Leslie Macfarlane and her husband were thrown into unconditional grief. They had just been evicted from their mobile home park, in one of the suburbs of Vancouver that has become unaffordable for many. Tavakkol said the eviction triggered a storm of “uncontrollable rage” and panic inside her. These sentiments reflect the larger fight all Canadians are facing as the cost of living skyrockets. This turn of events is indicative of a larger trend overtaking Canada. As everyday citizens are quickly becoming aware, the realities of growing inflation and record high rental prices are hitting hard.
In many regards, 2016 was hell for Macfarlane. She ended up emptying her life savings, paying six months rent upfront just to get a place, because she didn’t have a credit history. Her experience highlights the barriers many face as they grapple with financial instability in a country where the cost of consumer goods has risen dramatically since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s re-election in 2021. When inflation raced past 8.1 percent in June 2022, it was the biggest annual jump in inflation since 1983. As a result, the majority of Canadians are living paycheck to paycheck.
The Cost of Living Crisis
The consequences of high cost-of-living are being felt across every area of life in Canada. Average national asking rents have skyrocketed nearly 18 percent nationally since March 2020. This extreme spike has left families such as Macfarlane’s scrambling to keep up with this new reality. Since their eviction, they have moved to Gibsons, a small coastal community in British Columbia. Even in this calmer industry turf, as Macfarlane pointed out, costs were “inflated on all fronts,” especially when it came to food.
Many residents share similar concerns about affordability. Shahad Ishak, a PhD student in sociology and TAA organizer, aired mounting frustrations with today’s economy. Four of his close friends, also engineers who emigrated to Canada, departed because of the affordability crisis. Ishak stated, “How do people survive here? Because the pay – it’s not enough.”
Such sentiments ring true for millions of Canadians forced between a rock and a hard place by skyrocketing prices and inflation-resistant paychecks. Macfarlane reflected on how the situation has evolved over the years, saying, “I remember when I was raising my children, if you had a job, you could afford a place to rent… That’s not the case anymore.”
Political Implications
Just as these economic worries are reaching a boiling point, the political landscape is changing too. In January, Justin Trudeau announced his departure from politics as leader of the Liberal Party. This decision opens the door to new leadership in the Liberal Party. Mark Carney, the recently appointed Liberal Prime Minister, is well in front in the polls. He’s riding the wave of public sentiment from his apparent cutting-edge, tough negotiation skills with U.S. Prez Donald Trump.
Canadians mark affordability lower on their election priority totem as worry grows over Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation. Political analyst Macdonald noted, “If you were in power over that period, then you got pummelled at the election box in the next election.” This changing emphasis marks a growing concern over foreign influence and nonproliferation. Because of this, too many Americans are worried that they won’t have a secure retirement.
Canada’s Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre zeroed in on immigration as a prime driver of the country’s housing crisis. He remarked on what he perceives as “massive uncontrolled population growth” that has strained housing markets, healthcare systems, and job availability. Poilievre stated that “They grew the population almost three times as fast as the housing stock,” emphasizing the challenge facing many Canadian families.
Navigating New Realities
As Canadians rush to their proverbial lifeboats amidst these tumultuous waters, many are turning towards education and furthering their prospects through workforce development. So Ishak has made the choice to go back to school. This decision is a testament to the lengths people will go to avoid the challenges created by market forces. He observed that while promises were made by political leaders, “from there, it got worse. At this point, never in my life will I buy a house.”
Those personal stories of people like Macfarlane and Ishak are a window into a much larger story about what life in Canada looks like today. As families deal with rising costs and face eviction out of their homes, they face an unpredictable future where affordability continues to be a significant challenge.
