About 1 in 4 Nova Scotia children living in poverty: report

Nova Scotia had the fifth-highest child poverty rate in Canada in 2022 and the highest in Atlantic Canada, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The report, released on Tuesday, showed that rate jumped to nearly 24 per cent, representing 41,500 children living in poverty. The report was based on tax filing data that showed 2022 recorded the biggest single-year increase in child poverty in Nova Scotia since 1989 — when MPs voted unanimously in the House of Commons to bring an end to child poverty by the year 2000.

"To me, behind these poverty rates, behind those numbers are real families and they're losing hope," said Christine Saulnier, who co-authored the report.

Saulnier, the director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia, is calling for a poverty elimination plan for the province.

"Every month, every year that these children are living in poverty, it's impacting them, it's impacting their health, it's impacting their ability to learn as a society. This is an urgent call for our new government. Let's see us sustain a poverty reduction in this province to a point where we really can end it," Saulnier said.

Saulnier said unless there is sustained income support to families, they won't be lifted out of poverty. She pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Nova Scotia's child poverty rate fell to 18.4 per cent in 2020 — a significant drop from 24.3 per cent the previous year. The centre attributed that decline to pandemic-related financial assistance from the government.

Some rates of child poverty were higher in specific areas of the province, such as in parts of Dartmouth, where the charitable organization North Grove put on a holiday dinner this week.

Part of North Grove's mandate is to make sure people have access to healthy food.

"It's really sad to see people struggling in this way. Food costs have become unreachable for some. And what happens, people buy things that are affordable, but not necessarily healthy," said North Grove executive director Wendy Fraser.

Fraser agreed child poverty is an urgent issue with rising costs making it increasingly more difficult for families.

Province says it's trying to make life more affordable

The province did not provide an interview but released a statement saying it does not need a report to be told Nova Scotia families are facing challenging times.

"We are taking measures to make life more affordable while increasing support for those who need it most. We need more than government spending to solve this problem," read the statement from Scott Armstrong, the minister of opportunities and social development.

"We are focused on unlocking Nova Scotia's economic and resource potential because good-paying jobs lift families out of poverty and give future generations new opportunities."

The statement also mentioned the one percentage point cut to the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax, increased income assistance rates and the free school lunch program as other initiatives.