Inflation hit a record high in Canada, at 7.7% in May. Behind the figures, there are humans who suffer the consequences. But not everyone is equal in the face of the rising cost of living. Sixth portrait of a series on the faces of inflation.
In Marie-Pierre Courcy’s living room, in the Villeray district, Ludovic, 17, plays video games. The room is separated from her mother’s bedroom by a pile of furniture and fabrics that act as a makeshift wall.
If the single mother of two teenagers has converted part of her double living room in this way, it is because she cannot afford a three-bedroom apartment. The apartment is also in poor condition and electricity costs are very high, as it is poorly insulated.
“The floor takes off. When I vacuum it gets stuck on my device,” the woman in her 40s says. She wanted to find something better in her neighborhood, but found nothing satisfactory below $1,450, while her rent is currently $910.
Administrative assistant in the health network for 15 years, with an annual family income of approximately $39,000, Ms.me Courcy is considered part of the middle class. But she is increasingly anxious when she thinks about her budget.
“We had a breath of fresh air with the COVID bonus [accordée par son employeur]. It allowed me to take out an RRSP. But she just fell,” she explains. As she is off work due to a herniated disc, her salary has temporarily dropped by 20%, which does nothing to reassure her.
The first source of stress is the grocery cart. “Those little beasts eat,” she says, pointing to her two sons.
La Montréalaise shops in several places, where the specials are. “It’s an additional mental burden. When you have to make detours to get cheese, it’s gymnastics,” she says.
The family often eats vegetarian meals, out of conviction. “That’s good, given the price of meat. But nuts are expensive. Even the tofu has gone up,” she notes. Indeed, the price of nuts has increased by 4.3% in one year, according to Statistics Canada.
Because of her back problem, Marie-Pierre Courcy can no longer go to the community garden to get low-cost fruits and vegetables. She juggles with the idea of using the solidarity grocery store of her community center. “I’m hesitant, because there are surely people who need it more than me,” she says.
Other family expenses can quickly increase the annual bill, such as a computer for his son who is starting CEGEP, the subscription to Communauto, the new refrigerator costing nearly $2,000 to replace his old defective appliance, which freezes food.
As Ludovic turns 18 this fall, Mme Courcy will lose a substantial allowance from the state. The young man will then have to pay for his personal expenses, such as his cell phone, his clothes, his bus pass. “I would have preferred to continue paying him everything, but I couldn’t. I will continue to pay for room and board, as well as his studies, as much as possible. But inflation restricts more and more what I will be able to offer him,” says the one who would like the government to continue to give an allowance as long as the young people are in school.
Ludovic and Maël know very well that the family budget is limited. “There are things I don’t ask for, because I know it would be too expensive. But I don’t need a lot of things”, assures Ludovic while drinking lemonade in the family kitchen.
Which also saddens M.me Courcy is to deprive his children of certain hobbies, such as downhill skiing or a trip to the South.
Between daycare and grocery store
In an industrial sector of Rosemont, little Maurice, 11 months, is nodding, snuggled up against his mother’s back. Delphine Monsallier has just picked him up after his integration day at daycare.
Having failed to find an early childhood center (CPE) that could accommodate her son, this 31-year-old single mother, who is just starting a new job in the federal public service, will have to pay around $1,000 a month for unpaid daycare. subsidized.
“I have no choice but to go back to work, because otherwise I don’t have a salary. Yes, there are tax credits for childcare expenses that lower the cost, but you have to pay the expenses first anyway,” said Ms.me Monsallier. She believes that priority should be given, for places in CPE, to disadvantaged or single-parent families.
little luxury
Delphine does not own a car. She hardly buys new clothes or toys, browsing thrift stores and bartering. She has no expensive hobbies and rarely goes to restaurants. She has just found housing whose rent is considered reasonable in Montreal, around $1,000. She earns a near-average salary of just over $50,000.
Where the young mother still allows herself a little luxury is on the food side. She values local and organic products a lot. “But it’s sure that I buy less often,” admits the one who dreams of a second child.
Being concerned about her budget, she can imagine how tight that of single mothers with a lower salary must be. She even believes that some single women put their dreams aside. Because insemination procedures can also cost thousands of dollars. If breastfeeding isn’t working — and it has — formula spending can also add up quickly.
Faced with the rising cost of living, Mr.me Monsallier wonders if the definition of social classes should not be revised.
Even if she is part of the middle class, will she be able to pay for sports activities and day camps for her children? She doesn’t know.