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GST relief announcement generates mixed reaction in B.C.

ByAmy Judd

While Canadians no doubt welcome the announcement that the federal government is giving most residents a GST break over the holidays, B.C.’s local small business community has concerns about how this will work during the busy season. “Any time the government wants to cut taxes, that’s a good thing,” Dan Kelly, president, CEO and chair of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business told Global News. “At the same time, this comes with a whole bunch of administrative complexity and questions and uncertainty that small business owners will be grappling with.” 1:17 Reaction in B.C. to temporary tax break, $250 rebate cheque Kelly said some businesses will have to reprogram their point of sale machines, twice and navigating the list of products that are part of the exemption could be confusing. Story continues below advertisement “We’re already getting questions about which products are in or out,” he added. “And then, of course, there is the administrative process that most small business owners do themselves. They try to adjust their point-of-sale machines to apply or take off taxes, depending on what is in place.” Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. On Thursday, the federal government announced it will introduce legislation in Parliament to provide for a two-month GST and HST break for groceries and holiday essentials. If passed, the exemption would last from Dec. 14, 2024 to Feb. 15, 2025. Some of the goods that would qualify include children’s clothing, footwear, diapers, car seats, print newspapers, books, Christmas trees, food or beverages including alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages, candies, chips, granola products, fruit bars and more. Here is a full list. Trending Now “Will it have a big impact? No, it won’t. Will it have a little impact? Yes, it will,” Ian Tostenston with the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association told Global News. 2:19 Federal government launches multi-billion dollar affordability programs In a statement, Restaurants Canada said it is pleased by the announcement as more than half of restaurants are operating at a loss or just breaking even, up from 12 per cent pre-pandemic. Story continues below advertisement “Today’s announcement restores some much-needed hope to our industry and we are optimistic it will translate to increased spending at local restaurants across the country,” the organization said in a statement. “Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister means that more Canadians will be able to celebrate with loved ones at a restaurant, have lunch with colleagues or treat themselves to a morning pastry on their way to work.” &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

cost-of-living-pushing-seniors-back-into-workforce,-bc.-non-profit-says
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Cost of living pushing seniors back into workforce, B.C.

BySimon Little

Posted November 19, 2024 7:32 pm Updated November 19, 2024 8:35 pm 1 min read 2:06 Surge in B.C. seniors wanting back into workforce Another sign of more and more people having trouble making ends meet. A Vancouver non-profit group says it’s seeing a surge in seniors asking for help to get back into the workforce. Travis Prasad reports. Vancouver’s surging cost of living is having yet another unintended consequence — a growing number of seniors looking to get back into the workforce. Vancouver non-profit Mission Possible, which helps connect people in precarious life situations with stable employment, says it’s seen a 55-per cent jump in the number of seniors looking for work compared to last year. The organization says some are coming out of retirement, while others are putting off retirement because they can’t make ends meet without a paycheque. 2:07 Red-hot inflation leaves working Montreal senior with ‘nothing to save’ Edward Boe, 66, told Global News he’s working 20 hours a week at Mission Possible to keep a roof over his head. Story continues below advertisement “I’m making $1,540 on my pensions, old age and CPP. I’ve got rent of $800, expenses of $400. That would’ve left me with $200 a month,” he explained. Trending Now Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “I’d probably be living down here in the Downtown Eastside in an SRO, which thank God I’m not.” Matthew Smedley, Mission Possible’s executive director and CEO, said that while many seniors are looking to work, they often find fewer opportunities than other job seekers. “It can be extremely difficult for seniors to find work, there can be technological barriers, health barriers, maybe some extra flexibility needed for some folks and that can be challenging to make them feel like they’re able to get back into work,” he said. Smedley said seniors aren’t the only ones feeling the pressure. Mission Possible has seen a 165-per cent increase in people seeking help to get a job over last year. The organization is calling on the province to increase services that help people get back into the workforce. &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Sponsored content

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Single in the city? The living wage for Metro Vancouver’s unmarried

ByNikitha Martins

Soaring housing costs and the region’s affordability crisis have led to a sharp increase in Metro Vancouver’s cost of living, and, unfortunately, the minimum wage in BC is lagging behind. Despite this year’s increase in minimum wage, there is still a significant disparity between BC’s minimum wage and the living wage in 2024. On June 1, 2024, the minimum wage in BC increased by $0.65 to $17.40 per hour. According to a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Living Wage BC, Metro Vancouver’s living wage rose 5.3% this year, climbing from $25.68 per hour to $27.05 per hour. However, the increased rate mentioned in the report is what two full-time parents must earn to support a family of four in Metro Vancouver. On the other hand, Anastasia French, the provincial manager of Living Wage BC, said the group that needs to be focused on the most is single people, both those without kids and those with kids. Living alone should not be a “luxury”: Expert While it may be normalized to live with roommates and family members to afford rent in Metro Vancouver, French said living alone for single people should not be considered a “luxury.” “That’s why we need government to take action on affordability … I don’t think wanting to live on your own is a luxury. I think it’s just that unfortunately, because housing costs are as high as they are, and as ridiculous as they are, it’s seen as a luxury.” The living wage for a single parent is $30.63. This is $3.58 more than a family of four with two parents and two children. This difference in living wage was not as prominent years ago. According to the report, “when the methodology was originally developed in 2008, the Metro Vancouver living wage for a two-parent family was sufficient to support a single-parent family with one young child.” “However, this is no longer the case due to sharp increases in the cost of living, particularly for housing, that have not been offset by correspondingly large increases in government support for single parents.” Single people left behind Meanwhile, single working-aged adults without children have become the largest group of people who live in poverty in Canada and BC. “Statistics Canada’s latest poverty data suggest that one in three working-aged adults in BC who live alone or with non-relatives (i.e., roommates) live in poverty (32.1%),” the report reads. “This is nearly three times higher than the provincial poverty rate (11.6%) and higher than the poverty rate among children living in single-parent households headed by women (28.2%).” The living wage for a single person without children is $27.36, which is about 30 cents higher than for a family of four. “The reason that our initial estimates are finding that the living wage for a single person is higher than the living wage for a family of four is because, although kids are really expensive… Families with kids get a lot more in government benefits than people without children,” French said. While she admits some people are being left behind, French said it is encouraging to see that investments to help lower costs for families, like the Canada Child Benefit and BC Family Benefit, are “lifting families out of poverty.” French admits the calculations provided in the living wage report are a “modest figure” compared to the actual Vancouver rental market. “We’re aware that a $27 living wage [is a] real challenge for everyone. It represents a real challenge for workers and a challenge for employers that want to step up and do the right thing and pay their workers… but it’s not easy,” she said. Metro Vancouver’s living wage is the third highest in the province, behind Whistler (at $28.89 per hour) and Clayoquot Sound (at 27.42 per hour).