Vernon seniors rally for increase in retirement monies

“We're barely getting by. We are able to eat and that's about it.”

That from Penelope Sage, one of close to 80 seniors who marched through downtown Vernon Thursday in a show of unity demanding more money to live on.

The march and rally was put on by Tin Cup, a provincial group that held similar events in several BC cities.

“It's been very hard,” said Sage, 76. “I don't get to do a lot of fun things like going out to eat. I don't have the money for that. We're barely surviving.”

The Canadian poverty threshold is $25,000 a year. According to Tin Cup, seniors on CPP, OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement receive less than $18,000 a year.

Barb Pittman was at the event to support her mother and to raise awareness of the plight of seniors as she is 60 years old herself.

“I find it very interesting the government, in 2020, felt that every Canadian deserved $2,000 a month to get by. And that was four years ago when prices were significantly less than they are today. Rent was less, gas was less yet we're expected to survive on less than that regularly.”

Pittman said seniors also have higher health care costs, “but we don't even deserve $2,000 a month.

“I'm worried. I see all my friends who are struggling greatly and I feel this is an inhumane way to live. The stress that this causes creates even more health problems and is more of a drain on the health-care system because stress is a real contributor to health problems.”

The rally was organized by Carole Fawcett who held a small protest in front of the 30th Avenue Canada Service office last December.

Since then, the protest has spread across the province with six BC cities taking part.

“It's ridiculous that seniors in Canada live below the poverty line,” Fawcett said before the rally began. “I think it's just sad. It puts me in tears every time.”