The living wage varies throughout BC, depending on where you are.
A living wage is the hourly pay a family would need to receive in order to cover basic expenses such as food, clothing, rental housing, transportation, childcare, and a small amount of savings for illness or emergencies.
In Nanaimo the living wage is 17.99 and in Parksville/Qualicum it’s 16.76.
Kathleen Heggie, with Cowichan Social Planning says in the Cowichan Valley the living wage is $18.81, which is pretty average when compared to other communities in Canada.
The Cowichan Valley Living Wage increased 81 cents this year over last.
Heggie says the difference in living wage from last year to now shows that life is getting more expensive.
To see the report go to:Â http://www.socialplanningcowichan.org/living-wage-report-2016.html
