Living wage higher in Nelson, lower in Trail

A study by Selkirk Innovates finds Nelson has the highest living wage among six communities in the Kootenay-Boundary that track that data.

The living wage is the hourly rate required for a family of four with two working parents and two children to meet their needs. It takes into account housing food, clothing, transportation, child care and  varies from community to community. It is calculated based on a formula developed by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

While Nelson’s living wage was $19.56 per hour, researcher Jayme Jones found the rest of spectrum was Revelstoke, Golden, Trail, Grand Forks, and Columbia Valley, which was on the low end at $17.18.

A bar chart depicts the living wage rate calculated for several Columbia Basin-Boundary communities in 2021. A line overtop depicts the 2021 minimum wage rate of $15.20/hr.

While Jones didn’t look into the specifics, “the three communities with the highest living wage are three tourism-based communities, where some of the housing costs might be higher.”

In each case, the living wage was higher than the minimum wage, which increased to $15.20 per hour last June as part of the provincial government’s poverty reduction strategy. It also announced a minimum wage increase to $15.65 per hour starting on June 1.

While that increase is tied to BC’s annual inflation rate, Jones says it’s unlikely to bridge the gap between the minimum wage and living wage, as inflation affects the latter as well.

Jones says other government policies may more successfully address that divide, including pilot projects underway throughout the province testing a $10-a-day childcare program. A living wage report suggests could lower the living wage by nearly $2 per hour.

You can find more social, economic, cultural, and environmental data on our region and sign up for a newsletter at stateofthebasin.ca.

Continue Reading

chnv Now playing play

ckkc Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Puck drop date set for KIJHL season

The puck will drop on the 2025-26 KIJHL regular season on Friday, September 19, when the league’s 21 teams each embark on a 44-game schedule.

Council votes to bring Baker Street market back downtown

Following months of community debate and vendor frustration, Nelson’s Wednesday farmers market will return to it’s longtime home on Baker Street next week (July 16). 

Report makes six recommendations on event safety after Lapu Lapu festival tragedy

A report commissioned by the B.C. government after a deadly attack at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver makes a number of recommendations to improve security at public events.

B.C. SPCA welcomes proposed ban on exotic cats

The B.C. SPCA is welcoming proposed regulations from the B.C. government to ban all exotic cat species. 

RCMP seeking two men after explosion outside MLA Bowinn Ma’s North Van office

RCMP have released images of two men they believe were involved in an explosion last month in North Vancouver, which damaged the front door of the building housing the constituency office of B.C. NDP MLA and cabinet minister Bowinn Ma.
- Advertisement -