Lea Reambeault can walk to three discount supermarkets in minutes from her Toronto apartment above a Food Basics store. Still, grocery shopping is a chore she often leaves to her partner out of anxiety.
The 36-year-old mother of three has been out of work since the birth of her youngest daughter a year ago. Her family of five — squeezed into a two-bedroom unit — relies on her partner’s roughly $80,000 annual income and spends about $600 a week on groceries and household essentials. Sometimes the couple has to put off rent to keep food on the table.
