Hard work in Canada has never paid less, in economic opportunity or quality of life. For most young Canadians, it doesn’t really matter how much you make in dollars and cents: without family money, the big picture is largely the same. No homeownership. No path to building wealth. Delayed family formation, or none at all.
This corrosive disconnect between salary and lifestyle goes to the heart of Canada’s generational tensions. Outside rural areas, even a six-figure salary often means living paycheque to paycheque by the time rent, transit, food and other basic expenses are paid for. Needless to say, many young people make far less than six figures, which is why one out of every four food bank users in Ontario these days is employed.
