Survivor: James Bay by Doreen M. Gee Forget about the Australian Outback. Here in James Bay, we have the ultimate “survivor” challenge: coping on a fixed income in one of the most expensive places in Victoria. A website called “Play Greater Victoria” states that 16.2 per cent of the population of James Bay - almost one in six people - have incomes that fall below the StatsCan low-income cut-off. Many people in James Bay are struggling to survive with limited funds and ballooning prices. Some have developed very creative ways to get the most “bang out of a buck.” And many services in James Bay are designed to be easy on the wallet. Laurie Holiday lives with this challenge every day in James Bay. She is on a fixed disability income and raising her ten-year-old son, Coleman, by herself. The hardest thing for Holiday to afford is housing. She pays $780 in rent, more than half of her income, which leaves less money for food and other essentials. A major challenge is the extra cost of dealing with her illness and the special needs of her son. She simply cannot afford the homemaker that she needs or the tutor that would help her son in school. In an anxious voice, she tells me that she cannot afford to buy a decongestant for her son, who was sick at the time of our interview. It is a disturbing sign of our times that she finds it necessary to go to a food bank about six times a year. Holiday says she is a very “resourceful” person. To save money, she buys food in bulk, does sewing, uses thrift stores and the school’s “clothing exchange,” and grabs every bargain at the local store. Instead of cable, she and Coleman rent videos at five for five dollars. They go to cheap kids’ movies at UVic’s Cinecenta. Hikes and camping make recreation affordable. The James Bay Community School Centre on Oswego Street tries to provide programs that are affordable to all. Alex Dominiak, the Program Coordinator, tells me that many activities are low-cost. For example, their creative writing course is only $42 and Kindergym for Tots is a mere $2.50 for a drop-in. Renée Byron, a single mom, appreciates the very reasonable rates for her daughter’s preschool care. The Centre also offers the James Bay Seniors Dinner Program, where they serve full course meals twice a week for only $6.50. And the James Bay Community Project has extra flexibility when it comes to making activities affordable because it has more sources of funding. All their parenting and toddler programs are free with the option of giving a donation. The James Bay New Horizons Centre knows how to make activities affordable for seniors on fixed incomes. Constance Petersen (Jansma), President of the Board for the Centre, is also a senior on a fixed income. She tells me that their centre has some of the lowest costs in Victoria. Drop-in fees are only a dollar for seniors who want to play cards or go to an exercise class. The “Active Seniors Enjoying Life” exercise class is totally free. Petersen (Jansma) volunteers at New Horizons and enjoys the affordable activities there that keep her busy and motivated. To Kim Dixon, the Executive Director of New Horizons, it is important that seniors are able to pay for all the social activities that enhance their lives. Both women say that obtaining housing in this area is a major battle for seniors. Living in James Bay on a static income is a daunting challenge. In our own reality series on this Pacific island, people like Laurie Holiday are the true survivors. Back to Profiles