Food Banks Canada has evaluated ten provinces based on their quality of life. Various measures are taken related to poverty reduction & standard of living. 

A variety of factors contribute to the quality of life experienced by individuals residing in any specific province, town, or community. 

Below is an outline of how every territory & province performed as per the Food Banks Canada. 

Specifically for prospective newcomers to Canada & immigrants, these measures can offer valuable insights into the variances in quality of life across Canada. 

Poverty Report Card Results

Using various measures to improve the quality of life – all under four general umbrellas (poverty experience, poverty measures, anti-poverty legislative progress, & material deprivation), Food Banks Canada recently graded Canadian provinces & territories on the poverty reduction efforts & outcomes of local governments.

Some of the measures used by Food Banks Canada are: 

  • Financial discomfort
  • Food insecurity
  • Poor access to healthcare
  • Unemployment
  • Inadequate living standards 

As Food Banks Canada indicates, these grades represent how well poverty reduction efforts are going at territorial, provincial, & federal levels. In addition, the report cards explore the experience of poverty across Canada & where governments can take steps to improve their social policy. 

So, here are the grades for each province: 

  • Ontario: D-
  • Quebec: B-
  • British Columbia: D+
  • Alberta: D
  • Manitoba: C-
  • Saskatchewan: D
  • Nova Scotia: F
  • New Brunswick:D-
  • Newfoundland & Labrador: D-
  • PEI: C- 
  • Nunavut, Yukon, & Northwest Territories: Incomplete 

Note: the report card for Nunavut, Yukon, & Northwest Territories is incomplete because of the low sample size. 

Policy Recommendations From Food Banks Canada 

Food Banks Canada outlines four general groups of policy recommendations for improving an individual’s quality of life. 

  • Establish A Minimum Income Floor 

While some level of minimum income floor exists, i.e., MIF for Canadian seniors & families with children across the nation, Food Banks Canada suggests that the government must move towards MIF for all applicants. 

In addition, they must establish two more pillars to the nation’s income floor, i.e., for Canadians living with a disability & individuals of working age who are single & unattached. 

Moreover, Canadians living with a disability make up an increasing number of Food Bank visitors. Well, this is a result of the fact that not a single province offers Canadians with a disability of ‘enough income’, even after factoring in federal benefits. 

Likewise, similar trends can be seen in Food Bank visitation among single working-age adults in Canada. Thus, this is an indication of the financial struggles of this group. 

Furthermore, establishing an MIF for more distinct subsets of the population of Canada can help Canada progress towards more income security. This is a move which will aid in paving the way for a more resilient nation where no one is left behind & no one goes hungry.

  • Affordable Housing 

In order to help Canadians improve their quality of life, the government is assisting individuals to find affordable housing. This contributes to the use of Food Banks across Canada. In addition, some recommendations include focusing on building & introducing new affordable units & helping make the existing market more affordable. 

For instance, Manitoba’s rent assistance program allows beneficiaries to make smart planning decisions with their funds, thus focusing on other aspects of their life, like raising children, furthering education, buying groceries, etc. 

Basically, Food Banks Canada points to the four action items mentioned below as ways the Canadian government can help increase food security & address issues associated with housing. 

These action items are: 

  • Implementing a national rent assistance program based on an expanded version of the Canadian Housing Benefit. 
  • Exploring community-targeted funding for affordable housing acquisition. 
  • Finally, developing stronger regulations/taxation of financial entities in the housing market. 

  • Supporting Low-Income Workers 

Presently, the wages of low-income Canadians aren’t enough to support them as the cost of living, as well as food, continues to rise. 

In simpler terms, the nation continues to have a sizable segment of its population, which can be classified as ‘The Working Poor’. 

In order to improve the results & financial security of Canada’s low-income workers, below are some steps that Food Banks Canada recommends the government take: 

  • Extend the maximum duration of EI benefits to over 52 weeks. This should be followed by a staggered reduction in cash benefits while retaining non-cash EI support access. 
  • Review & reduce the employment hours required to qualify for EI. 
  • Broaden the EI qualifying definition of ’employment’ to include ‘self-employed & precarious work’. 
  • Expand the WWC provisions in EI to enable workers to retain more of their income from part-time or temporary work. 
  • Lastly, introduce government incentives to motivate businesses to pay living wages to all employees. 

  • Combating Food Insecurity in Northern & Rural Canada 

An issue which is expected to worsen over time with increasing costs of food & housing is that the program might not have any positive impact on the food costs that many hoped for when it was launched. 

As per Food Banks Canada, food insecurity in Canadian provinces is a function of multiple factors. These include lower wages among people living in the North, high energy & housing costs, etc., which prevents gathering traditional & reliable food resources.

By establishing an MIF in remote communities, reviewing the Nutrition North Canada initiative & working to expand internet access, Food Banks Canada recommends that the government must begin addressing the long-term root cause of food insecurity in the North for the betterment of people residing in the affected areas.