Healthy food is increasingly out of reach for Island’s poorest

Report highlights high cost of housing and food; lower-income people are forced to make difficult choices

Healthy food is becoming increasingly out of reach for low-income families on Vancouver Island, a new report says.

Grocery costs for a family of four on a nutritious diet cost $1,366 on average per month in the Island Health region, a BC Center for Disease Control report says.

Those in the North Island health region, which includes the Sunshine Coast, were found to pay $1,370 on average, while families in Central Vancouver Island and South Vancouver Island paid an average of $1,343 and $1,386