A rising number of seniors in Prince Edward Island are feeling the pinch of poverty, and demand for both provincial and community services is as high as it’s ever been.
The latest report from Campaign 2000, which tracks child and family poverty across the country, suggests at least 6,000 seniors in P.E.I. are living below the poverty line.
The most recent data available is from 2021, before two years of steep increases in the cost of living. Last year, the province had the highest year-over-year food inflation in the country at over 7 per cent.
Mike MacDonald, CEO of the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown, said about 300 seniors a month are now using the service.
