At the Glace Bay Food Bank, some of the shelves that are normally full have been bare lately. As a result, the food bank’s co-ordinator is not surprised to hear that nearly one-third of Canadians would be in trouble if their paycheques were late. “Even when people are getting their paycheques on time, they’re still not making it work,” said Linda MacRae, co-ordinator of the food bank in Glace Bay, N.S. MacRae has been seeing more people with steady jobs coming through her door and says those whose pay is on the lower end are getting stressed with winter on the way. “I wish people could hear their stories, I really do,” she said. “It’s very emotional to listen to them. Like, they’re worried now about how they are going to heat their homes with the cost of oil. A lot of people are saying, ‘What’s going to happen here? We’re either going to starve to death or freeze to death.’” A recent survey done by the National Payroll Institute found that 28 per cent of Canadians would have trouble meeting their financial obligations if their paycheque were even a week late. “Working Canadians are in financial crises,” said Peter Tzanetakis, president and CEO of the National Payroll Institute. “More are losing control of their finances.” The survey shows even starker numbers from Atlantic Canada, noting 34 per cent would find it difficult to manage financial obligations if their paycheque were delayed a week. Nearly half – 48 per cent - have feelings of anxiety or depression due to financial stress. Tzanetakis said the numbers do not reflect only people whose incomes are average or below. “We have seen also that six-figure salary individuals are also considered to be financially stressed,” he said. In another particularly stark Atlantic Canadian statistic, 60 per cent said groceries are the largest source of financial stress. The data also found that people are bringing their financial strain to the workplace. “Employers need to pay attention and supporting them through automatic savings where they can take a little bit off their pay can build up a little bit of that buffer,” Tzanetakis said. As for relief, the survey finds that nationally, 29 per cent are feeling optimistic about their financial future, while 50 per cent are uncertain and 22 per cent are pessimistic. For the Glace Bay Food Bank, donation rates have been down - especially since the spring. “I understand people are finding it hard to donate because they are trying to look after themselves,” MacRae said. “So, we are really in a catch-22 right now. Our client list is going up and donations have gone down.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
