NANAIMO FAMILIES SQUEEZED ON ALL FRONTS

 

Nanaimo Families Squeezed by the Math of Survival

Introduction

It’s getting harder and harder for Nanaimo families to make the math work. Every indicator—from food banks, to back-to-school drives, to the simple gap between wages and rent—points to a community under rising financial stress. And while government economists can boast that inflation is “cooling,” the reality for working families is that the day-to-day costs of survival are running miles ahead of their paycheques.

Loaves & Fishes, and the Haircuts That Tell a Story

Consider two local snapshots. Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank recently reported a 20% drop in cash donations and a 32% drop in food donations. The decline isn’t because need has gone away—quite the opposite. Supermarkets are running tighter inventories, so fewer “surplus” products make it to the warehouse. And on the cash side, the local economy is clearly leaving residents with less to give.

Then there’s the barber’s “Fresh Start” back-to-school event in Diana Krall Plaza. More than 300 kids showed up for free haircuts and school supplies—the largest turnout ever. It’s a heartwarming act of generosity, but also a sobering sign: more families than ever can’t afford the basics of getting their kids ready for September.

The Wage Gap That Won’t Go Away

The living wage for Nanaimo—what two parents must each earn, working full-time, just to cover the essentials for a family of four—now stands at $23.79/hour. The provincial minimum wage sits at $17.85/hour. That’s a gap of $6 an hour, per parent.

Run the math out over a year:
- Two minimum-wage earners working 35 hours per week each bring in about $65,000 before tax.
- A living-wage household earns about $86,600 before tax.
- That’s a shortfall of $21,600 per year—or about $1,800 a month.

And that shortfall isn’t about luxuries or vacations. It’s about paying the rent and buying groceries.

Housing and Food: The Twin Anchors

Take a standard two-bedroom rental in Nanaimo: about $1,775/month. Add to that the 2025 grocery projection for a family of four: $16,800/year, or $1,400/month. Put those two expenses together and you’re at $3,200/month before even looking at utilities, gas, childcare, or debt.

For a minimum-wage household, that eats up 59% of gross income. At the living wage, it’s 44%. Either way, the room left for everything else is razor-thin.

And remember, food prices in B.C. are up 27% since 2019, while shelter costs have climbed about 29%. Those increases far outstrip the official inflation targets. Families don’t experience abstract averages—they live the sticker shock at the checkout line.

Coping Mechanisms, and the Alcohol Bill Nobody Talks About

In tough times, people find ways to cope. In Nanaimo, one of those ways appears to be alcohol. According to Island Health data, Greater Nanaimo residents consumed the equivalent of 10.9 litres of pure alcohol per person (15+) in 2022—well above the provincial average. Translated into standard drinks, that’s about 639 per adult, per year.

At an average cost of $2.70 per drink, the annual spend comes to about $1,700 per adult. Multiply that across the city’s adult population, and Nanaimo is likely spending $170–190 million a year on alcohol—through private vendors, government liquor stores, bars, and restaurants.

It’s not hard to see the connection. When families can’t keep up with the basics, when stress builds, alcohol becomes both a pressure valve and another financial burden.

What It All Adds Up To

• Food banks under pressure.
• Families lining up for free back-to-school basics.
• A structural wage gap of nearly $22,000 a year between what families earn and what they need.
• Housing and food consuming well over half of minimum-wage household income.
• A community quietly spending close to $200 million a year on alcohol.

This is the economic reality of Nanaimo. And it is hitting average working families—people who are doing everything “right,” working full-time, raising kids, paying taxes—yet falling further behind.

Why It Matters

When council debates abstract plans or when Victoria talks about “managing inflation,” it misses the ground truth. The story of Nanaimo in 2025 is not about political spin. It’s about families forced to count every dollar at the grocery checkout, deciding between gas in the car and a winter coat, or moving away entirely because the math doesn’t work.

That is the story Voice of Nanaimo must tell. Because the gap between the official line and lived reality is wide—and widening.