[Dion]

Raising the minimum wage is not enough and on it's own does little to cure poverty

Calgary Food Bank CEO James McAra said previous minimum wage hikes in Alberta have not done anything to reduce food bank usage in Calgary, in part because the minimum wage still remains too low to lift people out of poverty. He said while he believes the NDP government’s minimum wage policy has started a “good conversation” around the issue of poverty, he said there are other issues that need to be addressed — such as access to prescription drugs and dental care, and the availability of transit, services and schools in neighbourhoods where housing is affordable.

“Changing wages has not demonstrated a change in demand at our food bank, because there are so many other factors that go into it,” McAra said. “Poverty is incredibly complex, and no one brute-force tool is going to suddenly end poverty.”

https://calgaryherald.com/business/l...-advocates-say