the expenses of owning a house and raising two teenagers. Christine Taylor, right, appearing with her husband, says that while the middle-income family makes ends meet by cutting out allowances, she worries about those with a steady income who struggled before expenses began to rise. (Submitted by Christine Taylor) “Once we do,” he said. “And costs continue to rise and our wages remain the same.” Taylor said they have deferred the payment of certain bills to cover the cost of vehicle repairs. He has also started chasing opportunities at the grocery store and planning more meals for the leftovers. Extra expenses – such as an annual family trip to Thunder Bay, northwestern Ontario, or riding lessons – are some of the cuts they have to make. CLOCKS Food banks in Canada are preparing for the summer of famine as prices rise:
Food banks are preparing for the summer of famine
Food banks across the country are preparing for a summer of famine as rising inflation pushes more Canadians to rely on charity. “As a family in the middle class, we feel [the] “They struggle and do not have the luxury of doing simple things on the sidelines,” he said. Taylor said that while they are tightening their belts, she is worried about those who have a steady income and do not have extra to cut. “My heart breaks for them,” he said.
