Canada crisis: 1 in 4 parents cut back on food to feed their kids, says report

Nothing explains better that Canadians are going through a crisis than 25% of parents cutting back on their food intake to ensure their kids have enough to eat. Canadians are facing one of the worst crises over shelter, jobs and inflation. The extent of the pressure on Canadian households is revealed in a report by a non-profit organisation, which says that one in four parents in Canada cut back on their food consumption to ensure that their children are well-fed.
The report by the Salvation Army, released on November 21, also says that over 90% of those surveyed said they had reduced spending on groceries to save money for other financial priorities.
The report comes at a time when the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a break on Goods and Services Tax (GST) for some essential items to help ease the issue of affordability in Canada.
This is because Canada is facing an affordability crisis leading to parents compromising on their food or essential needs to take care of their financial obligations.
This is also at a time when food banks in Canada are also facing a shortage and some of them decided to turn away international students, which might include Indians.
All this when Canada is headed for general election next year.
But it has become difficult for many to make ends meet without compromising on some essential items.
Several parents are facing a “disproportionate number of challenges” connected to the cost of living” especially with grocery bills, reports the CBC.
That Canada is in a deep economic crisis is clear to many.
“The reality is that many Canadians continue to have trouble meeting their daily basic needs for themselves and, much more importantly, for their children and their family members,” said John Murray, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army. “And that, for us as an organisation, signals a deep, deep crisis for us in the country.”
This is also seen in the report where 24% of the surveyed parents said they have reduced their food consumption to keep their kids fed.
Compromises on the grocery bills is a penny saved for a family’s financial commitments. Over 90% said they reduced their grocery bills to save money for other financial priorities.
That many are buying even less nutritious food because it is cheaper and 84% reported skipping meals.
This is not the only sign of the economic crisis in Canada. Some on social media are even wondering how Canadians are surviving in this crisis.
This at a time when Canada might announce a multi-billion dollar package of affordability help, including a GST break on essential items, reported The Globe and Mail.
It will be applied to items such as clothing and nappies and pre-made hot meals.
People have long asked the Trudeau government to do something about the essential items.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP, is saying that the measure is a result of his party’s campaign to do away with GST.
The NDP was an alliance partner of Trudeau’s Liberal Party until September 5.
“It’s far from the substantial and permanent relief the NDP wants to give Canadians. As usual, the Liberals are letting people down with their choice to make this a short-term tax holiday, on only some items,” Singh said.
“The NDP is delivering a winter tax holiday to Canadians. The prime minister’s office just informed us that he’s caving to our Tax-Free-Essentials campaign — partly,” he added.
Singh said his party will vote in favour of the measure in Parliament to provide immediate respite to Canadians.
This will help the government break the gridlock which has stopped the motion from moving.
What was a dream destination for many is now giving them sleepless nights. Trudeau will have a hard time answering several Canadians who are cutting down on food to provide for their children or the ones who are being turned away by food banks.