Grocery rebate cheques are landing in Canadian bank accounts today, but some residents say it isn’t nearly enough to tackle the problem of food insecurity and the rise in cost of living.
Toronto resident Diane Lane says she received about $200 in her bank account Wednesday. While she’s thankful for the help, she says it’s only enough to keep her going, not get ahead.
“I’m a senior, I live on old age pension, I pay market rent, I live alone, and the food is taking everything I have,” Lane, 70, told CBC News outside a Toronto Walmart.
“It’ll fill my freezer, I might be fine for maybe two months,” she said. “And then I’ll be right back to where I am right now.”
The federal government has billed the one-time payment as targeted inflation relief for some 11 million low- and modest-income households. Single Canadians without children are no longer eligible for the rebate if they earn more than $49,166 a year, while families with four children continue to receive the payments until they earn more than $64,946.
But residents like Lane say that while the rebate can ease difficulties temporarily, it falls short of tackling the issues underpinning food insecurity and the rising cost of living. Still, thousands of Canadians aren’t covered under this new program, even if they’re struggling to make due.
“Even working couples, the raises aren’t coming fast enough to compensate with the cost of living, especially food,” said Lane.
“And I don’t know anybody who can survive without food.”
The grocery rebate is here — but some are already asking if it’s enough
Radio-Canada went to a No Frills in Toronto to hear what some shoppers were expecting ahead of the rollout of the federal government’s targeted grocery rebate program, which launched this week.
One-time payment is a ‘legitimate’ trade-off: economist
Despite the overall slowdown, the price of food continued to rise at a fast pace in May. Grocery prices went up almost nine per cent on a year-over-year basis — barely lower than the 9.1 per cent rate clocked in April and still almost three times the overall inflation rate.
Peter Dungan, an economic analysis and policy associate professor at the University of Toronto, says that as a rule of thumb, government spending aimed at offsetting the effects of inflation will, to some extent, make the problem worse.
“Any expenditure will make the Bank of Canada’s job harder in terms of cooling down the economy, which is what needs to be done to mitigate inflation,” said Dungan.
But inflation, combined with high interest rates, has likely been hurting low to middle-income earners more than high earners, he said. Despite the hiccup the move to offer a one-time rebate can produce, Dungan said it’s a “legitimate” reaction and “trade-off” between equity and the fight against inflation.
“It’s being very much directed at lower-income families,” Dungan said. “I don’t really have a problem with it.”
What more can be done?
Derek Cook, the director of the Canadian Poverty Institute in Calgary, says the policy is a “welcome” start aimed at helping low-income Canadians.
But he said the federal government can’t do everything itself — provincial governments need to do their part in raising social assistance rates and keeping wages in line with the cost of living.
“We need to think about this in terms of human rights, that we actually have an obligation to guarantee the right to food for people in this country,” said Cook.
What you need to know about the grocery rebate
Your top two questions are likely, ‘Do I qualify and how much will I get?’
Jim Mulvale, a social work professor at the University of Manitoba, says the move is particularly helpful because it gives people freedom in where to spend their money — some residents may choose to dedicate the extra funds to housing or childcare costs instead.
That’s why he hopes the rebates will help spur a broader and more comprehensive measure, like a basic income program.
“If one wants to be optimistic, one might see this as a signal that the Liberal government is open to … income tested, unconditional transfers to people that need money,” Mulvale said.
While it’s possible the amount of the rebate is only a “drop in the bucket” when it comes to meeting each family’s expenses, Dungan said that overall, the measure will likely cost upwards of $1 billion. Additionally, he said it allows the government to claim it’s doing something about the problem.
But over the long-term, Dungan says the government may be able to offset the pressures of high grocery prices by encouraging more competition in the sector, or, in light of the rising cost of living, changing the tax scheme so less is taken from lower-income households.
“There’s certain things that could be done to perhaps mitigate some of the price pressures we’re under, but those should have been done whether we had two per cent inflation or six per cent,” said Dungan.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
