Calgary’s ‘living wage’ hit by soaring cost of food and housing

A large leap successful the outgo of lodging and nutrient means determination has besides been a summation successful Calgary’s surviving wage implicit the past year, according to a caller study by Vibrant Communities Calgary.

A surviving wage is defined arsenic the hourly wage a idiosyncratic needs to gain from their occupation to screen each the basal expenses indispensable for a mean modular of living, including things similar food, clothing, housing, wellness care, kid care, taxes and transportation.

Alka Merlin, Director of Communications for Vibrant Communities Calgary said implicit the past twelvemonth Calgary’s surviving wage has accrued from $23.70/hr to $24.45/hr.

In Edmonton, implicit the aforesaid period, the surviving wage has decreased from $22.25/hr to $20.85/hr.

“The quality betwixt the 2 cities is the outgo of housing,” said Merlin.  While lodging costs successful Edmonton are down somewhat implicit past year, “it costs the mean Calgarian astir $2,000 much for structure (housing) than it did past year.”

There is immoderate bully news, with the study saying families are spending astir $2,000 little connected kid attraction and astir $1,500 little connected energy costs, but Merlin says “housing costs successful Calgary person wiped retired immoderate advantage.”

The surviving wage is antithetic than the provincial minimum wage – it is 63 per cent higher, oregon astir $10.00 much than the minimum wage which is lone $15.00 per hr and $13.00 per hr for students nether the property of 18.

Merlin says astir 126,000 Albertans gain minimum wage which was past accrued successful 2018 and is now, on with Saskatchewan, the lowest successful the country.

Merlin says Vibrant Communities Calgary is advocating for ‘incremental’ changes successful the minimum wage due to the fact that “it besides needs to enactment for business, particularly tiny business.”