At a Glance - August 22, 2023
Alberta Campus Food Bank Sees Doubling of Demand
Compared to the previous year, campus food banks in Alberta have seen double the demand for food from students this academic year.
A recent survey from the Campus Food Bank and the University of Alberta revealed that approximately 70% of its clientele are international students, and 68% are graduate students. Often, these two demographics overlap.
Universities have revealed that even though summer typically sees less demand, they have seen increased food bank usage on campus. UofC reported a 30% increase in visitors compared to last summer, and UofA has reported nearly 2,000 visits since May. This has led several institutions to express their concern that with no signs of the heightened demand for food lessening anytime soon, there will likely be a significant need for more food to support students this fall.
Alberta Energy Prices a Major Factor in Inflation
Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.3% in July, an occurrence which according to Stats Can, was pushed higher partly because of higher energy prices. Rising above 3% takes the inflation rate outside the target range between one and three percent, which the Bank of Canada tries to maintain to ensure inflation does not escalate uncontrollably and no recession is triggered.
Electricity prices rose 11.7% last month across Canada, however, Alberta prices rose 127.8%. Statistics Canada notes that electricity costs in Alberta are often volatile and were influenced by high summer demand.
Alberta’s inflation rate was 2.9%, which despite beating the Canadian inflation rate, represented an increase of a full percentage point from June.
Alberta is Calling
Recent numbers released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show that more than 31,000 people arrived in the province from other areas of Canada, primarily BC and Ontario. This number represents a 44.7% increase compared to last year.
In 2022, Alberta’s population grew by just over 160,000 people. Alberta also saw the highest net interprovincial migration of any Canadian province, with net migration of more than 11,000 people. The closest province or territory with a net increase was Nova Scotia, with 1,025 interprovincial migrants.
Calgary Students Searching for Housing
Hundreds of incoming students are without places to live after campus housing across Calgary has reached capacity. The University of Calgary announced that there are nearly 750 names on the waitlist to secure a spot in residence. This number is considerably increased from the mere 500 names on the list last year.
Similarly, other Calgary-based post-secondary schools have reported considerable waitlists. The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology has a waitlist with nearly 100 students, and Mount Royal University has a waitlist for the first time in 10 years.
Universities attribute this sharp rise in demand to the increase in rent prices in Calgary. As the housing market has grown more expensive, students have turned to campus housing to escape the tight rental market.
New Rules for Roadside Safety Law
New "move over" safety rules starting September 1 will require drivers to move over to the far lane, if safe to do so when passing any stopped roadside worker vehicle with flashing lights. Additionally, drivers must slow down to 60 km/h or lower, depending on the posted signs.
Currently, this rule only applies to tow truck drivers and first responders under the Traffic Safety Act. However, the Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen explained that this rule merely reflects a "common-sense rule change," which he hopes will help "protect our police, paramedics, maintenance workers, and tow truck drivers."
Failure to comply with the new rules may result in fines and demerits, including a $243 fine and three demerit points for failing to slow down. Additional penalties may also apply for failing to allow other drivers to move over and for unsafe passing of snowplows.