Some parents facing affordability challenges with increased school supply prices
With the first day of classes looming, some parents shopping for school supplies are facing affodability challenges with higher priced essentials.
The Salvation Army backpack program provides bags filled with supplies for those who can’t afford to buy their own. This year, there’s a combination of factors that have increased demand.
“It is unprecedented. I know last year we had significant phone calls, but this year has even gone beyond that,” Salvation Army Temple Lt. Derek Kerr said.
All the donations to the Salvation Army program is provided by donors. The group typically aims to give out 1,500 backpacks.
“We could’ve probably doubled that,” Kerr said.
Kerr is attributing up the increased need to what they’re hearing from recipients.
“The cost of school supplies, like everything else, has increased significantly over the past year,” he said.
School supplies shoppers tended to agree.
“Some things (have) similar (costs) and some items seems more expensive for sure,” Lindsay Kelleher said as she shopped for her two children.
Kelleher spent over $100 on just one bag of supplies. She found glue sticks to be quite expensive compared to other years and with children in Grade 1 and Grade 4, those are essentials on the list.
The pandemic is also playing a part, according to other shoppers noting the return to a regular in-person schedule of classes and a lack of restrictions for the first school year since 2019.
At the Salvation Army, staff were prepping for distribution next week and looking ahead to next year with increased demand.
“So hopefully next year we’ll be able to increase that number and help more children,” Kerr said.
The first day of classes for Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools is Sept. 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.