INFLATION TOP OF MIND FOR MANY RESIDENTS AHEAD OF ELECTION

The impacts of rising prices are being felt daily at The Sharing Place Food Centre, both by the organization and the clients it serves.

Residents with minimum-wage incomes "were having extreme difficulty affording what one would consider to be life necessities — housing, food" before prices soared, said executive director Chris Peacock.

"Unfortunately, inflation has just put those individuals into an emergency situation," he told Simcoe.com.

Across Simcoe North, climbing food prices mean more residents are having a tough time making ends meet.

Shoppers paid 8.7 per cent more for food in March compared to the same month last year, up from a 7.4 per cent increase in February, according to Statistics Canada.

Prices for dairy products and eggs rose 8.5 per cent in March compared to the same month last year, following a 6.9 per cent gain in February.

"It's definitely affecting people," said Janet Pattullo, who runs the St. Vincent de Paul food bank in Victoria Harbour. "Some of our families were doing OK. They weren't coming to the food bank over the last year and now they are back."

Incomes among those hardest hit by the increases are not keeping pace with rising costs, said Peacock, noting that in Simcoe County a living wage is considered to be roughly $18 per hour.

Ontario's minimum wage is currently $15 per hour, with a 50-cent increase planned for the fall.

"It's an income issue," Peacock said. "People just aren't making enough money."

Courtney O'Neill, a community co-ordinator with

the Simcoe County Food Council, believes the provincial government needs to step in and help offset the impacts of inflation.

"We need the province to work with the federal government to create targeted basic income programs to support individuals who are more vulnerable," said O'Neill, who is also advocating for raises to both minimum wage and social assistance rates.

Currently, the Ontario Disability Support Program provides up to $1,169 per month for basic needs and housing. For many, these funds barely cover rent leaving them with little for food.

According to O'Neill, 60 per cent of residents in Simcoe County who rely on social assistance are household food insecure, as are 63 per cent of those who have employment income.

"There is just not enough money coming in to match the rising cost of food, housing and transportation," said O'Neill. "The province really needs to look at overarching polices (to provide help).

The Sharing Place is experiencing first-hand the effects of higher prices as it reports steady growth in the number of families and individuals accessing its services for the first time.

"And every month, our expenses are getting higher because, obviously, we have more individuals requiring our services, but then the cost of those items increase," Peacock said.

Tackling poverty will require a higher minimum wage, along with innovative housing solutions and indexing social assistance payments to inflation, he added.

Canada's Food Prices Report predicts that a family of four will spend $966 more on groceries this year than in 2021.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With a provincial election on the horizon, Simcoe.com decided it was important to revisit the impact inflation is having on the community.