Living Wage for Families is evolving into Living Wage BC

This rebrand is a major step in our journey to ensure that every worker in British Columbia can thrive, not just survive.

Why the Change?

The Living Wage campaign first emerged in 2008, when BC had the highest child poverty rate in Canada. Most children growing up in poverty in BC lived in families where their parents worked, but just weren’t earning enough money to pay the bills.

When the living wage was first calculated, it was sufficient to also support a single parent and a single person. That's no longer the case.

Over the past 15 years, governments at all levels have invested in initiatives to really help families with children. Record investments in child care, the Canada Child Benefit, and the BC Child Benefit, have all helped play a role in reducing child poverty in BC. Despite these initiatives, child poverty remains a big issue in BC, where 1 in 7 children live in poverty.

Today, the biggest group of people who live in poverty in Canada are single, working age adults. More than one in five (22%) live below the poverty line. Working-age single adults who are Indigenous, racialized, and/or living with a disability are even more disproportionately impacted by poverty due to systemic racism and discrimination.

In addition, the make up of families has changed. The two parent-two child family is no longer the norm. More people are living alone or choosing not to have children. 

It is clear we need to adapt our messaging to reflect everyone who is working hard to pay the bills, not just those with children.

Our Vision

We believe that every worker should thrive. No worker in BC should be unable to pay the bills while working full-time.

This rebrand allows us to advocate more effectively for living wages across various sectors and demographics, and to foster an inclusive economy that benefits everyone.

What’s New?

A Fresh Identity

• New Logo: Gone are the waving cartoon family.
  Our new logo of three people reflects our new move to calculate living wages for 3 groups of people (single people, a family of four, and single parents). It also represents our commitment to unite workers, employers and community partners to ensure that all workers can thrive.
• New colours: Our new colour scheme is bolder, brighter and more flexible. The new colour scheme also represents our move to become part of Vancity Community Foundation.
• Updated Messaging: We’ve refreshed our messaging to highlight our broader goals and the importance of living wages for all workers. This includes advocating for policy changes, engaging with businesses, and raising awareness about working poverty

Expanded Outreach

With our new name, we’re excited to broaden our outreach efforts. We’ll collaborate with organizations, businesses, and community groups across BC to promote living wages and support initiatives that help workers.

What Remains the Same?

While our name and branding are changing, our core mission and values remain steadfast.

• Advocacy: We champion policies that lift wages and lower the cost of living for people in BC.
• Employer certification: We certify employers who commit to paying their direct staff and contracted workers a living wage.
• Community Engagement: We work closely with local communities to raise awareness, understand working poverty in those communities, and find solutions to those challenges..
  Looking Forward

This rebrand marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we’re excited about what lies ahead. Living Wage BC will continue to advocate tirelessly for fair wages, economic justice, and the well-being of all workers in our province.

The rebrand process

We've worked with some excellent Living Wage Employers to help us on this journey:

• Revy Web Design - managed the rebrand process from design through to implementation.   
• Eclipse Awards - designed some beautiful new plaques for Living Wage Employers. 
• Royal Printers - printed our new decals, stickers and other materials
• Artee Screenprinting - designed our new tote bags and t-shirts. 

We invite you to join us on this journey! Follow us on social media and stay engaged as we roll out new initiatives, resources, and updates. Your support is crucial as we work together to create a more equitable future for everyone in British Columbia.

Thank you for being part of our community. We’re excited to take our next steps together as Living Wage BC. Let’s continue to advocate for living wages and make a lasting impact across our province.